ABSTRACT
The important implications of the disease theory depend on the notion that addiction is caused by some irreversible deficiency or pathology and that treatment is, therefore, primarily a medical concern. Certain conclusions inevitably follow from such a premise: (1) abstinence is the only treatment goal, (2) loss of control is the hallmark feature, (3) patients are not responsible for their illness, (4) therapists tend to be medical practitioners, and, finally, (5) community-based prevention will be ineffective.
