Alcoholism and Drug Addiction

I think that alcoholism and drug addiction should be considered half a brain disorder and half a personal failure. To become an alcoholic or an addict, you must have first drunk heavily or taken drugs, which shows a lack of will power or moral values. But once you are addicted, it is sort of a brain disorder because you have no control over these urges. However, if a person does not seek help or recovery, that once again is a personal failure because they have not chosen to do so but still could. However, if the person does seek treatment, but it doesn’t help, that would be a brain disorder because they are trying to fix the problem, but physically cannot. The problem is not black and white; there are many different factors that determine whether the overarching problem is a brain disorder or a personal failure. But neither one of these will ever be the sole cause of the problem.

However, with other problems such as depression, it is less a personal failure and more a brain disorder. There is physically something wrong with your brain, which you are not responsible for. You did not choose to become depressed. However, once again, if treatment or help is not sought, that would be a personal failure. Though these problems are different because the person has no control over whether or not they have them in the first place, the person still has to seek help to get the problem fixed.