addiction is a disease Archives - GILBERTO CINTRON, LMSW

From Treatment to Punishment—and the System We’re Left With

Addiction policy in the United States did not develop in a straight line. It shifted—often dramatically—between treatment and punishment. In New York, early efforts to address addiction through structured treatment were introduced through initiatives such as the Narcotic Addiction Control Commission. These efforts reflected an understanding of addiction as a condition requiring intervention. However, this […]

addiction is a disease, aging in recovery, Alcohol Us Disorder, treatment to punishment

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Aging In Recovery, Articles, Social Work

Implications for Practice, Policy, and Lifespan Recovery Support

This is a hypothetical case for educational purposes, developed by Gil Cintron, LMSW She entered recovery at 22. At the time, no one used the phrase long-term recovery. The goal was simpler, more immediate: stop using, stabilize, survive. She had been living on the margins—selling sex to support her addiction, moving between unstable housing situations,

A Drug Is a Drug, addiction is a disease, aging in recovery, Alcohol Us Disorder, AUD, hypothetical case, Substance Use Disorder, SUD

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Aging In Recovery

A Drug Is a Drug: in Long-Term Recovery

The principle that “a drug is a drug” reflects a foundational concept within recovery frameworks, emphasizing that addiction is a disease process independent of specific substances. While this perspective supports unified approaches to recovery, it does not account for the distinct physiological effects associated with different substances over time. As increasing numbers of individuals enter

A Drug Is a Drug, addiction is a disease, Long Term Recovery, physiological consequences

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