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Responsibility for addiction.

Richard J Bonnie1

  • 1University of Virginia Schools of Law and Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA. rbonnie@virginia.edu

The Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law
|October 17, 2002
PubMed
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Addiction is a chronic relapsing disorder. Addicts are responsible for managing their illness after treatment, aligning with disease management principles and legal standards.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychiatry
  • Law

Background:

  • Addiction is increasingly understood as a brain disease.
  • This perspective raises questions about personal responsibility and legal culpability.
  • Existing legal and therapeutic frameworks grapple with addiction's complex nature.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the compatibility of addiction as a disease with addict responsibility.
  • To examine the ethical and practical implications of holding addicts accountable.
  • To propose a framework for understanding addict responsibility in managing their illness.

Main Methods:

  • Philosophical analysis of responsibility in the context of addiction.
  • Review of legal precedents and ethical considerations.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Comparison of addiction to other chronic diseases.

    • Main Results:

    • Characterizing addiction as a disease does not preclude holding addicts responsible.
    • Legal systems often maintain high standards for responsibility.
    • Utilitarian arguments support sanctions to encourage treatment engagement.
    • Viewing addiction as a chronic relapsing disorder shifts focus to post-treatment self-management.

    Conclusions:

    • Addicts bear responsibility for managing their illness, particularly after acute treatment.
    • This responsibility aligns with the chronic nature of addiction and disease management principles.
    • A nuanced approach to responsibility balances therapeutic goals with individual accountability.