Addiction: Habit or Disease? (Episode 1 - Archive)Addiction: Habit or Disease? (Episode 1 - Archive)
Relational Recovery
Wes, Austin and Matthew talk about addiction as robbed dignity, spoiled goodness and a brain-changing disease, questioning whether it’s a choice or something deeper. The conversation widens recovery beyond substances to unwanted behaviours and broken relationships.
6:44•2 Aug 2026
Is Addiction a Habit, a Choice, or a Disease?
Episode Overview
- Addiction is described as robbing human dignity, ambitions, goals and life itself.
- People often do things in addiction they never imagined, leading to deep shame and changed self-image.
- The episode questions whether addiction is a choice, habit or disease and shows how views on this can shift over time.
- Matthew changes his mind about the disease label after learning how addiction alters brain areas linked to rational thinking and emotional control.
- Addiction is framed as spoiled goodness and a parasitic pursuit of something beautiful in unhealthy ways, rooted in a longing for connection.
“Addiction to me is the robbing of not only your human dignity, but your ambitions, your goals, and essentially your life.”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This first archive episode of *Relational Recovery* brings together host Wes Thompson, co-host Austin Hill, and their friend Matthew Des Moines from The Refuge Ministry for a raw conversation on what addiction really is. Instead of just talking about drugs and alcohol, the trio broaden the lens.
Matthew shares his view that "addiction to me is the robbing of not only your human dignity, but your ambitions, your goals, and essentially your life." He explains how addiction leads people to say and do things they never imagined, leaving them feeling less human and more "animalistic" in their actions. You’ll hear them wrestle with a big question: is addiction a habit, a choice, or a disease?
Matthew admits he used to reject the word "disease" as a cop-out, thinking, "I chose this." But after learning how addiction physically changes the brain—especially the areas responsible for rational thinking, logical decisions, and emotional control—he now sees it very differently. The conversation also touches on the idea of addiction as "spoiled goodness" and a "parasitic" attachment to something beautiful that’s being pursued in unhealthy ways.
Underneath substances and behaviours, they suggest there’s often a deep yearning for connection that goes badly off track. Backed by The Refuge Ministry’s blend of Christian spirituality and psychology, this episode speaks to anyone who’s ever wondered why good people do harmful things, or why it’s so hard to stop even when the consequences are obvious. It might prompt you to ask: how do you view addiction—moral failure, bad habit, or something more complicated?
And what could change if you saw it through the lens of dignity, relationship, and brain health? If you’re wrestling with your own behaviour or trying to understand someone you care about, this conversation could be a helpful starting point for fresh thinking and honest self-reflection.
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