Opinions: Alcoholism a Disease?
Member
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 1,927
Originally Posted by nomis 
Though this thread is a little old, I thought this study might be very pertinent. It lists 8 ACE's or Adverse Childhood Experiences and surveyed 17,000 mature adults in California. Those experiences include addiction in the family, depression in the family, absence of a parent, abuse whether sexual, verbal or physical, neglect and incarceration of a parent.
The findings are clear and absolutely conclusive. They show the greater the childhood trauma, the greater the chance of addiction developing later in life. A person who had six or more of the ACE's in their childhood was 4,600 times more likely to become an intravenous drug user than someone who had experienced none of the ACE's.
It's a completely fascinating and I think revolutionary study that explains the origins of addiction. Nothing to do with morality or choice, and everything to do with the inability to regulate stress generated from early childhood trauma. It concludes:
I urge everyone on this site to take a little bit of time out of their day and give it a read.
http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&...PX6ayLVh8kQycQ
The findings are clear and absolutely conclusive. They show the greater the childhood trauma, the greater the chance of addiction developing later in life. A person who had six or more of the ACE's in their childhood was 4,600 times more likely to become an intravenous drug user than someone who had experienced none of the ACE's.
It's a completely fascinating and I think revolutionary study that explains the origins of addiction. Nothing to do with morality or choice, and everything to do with the inability to regulate stress generated from early childhood trauma. It concludes:
I urge everyone on this site to take a little bit of time out of their day and give it a read.
http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&...PX6ayLVh8kQycQ
HBO: Addiction: Understanding Addiction: Why Do Some People Become Addicted?
Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 136
I always have a hard time with this question until I saw an article written by a Clinical Social Worker who is also a reformed alcoholic & it made sense:
"We have been asked countless times whether alcoholism is truly a disease or a choice. In truth it is both. Alcoholism is unique as a disease in that it not only hides from view--it also lies to its carrier about its presence. The person who is active in addiction has a unique choice relative to all other diseases. The alcoholic can go into remission at any time and many do. We see that alcoholics will abstain from drinking for a time to prove to themselves or others that they are not addicted, only to return later with a vengeance. . .recovery involves far more than sobriety. Recovery from alcoholism involves changing every part of a person's life. The person who only stops drinking is what we refer to as a 'dry drunk' meaning that they are every bit as unhealthy they have simply stopped drinking..."
"We have been asked countless times whether alcoholism is truly a disease or a choice. In truth it is both. Alcoholism is unique as a disease in that it not only hides from view--it also lies to its carrier about its presence. The person who is active in addiction has a unique choice relative to all other diseases. The alcoholic can go into remission at any time and many do. We see that alcoholics will abstain from drinking for a time to prove to themselves or others that they are not addicted, only to return later with a vengeance. . .recovery involves far more than sobriety. Recovery from alcoholism involves changing every part of a person's life. The person who only stops drinking is what we refer to as a 'dry drunk' meaning that they are every bit as unhealthy they have simply stopped drinking..."
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