I try not to define alcoholism as a disease. For me alcoholism is a chemical imbalance caused by excessive drinking that has created a dependence both physically and mentally. The dependency is not a disease but a cureable imbalance. Remove the excessive alcohol and the brain readjusts it's dependency on it and releases the body to go back to normal functioning. The word disease implies negative connotation and an uncureable ailment. Alcoholism can be cured and doesn't have to become a label defining us. Many people have removed alcohol from their lives and are no longer alcoholic. For me this gives me hope that I too will no longer be an alcoholic. If I just remove the alcohol then I can no longer be defined as an alcoholic. This is just my thought. I just can't accept it when I'm told I will always be an alcoholic.