Bamboozle

My two cents:

Alcoholism is an addiction. Addiction in any form can vary in intensity. The word "alcoholism" merely describes one kind of addiction.

I myself have more than one addiction---alcohol is one of them and happens to be the most intense. It is different for everyone.

Tazman53

Please share with us links to these studies, they must be very numerous because there are numerous studies done that indicate it is a disease.

freshstart

Disease. Disease. Disease. Deadly, incurable but treatable disease.

Jfanagle

I don't have an alcohol problem if I don't drink. What I do have is an allergy to alcohol and I also am allergic to bee stings. I try and stay away from both. If this definition is one of a disease so be it. I simply know that since I have identified the agents that can cause me problems I stay away from them.

Jon

TryingSoHard

Former? You think alcoholism can just go away? Like, you were an alcoholic some time ago but now you're not anymore?

Interesting. I'd like to hear more on that.

BaldHeadedJohn

Alcoholism - Is Alcoholism Inherited?
"There is a growing body of scientific evidence that alcoholism has a genetic component, but the actual gene that may cause it has yet to be identified."

Alcohol Rehab - Alcohol Rehabilitation - Alcohol Addiction Treatment Programs and Rehab Center Alternative
"First it is important to understand that the disease theory is just that - a theory."

Amazon.com: Heavy Drinking: The Myth of Alcoholism as a Disease: Herbert Fingarette: Books
A book, just as valid as any other.

alcoholism disease model

"A prime example of this is the disease model of addiction, a relatively recent view of a behaviour (substance use) that has been with us for millennia."

The jury is still out. So many studies by so many people, and so LITTLE hard evidence one way or they other.

The OP wanted some viewpoints, and I offered mine. Not everyone will agree, of course.

Blessed be.
BHJ

BaldHeadedJohn

Here we go again...
*steps out for a smoke....*

sugErspun

Considering he stated that English is not his native language, I took it as 'recovered alcoholic' - very valid. Or "no longer active" alcoholic.

Heck - I am a former active alcoholic too!


As far as the original question..I use disease and illness, doesn't really matter much unless you are looking for DSM-IV codes to bill insurance for treatment...I have some medical forms that were used when I was submitted to various insititutions - they all say "EtOH Abuse". The treatments were for acute withdrawls.

I agree - there is more to it than just consuming alcohol, and I don't think alcoholism can come about by drinking too much. Dependency, yes. Alcoholism, no. I do not attribute it to mental degradation, nor as simply a matter of mental weakness.

Body is sick (can't stop drinking once I start)
Mind is sick (can't stay away from the first drink - even though I have been burned by it so many times before)

Spiritually - depraved, disconnected. Alone.

Sick, ill, diseased....any of them are pretty accurate.

Tazman53

John Diabetes is hereditary and is classified as a disease.

This is according to a Faith based rehab who is quoting one study done by one man in 1982.

It is? How many years of research, how many different studies?

I was asking for links to reputable, verifiable, large scale studies such as NIH or NIAA.

The last link you provided is a historical account of how alcoholism went from being considered a sinful practice being practiced by weak willed people to being determined to be a disease according to the modern day medical community.

John it really does not matter realistically speaking whether or not it is a disease as determined by the modern day medical community or not, the simple fact remains that if one is an alcoholic they will eventually die if they keep on drinking.

bald2000

BaldHeadedJohn, Have you ever tried to stop smoking?

Latte

I have a disease of the brain. My brain has to be diseased to let me think it is okay to drink/drug.

Call it whatever you want, the only way to "cure" it is to abstain, at least in my case.

Whatever gets and keeps people sober. What do we care what it is called. I know some people get upset about calling it a disease thinking it gives people an excuse to drink/use. ie., "I have a disease, that is why I drink." I think giving it the label of disease, gives us a chance to treat it.

TryingSoHard

I'm with everyone else... I don't care what it's called. It's bad for me and I need to quit.

I wasn't trying to start anything with my earlier question: it was a sincere question. I did forget that the OP's native language is not English and that could definitely be a factor in the interpretation.

bald2000

Yes, it is true. Former, lapsed, what else? If I don't want to be an alcoholic why I must to be alcoholic?

Tazman53

bald2000 no one has to be labeled anything they do not want to be labeled.

I am a recovered alcoholic, I was an active alcoholic.

I find no more shame in being a recovered alcoholic then a person with diabetes has any shame over being a diabetic. I make no excuses for what I did when I was drinking, a huge part of me being recovered is accepting full responsibility for every thing I did when I was drinking and if possible making amends for my wrongs.

Me being an alcoholic is not an excuse for a single thing in my life.

I am also an ex-smoker, I know that I could decide to smoke a cigar if I chose to today and never have any more tobacco without a problem, but I know for a fact that I am an alcoholic and that if I had a single drink today, I have no idea how many more I would have right after that first one or what I might do while having those additional drinks.

Openly admitting who and what I am gives me a great deal of power in controling my alcoholism. Knowing that from medical studies and the experiences of millions of other alcoholics that I can never again drink safely prevents me from fooling myself into believing I can drink again safely.

RufusACanal

There is one sure thing in life and that is death; taxes used to be part of this but due to popular demand was remove during the financial crisis of 08.

If you are Alcoholic, the label means nothing. What a way to live though; a slave to the next drink.

BaldHeadedJohn

I think it is a po-TAE-to / po-TAW-to viewpoint.
Whatever, however, whenever we became alcoholics/chronic alcohol abusers, the solution is that in order to get better/stop getting worse, we need to stop drinking.
Alcohol, in any amount other than moderation will wreck my body, my mind, my lifestyle, and my spirit. To call it a disease, to call it a lifestyle choice, to call it an addiction, the name doesn't matter. The end result is well-documented throughout history. I know what it does to me, and I know I must not have any more.

It doesn't matter what it's called- it matters that I stop.

BHJ

bald2000

I also ex-smoker and ex-alcoholic too. :-) All addictions have same character. And when you smoke sigares it is as dangerous as drinking spirits: step by step you can imperceptible slide in addiction. But alcohol is stronger narcotic then nicotin therefore we can easy lose control after ourself. However some people has very strong nicotin addiction and cannot stop smoking if they will smoke only one sigarette after long time of abstinence.

BackToSquareOne

Don't know what your disagreeing with, the following quote is from your own link. "Finally recipients who are currently getting benefits because of a drug or alcohol addiction will be dropped effective January 1, 1997 (and had to be notified by SSA by June 30, 1996).
At Cohen & Dwin, we know the answers"

You say it had "little to no effect", the medical profession and hundreds of thousands that were kicked off the disability roles would probably beg to differ. I remember it so well because I had a neighbor who lost his benefits. Everyone in the neighborhood wondered why he cleaned up his act and got a job and it was because SSDI had cancelled his benefits.

The example you quoted of someone getting pancreaitis after a lifetime of heavy drinking and getting benefits based on the pancreaitis is true if it can be proven that stopping drinking would not improve the condition. The benefits granted are based on the disease (pancreaitis), not alcoholism.

The decision was even tested in the higher courts and was upheld. To say it had "Little to no effect" is beyond ridiculous.

LosingmyMisery

Honestly, it is what it is. This debate pops up quite often. I'd rather focus on recovery rather than the illness. I can't change the fact that I am an alcoholic, but I can change how I live my life. Today, I live sober and I don't drink. With that as my focus, the rest doesn't really matter.

RufusACanal

Always amazes me when folks who are dying of Alcoholism want to argue of the cure.