this subject is a point of curiosity for me. a member named "gamer" was in the newcomer forum with challenge to the disease model this am. the post is gone now. it seemed a bit baiting in nature.
i have yet to decide if all of addiction is disease. i understand the arguments from both sides. when i was in my major research mode,when i admitted i had a problem, i read alot of anti-disease lit that was quite convincing. RatRec ultimately views the addiction as a faulty belief system with skewed logic.
the reason i still entertain the disease model comes down to cause and effect. regardless of the logic that leads the user to repeatedly expose themselves to a substance, the exposure has effects on physiology at a chemical level. these effects are seen in every tissue the substance interacts with. i think we all agree on this. cigarettes, as an example, affect skin, mouth, nose trachea, lungs,heart, blood vessels, etc. the active drug in the smokes also chemically and physically changes the BRAIN. this includes structure, blood flow, receptor density, and neurotransmitter activity. the same can be said for most drugs of addiction, and also behaviors that are performed often. even meditation causes change in the brain over time.
So...AFTER the faulty logic that led to misuse of whatever, is a resultant change in neurology enough to warrant a "disease" label? if someone has amped up or dampened their system to the point that logic no longer functions, i consider it to be at least an injury. if an injury is severe enough that it causes chronic disfunction, is it not a disease process?
there is a blurry line here. OCD is a disease. it has been proven to be treatable with chemical manipulation of the brain. but it results in illogical behavior. you just cant argue logically with someone suffering with this, no matter how smart they are intellectually. you can say "youve already washed your hands 13 times! how could they possibly be getting any cleaner? you realize your doing more harm that good-your skin is bleeding!". if the sufferer has a jacked-up feedback loop on a chemical level, you can just talk yourself blue in the face.
with addiction, i think that at some point new habits of thought are crucial. otherwise illogical ways of thinking will translate into pathological behavior and relapse.but the disease model includes addressing the physical/chemical issues detrimental to recovery.
as a hypothetical example: you have two guys with an equal level of alcohol dependence they have the same overall physical health and intellectual capacity. after a two week, medically supervised detox, they are back with their families and knee-deep into rational recovery, and AVRT. the difference-one guy exercises, eats well, and manages stress in his life effectively. the other lives on coffee and microwave burritos, and sleeps when he has to. on the couch! in front of the TV! LOL! -who we gonna bet on?
poor health is a disease process. some of us may have more going on than stinkin thinkin.