Abstract
Human dignity refers to the value of the human person. By clarifying distinctions within human dignity, we can conclude that, whereas a person's ontological dignity cannot be lost or diminished regardless of circumstance, a person's existential, moral, or social dignity can be impaired. We describe the state of impaired existential, moral, or social dignity as a dignity disorder, which is defined by the criteria of: impaired rationality; impaired will; impaired capacity to love; and impaired body. We further demonstrate how addiction can be characterized as a dignity disorder with the associated benefit of emphasizing a personalist approach to addiction treatment with the principal intent of promoting existential, moral, and social dignity, which entails: restoring agency, self-efficacy, and freedom of choice; reconciling the internal conflict of akrasia; restoring loving, disinterested relationships; and healing the dysfunctional neuroadaptations and medical sequelae of substance use. This nosology reveals that the distinction between addiction as a choice and addiction as a disease is a false dichotomy; rather, addiction represents an impairment in both body and spirit. By incorporating the criteria of love, this nosology also reveals that addiction is an issue of both personal and societal responsibility.
Published Version
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