--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We need to start treating addiction like…" description: "\"We need to start treating addiction like the chronic disease that it is.\" — Doug Burgum" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba5/doug-burgum-5818_addiction_we-need-to-start-treating-addiction-like_1749773.jpg" --- # We need to start treating addiction like the chronic… ![“We need to start treating addiction like the chronic disease that it is.” quote by Doug Burgum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba5/doug-burgum-5818_addiction_we-need-to-start-treating-addiction-like_1749773.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba5/doug-burgum-5818_addiction_we-need-to-start-treating-addiction-like_1749773.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba5/doug-burgum-5818_addiction_we-need-to-start-treating-addiction-like_1749773.jpg) > “We need to start treating addiction like the chronic disease that it is.” [Doug Burgum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-burgum/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Addiction should be treated as a chronic illness, not a moral failing. **In simple terms:** Treat addiction as a disease. Key Takeaway Adopt medical‑based interventions. Themes health policy addiction Mood concerned urgent Type advocacy policy When to use this quote - healthcare reform - community support - rehabilitation programs Key Concepts public health medicine social stigma Questions to Reflect On - What barriers exist to treating addiction medically? - How can policy shift public perception? A Different Perspective Complex social factors may resist simple medical models. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Addiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/addiction/) [Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wine/) ## Related quotes > [If we start treating addiction as a public health issue, with more compassion, and without the criminal element, our society will be better off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fetterman/if-we-start-treating-addiction-as-a-public-health-issue-with-more/) [John Fetterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fetterman/) > [I really think the disease aspect gets lost when you're talking about alcoholism and addiction; it's not like you're battling leukemia or a heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-irsay/i-really-think-the-disease-aspect-gets-lost-when-you-re-talking-about/) [Jim Irsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-irsay/) > [It's probably weird to think about an addiction like it's a sentient being, but that's how it feels. Like it's something living inside you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-hopkins/it-s-probably-weird-to-think-about-an-addiction-like-it-s-a-sentient/) [Ellen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-hopkins/) > [“Most stories are not about people but about life, an addiction like the rest of them that destroys you even as you love it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hogan/most-stories-are-not-about-people-but-about-life-an-addiction-like/) [Michael Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hogan/) > [“It will take centuries to disconnect people from an addiction like religion; no matter how bad and disastrous it could be, but addiction is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/it-will-take-centuries-to-disconnect-people-from-an-addiction-like/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [Addiction is a chronic disease of the brain and it's one that we have to treat the way we would any other chronic illness:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-murthy/addiction-is-a-chronic-disease-of-the-brain-and-it-s-one-that-we-have/) [Vivek Murthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-murthy/) > [“if you want your life to come together, you have to start treating yourself better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ban-breathnach/if-you-want-your-life-to-come-together-you-have-to-start-treating/) [Sarah Ban Breathnach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ban-breathnach/) > [There is no cure for emphysema, but you can start treating it and have a better quality of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loni-anderson/there-is-no-cure-for-emphysema-but-you-can-start-treating-it-and-have/) [Loni Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loni-anderson/) > [Those who fervently love God are intoxicated by His warmth and live out their addiction like moths drawn to a flame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-miller/those-who-fervently-love-god-are-intoxicated-by-his-warmth-and-live/) [Calvin Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-miller/) > [You start treating your body right and your immune system is better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-bruno/you-start-treating-your-body-right-and-your-immune-system-is-better/) [Aaron Bruno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-bruno/) > [Twitter is a real addiction, like the color of it, the process of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-sweatshirt/twitter-is-a-real-addiction-like-the-color-of-it-the-process-of-it/) [Earl Sweatshirt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-sweatshirt/) > [I know this is going to sound crazy, but I really love working out. I know that sounds sick to some people, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khloe-kardashian/i-know-this-is-going-to-sound-crazy-but-i-really-love-working-out-i/) [Khloe Kardashian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khloe-kardashian/) > [“Solitude, at first is scary. All you have is yourself. After a while its comforting, it knows the real you and cant judge you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-rowe/solitude-at-first-is-scary-all-you-have-is-yourself-after-a-while-its/) [Nikki Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-rowe/) > [The tragic fact is that with addiction, like many other illnesses, sometimes you can do everything right and people die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/the-tragic-fact-is-that-with-addiction-like-many-other-illnesses/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) > [“Reading is an addiction, much like living and breathing is an addiction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-michael/reading-is-an-addiction-much-like-living-and-breathing-is-an-addiction/) [Jeffrey Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-michael/) ## More by Doug Burgum > [As president, things that you're supposed to focus on, things like the economy, like energy policy, which is completely tied to national security, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-burgum/as-president-things-that-you-re-supposed-to-focus-on-things-like-the/) [Doug Burgum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-burgum/) > [My senior year at NDSU I had started a business sweeping chimneys. The newspaper wrote a story about me as a chimney sweep and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-burgum/my-senior-year-at-ndsu-i-had-started-a-business-sweeping-chimneys-the/) [Doug Burgum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-burgum/) > [Sport has been so good to me. The amount of basketball I've played over my lifetime, ran track, played football, played organized adult softball…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-burgum/sport-has-been-so-good-to-me-the-amount-of-basketball-i-ve-played/) [Doug Burgum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-burgum/) > [After graduating from Stanford business school, I was working at McKinsey, crunching numbers for spreadsheets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-burgum/after-graduating-from-stanford-business-school-i-was-working-at/) [Doug Burgum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-burgum/) > [Peaceful protest is a protected right of all Americans. However, protesters must respect private property rights, court orders and law enforcement personnel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-burgum/peaceful-protest-is-a-protected-right-of-all-americans-however/) [Doug Burgum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-burgum/) > [The Office of Community Development & Rural Prosperity marks a crucial step in driving economic progress across our entire state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-burgum/the-office-of-community-development-rural-prosperity-marks-a-crucial/) [Doug Burgum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-burgum/) > [Expanding access to affordable, quality child care will make it easier for parents and guardians to engage in work, provide for their families and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-burgum/expanding-access-to-affordable-quality-child-care-will-make-it-easier/) [Doug Burgum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-burgum/) > [North Dakota is already an energy and ag powerhouse, and we're excited to build on our reputation as states that feed and fuel the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-burgum/north-dakota-is-already-an-energy-and-ag-powerhouse-and-we-re-excited/) [Doug Burgum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-burgum/) > [Well, I love North Dakota. I love the people of North Dakota. I love the geography and the resources of North Dakota.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-burgum/well-i-love-north-dakota-i-love-the-people-of-north-dakota-i-love-the/) [Doug Burgum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-burgum/) > [I've had jobs growing up where you shower at the end of the day, not at the beginning of the day, went from those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-burgum/i-ve-had-jobs-growing-up-where-you-shower-at-the-end-of-the-day-not/) [Doug Burgum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-burgum/) > [My opinion of presidential elections are - they need to be about the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-burgum/my-opinion-of-presidential-elections-are-they-need-to-be-about-the/) [Doug Burgum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-burgum/) > [We've got to come together as a nation and solve problems. That's what we'll do when I'm president.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-burgum/we-ve-got-to-come-together-as-a-nation-and-solve-problems-that-s-what/) [Doug Burgum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-burgum/) > [If you're really concerned about CO2, you'd want to have every drop of energy produced in the United States. We do it cleaner, safer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-burgum/if-you-re-really-concerned-about-co2-you-d-want-to-have-every-drop-of/) [Doug Burgum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-burgum/) > [Voters get to decide who runs for office in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-burgum/voters-get-to-decide-who-runs-for-office-in-america/) [Doug Burgum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-burgum/) > [People are yearning for leadership, and leadership to them does not mean a life spent as a career politician in North Dakota. It means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-burgum/people-are-yearning-for-leadership-and-leadership-to-them-does-not/) [Doug Burgum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-burgum/) [Explore all 100 Doug Burgum quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-burgum/) ## More Addiction quotes > [What has drug addiction done for me? It's cost me my career, my fortune and basically my sex life when I found out I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbin-crosby/what-has-drug-addiction-done-for-me-it-s-cost-me-my-career-my-fortune/) Robbin Crosby > [“The idea that creative endeavor and mind-altering substances are entwined is one of the great pop-intellectual myths of our time... Creative people probably do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-idea-that-creative-endeavor-and-mind-altering-substances-are/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [I really think the disease aspect gets lost when you're talking about alcoholism and addiction; it's not like you're battling leukemia or a heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-irsay/i-really-think-the-disease-aspect-gets-lost-when-you-re-talking-about/) [Jim Irsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-irsay/) > [I had an addiction to artificial points of success. Like being able to run for this or run for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-gallego/i-had-an-addiction-to-artificial-points-of-success-like-being-able-to/) [Ruben Gallego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-gallego/) > [“Addictions are just symptoms of underlying issues, and in my view Nikki self-medicated the emotional pain of his childhood, and being away from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-sixx/addictions-are-just-symptoms-of-underlying-issues-and-in-my-view/) [Nikki Sixx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-sixx/) > [“Oil. The great addiction of the civilized world”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-warren/oil-the-great-addiction-of-the-civilized-world/) [Andrew Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-warren/) > [“They say when you fall in love in love with someone that person becomes like a drug,an addiction you don't want to live without.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/they-say-when-you-fall-in-love-in-love-with-someone-that-person/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Addictions - Run to Jesus instead of running to your addiction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/addictions-run-to-jesus-instead-of-running-to-your-addiction/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [Music is my personal addiction. So much of everything I've done has only been to open more doors for the music itself. It all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/music-is-my-personal-addiction-so-much-of-everything-i-ve-done-has/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [“I am made of a thousand ghosts. Only you can shoot me down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-james/i-am-made-of-a-thousand-ghosts-only-you-can-shoot-me-down/) Bella James > [Religious work is one of the best ways to keep from facing your reality if you are Christian, if you are using it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-miller/religious-work-is-one-of-the-best-ways-to-keep-from-facing-your/) [Keith Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-miller/) > [Cold sweats, hallucinations I wanna speed to stop. The hell I'm going through The addiction's taking you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bullet-for-my-valentine/cold-sweats-hallucinations-i-wanna-speed-to-stop-the-hell-i-m-going/) [Bullet For My Valentine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bullet-for-my-valentine/) > [As addictions go, reading is among the cleanest, easiest to feed, happiest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/as-addictions-go-reading-is-among-the-cleanest-easiest-to-feed/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [“Alcoholism is a choice... not a life sentence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-norman/alcoholism-is-a-choice-not-a-life-sentence/) David Norman > [“Suckers think that you cure greed with money, addiction with substances, expert problems with experts, banking with bankers, economics with economists, and debt crises…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/suckers-think-that-you-cure-greed-with-money-addiction-with/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) [Browse all 2,134 Addiction quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/addiction/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We need to start treating addiction like the chronic disease that it is.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Doug Burgum" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-burgum/we-need-to-start-treating-addiction-like-the-chronic-disease-that-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Addiction" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-burgum/we-need-to-start-treating-addiction-like-the-chronic-disease-that-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba5/doug-burgum-5818_addiction_we-need-to-start-treating-addiction-like_1749773.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba5/doug-burgum-5818_addiction_we-need-to-start-treating-addiction-like_1749773.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba5/doug-burgum-5818_addiction_we-need-to-start-treating-addiction-like_1749773.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We need to start treating addiction like the chronic disease that it is.” — Doug Burgum", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Doug Burgum", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-burgum/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We need to start treating addiction...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-burgum/we-need-to-start-treating-addiction-like-the-chronic-disease-that-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-burgum/we-need-to-start-treating-addiction-like-the-chronic-disease-that-it/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```