Alcoholism -- Disease? -- or -- Sin? -- or -- Other?
 

Regarding alcoholism.
I've been to treatment hospitals where it's referred to as a disease.
Most churches I think consider it a sin.
Some of you may look at it another way?

I bought into the disease thing for a long time but,
if I took a strong drink today I would consider that a sin.

Please feel free to share your thoughts.

A nice sober day wished for all,
M-Bob

I see alcohol as a tool to help people numb their emotions and run from the pain of life.

Sure, this isn't the case for every person that uses alcohol - but if a person abuses it and uses it to self medicate it is a problem.

so I would say "Other".

AA calls it a disease and an allergy. I 'get' what they mean, but I don't think its truly either. Its an addiction.

I would never buy into a church that calls alcoholism itself a sin.

Responsible drinking, just like other "acceptable" behaviors - is fine until it veers into excess. That's distinct from alcoholism, IMO.

I believe it is a disease of both the mind and body.

Honestly. I don't want to be a "sin". I don't think I'm a bad person. Yes, it's true, sometimes i make selfish decisions.
really stuggling right now. Had a bottle of wine for lunch, despite having a lot of support here...maybe I am just scum?

No. I'm sureit isn't that.

There are a lot of subtle nuances to this. Willfully choosing to get rolling drunk if you're not an alcoholic may be a sin because you're making a deliberate choice to harm yourself and lose control of your faculties, which would be a misuse of your will. Once a person becomes an alcoholic after making that choice over and over again it's probably no longer a sin because now you've lost or given up the ability to make a deliberate choice NOT to get drunk. Freedom of the will always has to be involved. Wouldn't be that far from a married person cheating on their spouse and contracting VD. The disease isn't a sin, but the act that lead to the disease is. Just my opinion. Nothing more.

I agree and I consider addiction to be self imposed and sin.

One of many, many sins that one can fall into.

A nice sober day wished for all,
M-Bob

It's interesting that the bible talks about certain things that may be a sin for some and yet, not a sin for others.

Example :
My wife drinks one glass of wine on most evenings -- no sin.
From my past drinking experiences shone -- plenty of sin = sinner.

M-Bob

Just an addiction, which is chemical dependency, which is changes in brain function and structure caused by drinking a lot of alcohol for a long time. There's nothing more to it, though people can add layers of complexity and labels if they like. I prefer to simplify instead. :)

I'm really not a fan of labels. There is something inherent to my being that makes it impossible for me to drink without negative consequences. I have accepted that and I have started living a lifestyle that allows me to be free of alcohol. I prefer to not have it be more complicated than that.

I only speak for myself, but my alcoholic behavior was pure personal irresponsibility.

I believe it's an addiction. Once I drank too much, for too long. the consequent changes in my brain at neuro level, created a new drive. Alcohol caused my brain to release such a massive quantity of chemicals, that my brain was fooled into thinking that alcohol was essential for my survival, like water.

I believe that even after stopping drinking, should I start again, the consumption will ramp straight back up to previous levels.

I don't think it's helpful to view drinking as a religious sin. But it certainly went against my inner morality. I knew my excessive intake was damaging myself and others and it went against my moral code. But the new neural pathways were stronger, until I used a technique to re-route them, through adopting a method which utilises neuro-plasticity.

Although the old addict neural-pathways are becoming overgrown, drinking again would re-open them.

I think addiction has to do with environmental and genetic factors. For example, I deal with both anxiety and depression. I think there might be a basis of that in my genetic makeup since other family members also deal with this. I was also a very sensitive kid. Put all that together with a physically abusive upbringing and all the problems that comes from that like low self-worth and being a social isolate and there you go. Makes sense to me. John

A choice, not necessarily a bad one, some people love it

Hello MountainMan.
I agree with all the above and vote other :)
Take care.

You too, have a nice sober day,
M-Bob

I said a disease, coming from a long line of alcoholics I feel it is something I am afflicted with . If only I knew when I first started drinking at the age of 14 what I know now I don't think I would have taken that first drink. Yes it is addiction .

If it is a choice or a deliberate sin, then I must be one very evil SOB.

The American Society of Addiction (I might not have the name quite right but the article is on SR) specialists recently came out and announced that is is a brain illness. They are psychiatrists and you never here them use the term mental disease, it's always illness.

The alcohol reasearch team in the department of psychiatry at Otago university medical school, and the NZ National Addiction Centre both say it is a brain disease that can be seen on an MRI. They also say AA's picture of the alcoholic at the extreme end of the alcohol use disorder spectrum, is spot on. AMA called it a disease. They all say it is impossible to make a non alcoholic into an alcoholic just by the amount they drink. Hence hard drinker may have withdrawals and difficulty stopping, but will not have all the other drama that goes with alcoholism.

The use of the term alcohol use disorder allows a much broader definition of drinking problems, from the very mild youthful "high spirits" to the very sever chronic, hopeless alcoholic.

Richard Ruhr suggests addiction is a metaphor for sin, which he might define as disconnectedness from God, not an evil act. The solution for the real alcoholic seems to be in correcting that disconnection.

My experience of alcoholism is quite different to simple chemical dependence, so I am going with the medical experts - disease rather than sin.

If Sin is just Falling Short of Godliness, then yeah. If you're in to that. I am.

Addiction is definitely classified as a disease.

At one time alcoholics were referred to as (dipsomaniacs).

Dipsomania is a historical term describing a medical condition involving an uncontrollable craving for alcohol. In the 19th century, dipsomania was a variety of alcohol-related problems, most of which are known today as alcoholism. ... The word comes from Greek dipso ("δίψα"= thirst) and mania.


Examples from the Web for dipsomaniac
Historical Examples
The dipsomaniac and the abstainer are not only both mistaken, but they both make the same mistake.

Why do they not ring the bell and remove the dipsomaniac prize-fighter?
The drunkard who drinks in spite of himself is, strictly speaking, a dipsomaniac, and is diseased and insane.


dipsomania. 1843, "morbid craving for alcohol," coined in medical Latin from Greek dipsa "thirst" (of unknown origin) + mania. dip'so. ma'ni.

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A 1904 advertisement labeling alcoholism a "disease"
The modern disease theory of alcoholism states that problem drinking is sometimes caused by a disease of the brain, characterized by altered brain structure and function.
The American Medical Association (AMA) declared that alcoholism was an illness in 1956. In 1991, the AMA further endorsed the dual classification of alcoholism by the International Classification of Diseases under both psychiatric and medical sections.

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Sounds like this guy has some sin going on -- I relate to this message -- M-Bob

Proverbs 23:29-35 ESV
Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who tarry long over wine; those who go to try mixed wine. Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder. Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart utter perverse things. ...