Is Addiction Considered a Chronic Illness?

A study by Bupa in 2025 found that over half of UK workers admitted to having struggled with some form of addiction. It is a more common problem in society than we like to admit, and many people don’t let others know they are struggling because of the stigma and language around addiction.

How we talk about things is important. This is why it is important to address and discuss addiction in a way that allows people struggling, treatment centres, medical professionals and concerned loved ones to be more open and face the problem head-on.

Understanding Addiction Through a Medical Lens

Addiction is a widespread issue that no country in the world is exempt from. Millions of lives are affected by the problem daily. According to a World Health Organisation report from last year, there were over 3 million annual deaths due to drug and alcohol addiction.

Whilst addiction can impact every part of society, it is first and foremost a medical issue and should be viewed as such. For a long time, addiction was seen as a sign of moral failing on a person’s part, but increasingly it is being viewed as what it is, a chronic illness.

It’s important to understand what a chronic illness is. Why addiction should be considered one and why it matters how we talk about and view addiction.

What Does It Mean to Call a Condition a Chronic Illness?

A chronic illness is a long-lasting health issue that has the potential to come back and may not necessarily be curable. In many cases, chronic illnesses are managed rather than cured.

Examples of common chronic illnesses include:

• Diabetes
• Asthma
• Heart disease
• Arthritis
• Depression

With these conditions, long-term management and treatment are needed. With an acute condition, say a broken leg, you get treatment, then it heals. But if you had asthma and never used your inhaler, or diabetes and never had medication, they would cause more serious medical issues without managing them properly.

Is Addiction Considered a Chronic Illness?

Yes, the consensus across the medical spectrum is that addiction is a chronic brain illness/disease.

Many leading authorities agree with this, including:

• The NHS Describe addiction as “not having control over doing, taking or using something to the point where it could be harmful to you.”

• WHO (World Health Organisation) say that “addictive behaviours are recognisable and clinically significant syndromes.”

• NIH (National Institutes of Health), he primary US public health organisation, defines addiction as a “chronic, relapsing disorder.”

Recognising drug addiction and other substance use disorders as chronic conditions helps reduce stigma and encourages treatment.

The Science Behind Addiction as a Chronic Condition

When someone takes a substance, they experience a release of dopamine in their brain. This is the pleasure hormone and a vital part of your brain’s reward pathway. You take more of your substance, and your brain begins to associate the action of the addiction with the biochemical reward.

The more you take, the more tolerance you build up. This means you need to take more to maintain the dopamine levels that your brain is now accustomed to. Dopamine and other neurotransmitters will begin to affect parts of your brain responsible for decision-making, impulse control and learning, reinforcing the addictive behaviour.

Your delicate brain chemistry begins to change as behaviours, places, smells and memories get tied to your addiction. All these changes around memories and action are why cravings and relapses occur. Your brain, now hijacked by addiction, forms these connections without you wanting them to. For example, a former alcoholic may no longer be able to enter a pub as their brain so closely ties it with drinking that cravings are inevitable.

Why Is It Important to View Addiction as a Chronic Illness?

It’s important to view addiction as a chronic illness because it helps remove stigma. When something is stigmatised, there is more negativity. This means people are less open or believe they do not deserve help.

If you use more medical terminology, you remove stigma. If you remove stigma, then the feelings of shame around addiction go away, and more people feel empowered to get help. This is because they believe that they deserve help, and that addiction isn’t just something they have selfishly chosen to pursue.

This attitude supports long-term treatment and relapse prevention because people engage with it more as if they are dealing with a medical issue. It’s a perception shift that helps them see they are trying to improve their health and well-being.

Treatment Approaches for Managing Addiction

As addiction is a chronic illness, it is more about management than curing. There is no cure for addiction; people just complete treatment and learn to live with the reality that they could slip back into using, drinking or gambling if they are not careful.

Professional support gives you the tools to achieve long-term recovery and manage in the future in many ways. There are outpatient and inpatient programmes that provide you with structure and access to many treatment options.

At a drug or alcohol rehab, you can expect to go through detox, take part in various types of counselling sessions and learn about relapse prevention.

Because addiction does rewire your brain, willing yourself to get sober is not enough. You need structured, professional support to get physically clean and gain a deeper understanding of your addiction. Willpower alone is rarely enough. Professional treatment helps you manage and identify triggers, build a support network, and gives you the time and tools to heal.

How Ocean Recovery Centre Supports Long-term Recovery

Ocean Recovery provides a tailored and comprehensive addiction treatment plan. We are dedicated to healing both the physical and psychological aspects of addiction. This is reflected in our range of treatments, including:

• Medically assisted detox
• Both individual and group therapy
• Relapse prevention support
• Aftercare
• Holistic therapies

Our holistic approach to treatment involves helping you improve your overall well-being, besides treating addiction. Activities such as yoga, meditation, social activities and regular exercise are all part of our compassionate and caring approach.

Each treatment plan is catered to the person. This ensures they receive effective treatment that gives them the best chance of achieving long-term recovery. Our aftercare programme also means that you get continued support once you leave our rehab, vital in those first few difficult months of sobriety.

Recovery Is Possible With the Right Support

Having an addiction is a chronic illness, but that doesn’t mean that it has to take over your life. Addiction can be treated and managed, allowing you to live a more fulfilling life.

If you are tired of addiction being the defining thing in your life, maybe it’s time to get professional help. Contact Ocean Recovery Centre today via our online enquiry form or call 0800 880 7596.

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John Gillen - Author - Last updated: October 24, 2025

John is one UK’s leading professionals in the addiction recovery industry. Pioneering new treatment techniques such as NAD+ and ongoing research into new therapy techniques such as systematic laser therapy, John is committed to providing the very best treatment for people throughout the UK and Europe. During his extremely busy schedule, John likes to regularly update our blog section with the latest news and trends in the industry to keep visitors to our site as well informed as possible on everything related to addiction treatment.