Addiction Is Just Like Any Other Habit: An Argument for Personal Agency

For decades, addiction has been widely viewed as a chronic, relapsing brain disease—a model promoted by institutions like the National Institute on Drug Abuse and 12-step programs. However, the Freedom Model of Addiction, developed by Slate, Scheeren, and Dunbar (2017), offers a radically different view. It asserts that addiction is not a disease but a habit—a repeated, voluntary behavior based on perceived benefits. Like nail biting or overeating, substance use becomes habitual through reinforcement, not compulsion. This essay argues that addiction is best understood as a changeable habit, not an incurable disease, and that this view restores individual agency and offers a more hopeful path to recovery.

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Addiction Is Not a Disease

The disease model suggests people are powerless over their substance use due to permanent changes in the brain. But research increasingly challenges this idea. In Addiction: A Disorder of Choice, Gene Heyman (2009) argues that addictive behavior is value-driven and voluntary. Most people with substance use problems eventually quit—often without treatment—demonstrating that addiction is not an inescapable condition.

Calling addiction a disease, according to the Freedom Model, promotes helplessness. People are told they must “manage” their disease forever, reinforcing dependency on treatment systems rather than empowering change.

Addiction as a Habit

Habits are formed by repetition and context. A study by Lally et al. (2010) found that behaviors become automatic over time—not because of biological compulsion, but because of consistent repetition. Substance use follows this same pattern: individuals engage in it for stress relief, pleasure, or escape, and it becomes habitual.

The Freedom Model argues that once people stop believing that substance use provides unique benefits, they can and do change. This aligns with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and motivational interviewing, which focus on altering beliefs and motivations to support behavior change (Miller & Rollnick, 2012).

Natural Recovery and Choice

A powerful argument against the disease model is the prevalence of natural recovery. According to Dawson et al. (2005), about 75% of people who meet criteria for alcohol dependence recover without formal treatment. This suggests that most people overcome substance use through personal choice, not medical intervention.

This aligns with the Freedom Model’s central claim: when individuals reassess their beliefs about substances and decide they no longer serve them, they can break the habit—without labeling themselves as “addicts” for life.

Empowerment and Hope

Viewing addiction as a habit rather than a disease offers a hopeful, empowering path. It emphasizes the capacity for change rather than permanent pathology. While critics argue that this model downplays addiction’s seriousness, it does not deny the difficulty of breaking habits—it simply affirms that people can change when they are ready.

Conclusion

Reframing addiction as a habit rather than a disease aligns more closely with behavioral science and restores personal agency to those struggling with substance use. The Freedom Model challenges fatalistic narratives and supports the idea that change is possible—not through surrender, but through informed, voluntary choice. In this light, addiction is just like any other habit—and that truth can set people free.

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References

• Dawson, D. A., Grant, B. F., Stinson, F. S., & Chou, P. S. (2005). Recovery from DSM-IV alcohol dependence: United States, 2001–2002. Addiction, 100(3), 281–292.

• Heyman, G. M. (2009). Addiction: A disorder of choice. Harvard University Press.

• Lally, P., van Jaarsveld, C. H., Potts, H. W., & Wardle, J. (2010). How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology, 40(6), 998–1009.

• Miller, W. R., & Rollnick, S. (2012). Motivational interviewing: Helping people change (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.

• Slate, S., Scheeren, M., & Dunbar, M. (2017). The Freedom Model for Addictions: Escape the Treatment and Recovery Trap. Baldwin Research Institute.