Isn't calling alchoholism 'a disease' just a way to deflect personal!
Question: My grandfather was an alchoholic, and some relatives assert his drinking problem was not his fault, as alchoholism 'is a disease'. I'm sorry, but what pap! I have also hear of obese people and gamblers claim that their respective addictions cannot be blamed on choices they've made, but rather on a disease.
How is addiction a disease? When the alchoholic drinks, they CHOOSE to drink. When the junki gets stoned, they CHOOSE to get high. When the obese person overeats, they CHOOSE to eat. When the gambler buys his lottery tickets, he CHOOSES to gamble.
I would think if an alchoholic wants to go clean- the first thing the need to do is acknowelge they are an addict- and accept that they've become an addict because of choices they've made. Take responsibility.
Blaming it on some outside force like 'a disease' seems a form of denial. Isn't part of being an adult accepting responisibilty for our actions?
What do you think
Answers: My grandfather was an alchoholic, and some relatives assert his drinking problem was not his fault, as alchoholism 'is a disease'. I'm sorry, but what pap! I have also hear of obese people and gamblers claim that their respective addictions cannot be blamed on choices they've made, but rather on a disease.
How is addiction a disease? When the alchoholic drinks, they CHOOSE to drink. When the junki gets stoned, they CHOOSE to get high. When the obese person overeats, they CHOOSE to eat. When the gambler buys his lottery tickets, he CHOOSES to gamble.
I would think if an alchoholic wants to go clean- the first thing the need to do is acknowelge they are an addict- and accept that they've become an addict because of choices they've made. Take responsibility.
Blaming it on some outside force like 'a disease' seems a form of denial. Isn't part of being an adult accepting responisibilty for our actions?
What do you think
I originally wrote a long response to this talking about scientific evidence, etc. But it's more about semantics or meaning & how this relates to struggle. "Disease" is just a word with a lot of baggage.
OK. Most importantly, you think alcoholics use the word "disease" as a cop out or a form of denial, a way to avoid taking responsibility. It's the opposite! Go to an AA meeting.
Most self-declared alcoholics don't use the term "alcoholic" or "disease" to continue drinking. They use the terms to help them achieve sobriety everyday & avoid the three month binge that will definitely happen the next time they take a drink. In other words, they use it in a positive way to make sure they CHOOSE not to drink everyday or to CHOOSE to stop, which means dealing with psychological, physical, emotional, financial, personal repercussions without their life-long, mind-altering partner.
As for the issue about alcoholics insisting on using the term: well, a lot of people w/ depression are adamant about calling it a disease also. What's the connection? I think it's more about society's perceptions & stigmas towards lack of control & an aversion towards personally accepting weakness (another meaning-laden word). But I assure you: in the long run, it is easier to maintain your recovery (depressed or alcoholic) if you are able to see your struggle as just as worthy as, say, your non-alcoholic, not-depressed neighbor's struggle with diabetes. So the perception of words really affects people & with most alcoholics, the idea of fighting a "disease" is a helluva a lot better than just "getting it together". (BTW, you should read stuff on how there is scientific proof of the addiction to alcohol). Hope this helps.
YES IT IS!!! JUST LIKE ADDICTION!!!
You must be very young. Why would someone choose to be an alcoholic or drug addict? Or gamble everything away?
i think you're a narrow minded turd!
how can you justify your idiotic rant?
thousands of doctors and psychologists worldwide state emphatically that it is a disease,....and you base your drivel on what education? what experience?
perhaps if you were an alcoholic you would understand! schmuck!
At first it may seem to be a choice, but it becomes a very real and complex condition, having aspects of both physical and mental illnesses. Part of the recovery processes from these diseases is the recognition that we make our own choices and that we are responsible for ourselves.
However, it also helps to deal with the physical aspects of addiction (cravings and withdrawal) and the psychological (IE. addressing the root of these behaviours, issues that helped them to develop an addiction in the first place, the reason they got a 'high' ot emotional reward from doing those things, enabling behaviours, etc). It gives them a support base for them to sort themselves out and gain control of their lives.
I think that you shouldn't be so judgemental because you no doubt have your own vices and are not perfect yourself!
Yes it is. It was, is and always will be.
If I drink, I let myself drink. If I drink too much, it's my own fault. It's not a disease. Cancer is a disease. AIDS is a disease. Alcoholism is surely a problem, but not a disease. It will, over time, damage your body, but not on its own. You have to feed it.
Have you seen the South Park episode with Stan's dad and "alcoholism is a disease"?
I'm twenty-four. When I was fifteen or so, I started smoking cigarettes. It wasn't long before I was up to a pack a day. I'm proud to say that I can't remember the last time I lit up. Some say cigarettes are harder to kick than heroin.
Beating addiction shows strength. Blaming addiction on disease is weak.
Oh, for the record. I hate how you have to refer to yourself as a "recovering addict" or "recovereing alcoholic" for the rest of your life. Maybe I just don't get that one.
It's not unusual for people who are in strong denial to develop delusions. You are classic example. No doubt as a child you were deeply hurt by your grandfather. Now, you project your anger on to the world in order to preserve the fantasy structure you have created to protect yourself. Ultimately, your opinion is irrelevant but your deep seated narcissism will force you to deny it. Personal responsibility for you is a metaphor that enables you to deny how ashamed you are deep inside of where you come from. You will become angry having it pointed out. You can only exist in a rigid fantasy world where you imagine you have control over everything. Ultimately, you will discover that you do not.
Until then, we'll see you at AA.
*********************************I
It's fascinating how you then transfer your "views" on Alcohol to body shape which modern science shows to be genetic in origin. Some people eat forever and never get fat. Some people eat anything and it sticks to them. There's nothing political about genes. You can believe what you want, but it doesn't make it true.
You would make an interesting subject for psychoanalysis. Of Course, you don't believe in that sort of thing. It's just for weak people. Right?
there is no way to tell if you are going to be hooked. some people can drink all they want and never have a problem with alcohol. that same person might use cocain once and be hooked. once your body looks forward to the next drink or line of cocain you are no longer in control. thats when you will do anything to stop the pain of withdrawal. so dont be to hard on grandpa. also addiction can be hereditary, just like any other disease.
So, do you like, or do, anything the way your father or mother does it? Do you like horror movies like your dad? Or sneeze just like your mom? Or have any traits like your parents? Parents pass on traits, just like they pass on genes, defects, illnesses, and some habits. Some are learned, some are natural. Nature vs. nurture. You can't simply explain away EVERYBODY's addictions, illnesses, laziness, ect, with a broad statement like that.
The debate continues amongst the medical and psychological establishment over labeling alcoholism a disease. The DSM-IV, the American Psychiatric Association's manual for the diagnosis of mental disorders recognizes alcohol abuse and dependence. [1] Below you will find a link of an editorial by a physician about the importance of managing alcoholism as a disease, I highly suggest you read it in its entirety:
http://physiciansnews.com/commentary/298...
In my opinion, it is a disease. It is pathological, has certain genetic factors which may lead to increased risk, and controlling of one's ability to function. But that doesn't mean that one's choices don't affect the onset of the disease.
Coronary artery disease is a disease, and for some people, there is no getting around it. In others, choices they make, such as a sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, and smoking, can cause it. Either way, choices people make will affect the onset or the extent of the disease. Now, of course, CAD has much more obvious tangible anatomical and physiological effects. But try depression. I doubt any there is a rational argument that this mental disorder is NOT a disease, yet, ones choices can influence the effect of its pathology. Sure, everybody gets sad, and not everybody reacts to each situation the same way. Certain people have a predisposition for become depressed. I don't think they, nor alcoholics CHOOSE to have these pathologies hold so much control over them.
While yes, he made choices which led him to where he is, the control alcohol has over him is not his choice. Hopefully, with you and your families encouragement, he can make the right choices now to avoid alcohol, and remove himself from the temptation. Above all, he needs people who are supportive and not critical of his past mistakes which may have enabled this disease.
The idea that addiction is a disease is not a liberal theory!!!!! It's fact. Why do you people ask questions with out doing the research to answer your own questions????? They have done studies that prove addicts brains are different then people who don't have addictions, this is why addictions run in families as do, certain medical diseases like cancer, diabetes, hyper-tension. It's people like you that make it hard for us to get equal rights for mental health issues and equal funding because mental health can things like this can be said to be a lack of responsibilities. Look up addictions and find out about the brain and bodily changes that happen to the addict. Than say that it's not a medical issue!!!! And considering the hell that addicts go through do you really think that, they would make that choice voluntarily??? Most addicts don't' start out to become addicts!!! They don't know that it will happen to them until it does!!! Than it's a lot harder to quit than it is to sit here and make statements about something you don't know any thing about and would rather make blanket statements about rather than learning the truth.
One site to do some real research on is hopkinsmedicine.org the medical site for John Hopkins University hospital one of the best in the country than you might have leg to stand on.
people like Julia want to give SSI to people who are depressed. It is an addiction not a disease.All these doctors are basically the same people who said Vioxx was safe
I completely agree. The only problem is the person has is a lack of willpower. They'd rather indulge and wallow in thier apathy than to admit a problem and summon the will to fix it.