1. Is Drug addiction a mental illness?
By: Gavriel Weiss

2. What is Mental illness?
Defined as: Any of various conditions characterized by impairment of an individual's normal cognitive, emotional, or behavioral functioning, and caused by social, psychological, biochemical, genetic, or other factors.
According to The National Institute on Drug Abuse, drug addiction can disturb the brains hierarchy of needs, wants, and desires.
Does this fact necessarily mean that Drug Addiction is a Mental Illness?

3. How is Drug addiction dealt with?
Most people with a mental illness get treatment from a physiatrist.
The first professional a drug addict usually comes into contact with is a police officer.
About 1 in 100 U.S Citizens are now confined in jail or prison.
80% of these people abuse drugs or alcohol
50% are clinically addicted
95% of these people return to abusing drugs and alcohol when released from prison.

4. The Revolving door
Most addicts, after prison time, return to habitual drug use.
Most addicts, after released from prison, reoffend and return to prison.
Breaking this “revolving door” is hard. Takes time and resources.
20,000,000 people who could possibly benefit from drug addiction counseling and or rehab do not get treatment (In the U.S).

5. Is drug addiction a mental illness?
The choice of abusing a known addicted drug.
Routes of falling into drug addiction.
Choice vs. “traditional” mental illness.
Bipolar
Schizophrenia
How do drug addicts differ from other persons with mental illness?
How does the criminality of drugs and the persecution of drug addicts affect treatment?