Narcotics Anonymous views addiction as a disease. We use a very simple, experience-oriented disease concept. We do not qualify our use of the term "disease" in any medical or specialized therapeutic sense, nor do we make any attempt to persuade others of the correctness of our view. The disease concept works well as an analogy by which our members can understand their condition: When treated, addiction can be "arrested" but not "cured." Untreated, addiction has effects similar to a disease.