Is drug addiction a mental illness or a personal choice?

Illness: phys./menta: Addiction may begin as a choice and evolve, sometimes rapidly into an addiction, likely the development of a dependency that emerges in the brain. Must admit it, seek help from experts and former addicts, medication may help in some situations, 12 step groups are often effective. It must be taken very seriously. Can be fatal through overdose, vehicle accident, mixing drugs. Addiction may coexist.

Addiction= disease: Addiction is a physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual disease.

Physiologic illness: People may choose to try drugs but i doubt anyone chooses to become an addict. People prone to drug & alcohol addiction tend to metabolize drugs differently than "normals." these genetic differences are associated with tendencies to anxiety & depression, so these people often try drugs to self-medicate and become addicted. See http://mhof.Net/articles/pdfs/6.Pdf for more info on this.