Alcoholism: illness or something else?
 

What do you think about subject?

Once drinking tips into alcoholism you have a diseased organ, the brain.
This diseased organ has the same progression as any other diseased organ.
Alcoholism can go into remission with treatment....without treatment progression will
be disastrous.

My opinion is alcoholism is a disease that requires treatment and requires following a protocol for wellness.

The word "illness" I am not comfortable with because I associate that with something you "catch" like the flu or lyme disease.

However alcoholism is a disease. Diseases can be communicable like the flu, or they can be congenital like Parkinson's, or developmental like diabetes or alcoholism.

Diabetes and alcoholism are in fact great examples of 2 diseases that can be controlled - but not cured - by behaviour.

Every reputable medical group in the world calls alcoholism a disease. This is not even debatable IMHO.

So why are you asking and what are your thoughts on the subject?

I go along with the medical researchers
who consider alcoholism is a disease.

However... one may call alcoholism
a hex..malady...disease...illness...sin or evil
The lable matters not one whit to me.

I have recovered ... thanks to God and AA.
:yup:

What is your opinion Bald?

Spiritual Seeker mentioned our brains
so...... these might be of interest ...

How We Get Addicted - TIME

Alcohol and Brain

I think desctruction of brain and other parts of body is result of drinking, but it is not reason of alcoholism.

Sorry, but English is not my native language and I can't catch difference between illness and disease. Though I think alcoholism is not illness or disease. On my opinion it is a trouble of mental character. I don't deny physical addiction, but I think main trouble is mental addiction.

How We Get Addicted - TIME
I've read this article but can't accept it's ideas. But some ideas like genetic susceptibility is deserving of discussion.

Ok...here is the bottom line for me
:)
I have found being sober improved my life.
In every way I can think of...it's better.

Soo...I don't care what it is...I have been
an acttive alcoholic and I am now a non drinker.

I do so hope that is true for you too Bald.
:)

Bottom line is that I'm sober today. Disease, illness or whatever.

I agree with you in generally, but I'm not active alcoholic, I former alcoholic. It is very big difference.

I don't know how many of you remember way back when Bill Clinton was president and all the alcoholics and drug addicts werte booted off of Social Security Disability. I remember the medical and psychiatric professions were in an uproar over the decision as alcoholism was no longer considered a disease by SSDI. To this day you can not collect disability for alcoholism or drug addiction.

Interesting topic and earlier this year I read a book written by a father who had a daughter who was an alcoholic and died an alcoholic death. Fell over in the snow at night and was too wasted to get up so froze to death.

In that book though he also said he believed that not only was 'excessive drinking' a symptom of alcoholism but also 'chronic sensitivity'. He believed alcoholics are VERY emtionally sensitive people and gave many examples of how he saw his daughters sensitivity.

I think to a certain extend I do agree with this. I know I can be overly sensitive etc... and my AA freinds are the same.

It is interesting.

when has this goverment made good choices..i dont think the abc board would like if they considered alcohol can contribute to a disease.i think it'd be a conflict of interest.anyways i think its a disease to some.we just cant determine who will become an alcoholic until its too late...unfortunately you have to drink for the disease to unleash.it can be kept in regression but i dont know if there is a cure.

I could not disagree more. A quick google search about Clinton and ss disability confirms my thoughts:

Social Security Disability Lawyers in Baltimore, Maryland

A specific example in the link above is if the person has pancreaitis due to 25 years of drinking and cannot work, they can still collect.

I do believe Clinton signed a law but like most things political, it has had little to no effect.

Well I feel it is a disease. Why, well let me put it this way, if the transmission goes bad in my truck I have no idea how a transmission works except at a VERY basic level so I put my trust in someone who has not only been trained in how to repair a transmission, but has also through experience learned what causes a transmission to go bad.

I am not a medical researcher, I have no schooliing in any of the medical areas that would even remotely allow me to express an intelligent opinion on this matter. The only intelligent thing I can say is I will go with the vast majority of the medical researchers throught this world that state that alcoholism is a disease.

Keep in mind that there are still educated people in the world today who do not live in third world countries who in thier opinion believe that the world is flat even though scientist proved long ago that it is not flat. They have every right in the world to that opinion, I will not degrade them for it, it is their opinion, I have no idea really what they base it on, but they have their reasons.

I would call it a mental illness. If I continually ran into the road and got knocked down that would be crazy.

Welcome Bald2000-

I personally do not believe alcoholism to be a disease or an illness. Excessive alcohol consumption can result in many diseases of the body, such as liver problems, pancreatitis, brain damage, etc.

I am a smoker. I know smoking can cause lung/throat cancer, heart damage, etc.

I smoke because I am physically addicted to nicotine. I drank to excess because I was physically addicted to alcohol. I chose to stop drinking a few days ago because the bad effects of alcohol on my body was worse than the benefit I got from it. The benefits I got resulted from less anxiety, a bit more creativity in my hobbies. The bad effects are elevated liver enzymes, general nervousness, laziness, and a host of other problems. Therefore I stopped drinking. Withdrawl was uncomfortable due to my physical addiction.

For every study that suggests heredity, upbringing, self-esteem, etc, contributes to alcoholism, there is another study suggesting the opposite.

Whatever the supposed 'root cause(s)' is/are, it doesn't much matter in the end. Today I choose not to drink.

Many blessings my friend.
BHJ

I go for illness.......which happens after drinking too much for too long