On what basis can one say that addiction is a disease, and how do the two international classification systems name it?
Both international manuals classify it as a mental disorder: the WHO's ICD (ICD-10 / ICD-11) as a "mental or behavioural disorder due to psychotropic substances", the American Psychiatric Association's DSM-5 as "substance-related and addictive disorders".
| Manual | Publisher | Term |
|---|---|---|
| ICD-10 / ICD-11 (International Classification of Diseases) | World Health Organization (WHO) | mental or behavioural disorder due to psychotropic substances |
| DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) | American Psychiatric Association (APA) | substance-related and addictive disorders |
The DSM-5 name already includes behaviours ("addictive disorders"), not only substances; this is where gambling disorder sits. In Europe, professionals still mostly work with ICD-10; ICD-11 has officially applied since the start of 2022, but its introduction has been hesitant.
Why "addiction is a disease" matters ethically: a disease is not a moral failing. It gives a person a claim to treatment, paid like other illnesses, rather than blame. This sits uneasily with how many people still see addiction, as self-inflicted.
Go deeper:
Wikipedia: Substance use disorder — diagnostic criteria in DSM-5 and ICD-11.- Wikipedia: Disease model of addiction — the argument for, and criticism of, treating addiction as a disease.