No Such Thing as Addiction—Just Choice

I know this is going to piss some people off but, oh well, let's talk about "addiction", or more accurately, what we’ve been told addiction is.

For decades, society has been sold a narrative: addiction is a disease. It's something that happens to you, something that takes over your brain, something you’re powerless against unless you enter a treatment program, attend support groups, or get prescribed medication. But what if that narrative is completely wrong? What if addiction isn't a disease at all? What if it’s simply a series of choices—tough ones, repeated over time, but still choices?

The Power of Human Agency

We make choices every day. Some are small, such as deciding what to eat for breakfast. Some are bigger—who we associate with, how we spend our time, what we do for a living. The idea that people “lose control” in addiction suggests that they no longer have the capacity to choose. But is that really true? Absolutely not!

Plenty of people have struggled with substances, yet walked away. Some hit rock bottom. Some didn’t. Some used for years, others for weeks. But at some point, they made a decision. They said “enough,” and they took action. They exercised willpower. That doesn’t mean it was easy—it just means it was possible. And quite frankly, after the decision is made, it IS easy.

The Danger of the Disease Label

Calling addiction a disease can sometimes remove accountability. “It’s not my fault—I’m sick.” But with that mindset, where does personal responsibility go? More importantly, where does hope go? And where does one's power go? If addiction is a chronic, relapsing disease, are you destined to battle it forever? Bullsh*t.

On the other hand, if addiction is behavior—learned, reinforced, and chosen, then it can be unlearned. That’s empowering. That’s transformation. That’s change through conscious decision-making, not a lifelong state of victimhood.

The Science Typically Portrayed is Made Up

Yes, brain scans show changes in people with long-term substance use. But the brain changes with all habits—good and bad. That doesn’t prove addiction is a disease. It proves that the brain adapts to what we repeatedly do. That’s what brains do.

Labeling addiction as a disease might help some people get access to care. But let’s not confuse a helpful model with an absolute truth. If someone changes their life by choosing differently, maybe the issue wasn’t a disease to begin with—maybe it was just a pattern.

Choosing can be Hard—But It's Still a Choice

This isn’t about blaming people. It's about BELIEVING IN THEM. People don’t choose to suffer. But they DO choose what to do next. Every day is a chance to say no. Or to say yes to something better. That’s not minimizing addiction—it’s reclaiming agency.

Maybe it’s time we stop telling people they’re powerless. Maybe it’s time we start reminding them how f*cking powerful they always have been and still are.

Don't believe me? Why would you? Then do your own research into the REAL science:

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1. Steven Slate, Mark W Scheeren, Michelle L Dunbar (2017). The Freedom Model for Addictions: Escape the Treatment and Recovery Trap

2. Jeffrey A. Schaler (2000). Addiction is a Choice.

3. Gene M. Heyman (2009). Addiction: A Disorder of Choice

4. Marc Lewis (2015). The Biology of Desire: Why Addiction Is Not a Disease

5. Satel, S., & Lilienfeld, S. O. (2013). Brainwashed: The Seductive Appeal of Mindless Neuroscience