From the Outside Looking In, Addiction Can Seem Like A Black & White Issue
An observer sees an individual battling a disease, and assumes that the clear solution is treatment. After all, they may reason, you would get the care you needed if you had a physical illness — why not do the same for a substance use disorder? Friends and family members of an addicted individual may feel hurt or confused when their loved one avoids or refuses treatment, or when the individual goes through a relapse. To them, it may appear as though they are not even trying to get better.