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When It Comes to Addiction, Whose to Blame?

When It Comes to Addiction, Whose to Blame?

Those who have ever struggled with a drug or alcohol addiction know just how difficult it really is. Addiction is a delicate matter that comes with high amounts of stress and anxiety. One specific stressor that is particularly damaging but can often be avoided is blaming. To most, it seems logical that the addict is to blame. After all, they are the ones who choose to drink, smoke, take pills, or inject their drugs…right? However, recent neuroscience studies seem to be causing a paradigm shift on how we look at addiction and what or whom is to blame.

Dr. John Kelly, director of the New Recovery Research Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital shows that many different factors are involved when understanding why addiction affects people in different ways. Those factors include genetics, brain structure, and brain function. At the first-ever White House summit on drug policy, Dr. Kelly stated, “we know that half the risk of addiction is conferred by genetics  what you’re born with. Neuroscience has also taught us that alcohol and other drugs cause profound changes in the structure and function of the brain that radically impair an individuals’ ability to stop, despite often severe consequences.”

These studies do not imply that all responsibility is removed from those battling their addiction. It simply means that addiction is a disease and the causes are dynamic and most often misunderstood. If you or a loved one is dealing with an addiction, try to avoid blaming, be patient, and seek for understanding. After all, isn’t that how you would approach any other individual battling a disease such as cancer, diabetes, or heart disease?

For more information and to read the entire article by Dr. John Kelly click here.

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