Twitter fights are pointless. Most of the time, it's just easier to sigh and keep scrolling instead of wasting your time with people whose minds you are not going to change in 280 characters or less.

However, sometimes, scrolling past distasteful comments is easier said than done when their contents insult something you're passionate about.

For me, that topic is drug addiction.

After Demi Lovato's recent overdose, addiction has been a hot topic on many social media platforms. While there has been widespread love and support for Demi throughout her struggle, there has also been a lot of backlash directed toward her and addicts in general.

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Many have been undermining the legitimacy of substance abuse disorder by reducing it to a "choice," insinuating that all addicts simply lack moral principles and willpower.

Choice does not determine whether or not something is a disease, and as much as people like to judge things they don't understand, addicts are not evil people who genuinely want to ruin their lives and hurt themselves and the people around them.

There are a number of diseases that are a result of one's lifestyle choices. Diabetes, skin cancer, and heart disease all have the potential to occur from poor personal choices regarding things like lack of exercise, unhealthy diet, and sun exposure. This is not to say that every person with those diseases has made poor health choices, but it is just to point out that addiction is not the only disease that begins with a choice.

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A disease is what happens in the body as a result of choices. In the case of addiction, while the first time an individual engages in drugs may be a choice, it has been proven that drugs alter brain chemistry and overall cognitive function. This creates a dependency that takes more than just willpower to beat.

Whether or not you believe addiction is a choice, it is irrelevant. Why does it matter how a person gets into the situation they are in? What is the point in playing the blame game when there are people dying? Complaining about someone's mistakes when they are at their lowest point is not beneficial or productive in any way. It is actually destructive.

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I understand that it can be hard to empathize with addicts if you have never experienced addiction yourself. I know firsthand. I watched for years as someone I loved turn into someone I hated. When that person stole from me repeatedly and lied straight to my face, I became infuriated and accused her of choosing drugs over me. Eventually, with time and education, I realized that it was never a matter of choice. If it were, no one would choose that kind of life.

I've learned that we cannot judge the content of a person's character for something they did as a prisoner to a substance.

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When people say addiction is a choice, are they just saying that addicts want to be addicts? That they want to lose everything important to them like their professional lives and the people they love most? Are people who claim addiction is a choice insinuating that addicts aren't deserving of help or support because of a mistake they have made in their life?

1 in 10 people suffer from a substance abuse and only 11% of addicts seek treatment. Is it really plausible that 10% of the population is immoral and should be refused help or compassion because of a choice they made? Maybe more than 11% of addicts would seek help if there wasn't such a stigma around addiction.

This stigma comes from society and it is specifically rooted in the statements of people who refuse to recognize addiction as a legitimate disease. Until people change the way they view addiction, addicts will be afraid to come forward and seek the help they need. It's about time we change the dialogue around addiction. It is really a matter of life or death.