Substance Use FAQ

Q: Why do people say that substance abuse is a disease?
A: Alcoholism and drug addiction have the same fundamental characteristics as physical diseases:

• Like most other diseases, substance abuse disorders are progressive and will worsen over time without proper treatment.
• They are fatal. If untreated, they ultimately lead to death.
• There is an inherited biological connection that causes a predisposition or increased likelihood of a person having the diseases.
• They manifest in a predictable way regardless of whom they affect.