Originally Posted by
BP44 
Gettin, my post was made to not anyone in particular. As there have been a number of posters who have disputed physical dependence as fact. Choice vs non choice for the alcoholic. Genetic predisposition is another topic I don't believe I addressed in my post. No assumptions made on my part. Did you not say that you didn't believe alcoholism was a physical disease that causes physical dependence? As for genetic predisposition, I don't think all the science is in on that theory. I think it will be explained one day, but unlike physical dependence it is not fact today. I do find it odd that alcoholism tends to run in families. But until they have the genetic mapping out for all to see, I will reserve an opinion.
Some excellent comments and questions have been posted. What Peter wrote makes a lot of sense to this non-alcoholic.
BP, my brother is physically dependant yet he will modify his drinking to fit a situation. According to Heavy Drinking, the most severe alcoholics will choose to abstain AFTER the first drink if ENOUGH incentives are given. And EVEN if they are in the middle of withdrawal. Both of these lead me to conclude that physical 'dependance' doesn't imply loss of choice. Rather, it makes the choice to STOP much harder because the physical body-brain feels more 'normal' with alcohol than without it.
Physical predisposition also doesn't take away choice. I'm physically predisposed to be shy, but I can choose to talk to people.
I don't like the term disease applied to addiction of any kind even though there are physical consequences including dependance to feel normal because most diseases normally are not like that: Cancer and leukemia just don't seem to be the same. Choice is the major divider. For that reason I prefer to think of alcholism as a behavioral malady or 'condition' with potentially serious physical consequences--including in the brain. The term 'disease' just seems to be too confusing due to the normal way it is understood to this day.
If one insists on calling it a disease I think they would be more accurate to call it a behavioral disease since only behavior can cause the symptoms to appear and only behavior can cause the symptoms to disappear.
ted