SweetB

I do not believe it is a disease. I believe it is an addiction or dependency that often is the result of self medicating to escape from other issues. Just as oxycotin can become an addiction to escape pain, difference being that a doctor has precribed it. As for believing it to be a life long chronic illness.... I have known many peiople that drank/used drugs daily for years, hit rock bottom, and quit alcohol and drugs and have never looked back and have no more cravings, live a full life, and die never having a drink or using again. Some even eventualy becoming "normies" (i dislike that term) and having a drink or 2 in moderation a few times a year. I would consider these people cured. yes they do have control over it. Of course, some of you will say they were not really alcoholics to begin with. That's bull. Someone who drinks daily till they are drunk everyday for 20 year is most certainly an alcoholic. If they quit and have it totally under control for the next 40 years... to me that means cured. I do believe if you spend the rest of your life at AA meetings saying you are an alcoholic and that you have a disease, it about the same as a person who survives cancer, is cancer free, and cured, but still runs on about having cancer and being sick. Similarly a person can have a valve replacement or arterial bypass and the results are completely successful. Woudnt you agree that their condition is cured? Now they may choose to continue a diet of fatty foods or high stress lifestyle that could put them back at square one but they were cured. If they live a life without the stress and bad diet and no problem with these ailments again then would you not agree they were cured?
Just possibly that cancer surviver or heart ailment surviver that has been cured may go on endlessly about what a sick person they are, constantly focusing on their past health problem. We have all known someone like that. They make themselves believe they are still most seriously sick, crave attention, and bore the hell out of us with their health woes and constantly telling us stuff like " you need to eat things that do this , or don't contain that", " dark chocolate is good for you", or "tomatoes contain licopenes". ....Think about those AA quotes....They can sometimes drive me crazy...Oh forgot, not allowed to think.