tomsteve

Well, this didn't become a debate about whether "addition" is a disease after all.

i hope not! 2+2 still equals 5!

pinkchampagne

I dont think its a disease. People choose to do it. They get really sick from it and out of their minds and that makes them mentally incompetant maybe but I dont think its like a disease. That means a person cant control it, and I think they can.

LoveMeNow

Diabetes can be controlled!...just saying!

pinkchampagne

Its not the same, people dont choose to have diabetes. They may choose bad habits that can lead to some kinds of diabetes. Like being fat from eating bad and not being active, but if thats the case then they have the ability to change their habits and it goes away sometimes or yeah can be managed without medicine. But drugs are different. once a person gets all messed up like the girl that my boyfriend used to know. She must have been deepressed and all kinds of stuff to overdose. she needed help. I dont think she was maybe able to save herself at that point. but she didnt die from disease. she died from poor choices, and not accepting help when it was offered, and continuing to do the drugs. Her death certificate would say drug overdose or something like that, not disease.

Windmills

No one picks up a drug for the first time and thinks 'I think I'll let this completely ruin my life from here on in, I'd like to lose everything and possibly die'. The first time is a choice, but IMO the brain of a drug addict, the pleasure centres and even the way drugs are metabolised is different to in the case of a drug user.

LoveMeNow

In my younger college days, I did my share of drinking and drugs. (nothing I am proud of). I was lucky....and never became an addict or an alcoholic. Some of my "friends" were not so lucky.

I don't believe I had any more self control then they did. Also, I am a firm believer alcoholism is hereditary and not a learned behavior. Every single alcoholic I know, has someone in their family (a parent or grandparent) who is/was also an alcoholic.

smileyblue

No, addition is 1+1=2.

incitingsilence

Pinkchampagne

The death certificate thing, a friends said accidental death due to chronic heroin addiction.
Definition of chronic ~ describes an illness or medical condition that lasts over a long period and sometimes cause a long term changes in the body. Somehow I think his death from heroin addiction qualifies as a disease.

This woman you are having a field day with using as an example most likely died from her disease never wanting to be as she was, or to have gone to the levels down she did because of it. Surely she was tortured in body and mind as would be with any addiction.

And this control it, hmm denial anyone … usually addicts think they can control their use, those who watch think they can control the addict and make them not use, just part of sickness of it all.

neferkamichael

1. I believe addiction is a disease.

2. I believe I am powerless over alcohol, weed, and crack.

3. What does the word "obscurantist" mean?

:egypt"

Vale

Playing too close to the edge atop a high mountain ledge?
Signs warning you to stay back...danger?
But you climb over the barriers....prove you aren't a wimp.

(By the time you are in freefall---direct chemical override to the pleasure
centers of the brain----any "choice" is rendered moot)

........this is my take on the simplistic binary disease/choice argument.


(I think maybe it's BOTH....happening at the same time?????)

-Forrest Gump

Justfor1

I once heard that addiction can be compared to cancer. I don't think so. Cancer doesn't cause the person to lie, cheat, steal & treat people like crap.

Kindeyes

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.

Trolls........don't let them get you riled up folks. Just in case you didn't know it (I didn't until recently), you can go into your profile and put people who "trigger" you on ignore. Their posts won't show up in threads. That's a heck of a lot easier than trying to convince someone that the sky is, indeed, blue.

gentle hugs
ke

crazybabie

LMN, I for one am glad you started this post because I have been struggling with that question and one of the reasons it matters too me is my wedding vows. i was raised very religiously when I stayed with my dads parents or my moms mother.

I defiantly will not let stand in the way of any decisions to be apart from my AH but your question is one I had not thought of for when I speak to the pastor,

When I was given the diagnosis of bipolar, panic attacks with agoraphobia and borderline personality I offered my husband a divorce because we had no clue of those illnesses when we married and I am not proud of some of the things i did before diagnosed and found the right medication combo for me.

LoveMeNow

Crazybabie - I too struggled with divorce because of my Faith. I spoke to my pastor about this a few occasions as well. In the end, I realized it was really between me and God and I knew God would be either be OK or forgive me NO MATTER what decision I came too. HIS love is unconditional.

Whether or not, anyone believes it is a disease, the addict can still has a choice. He can choose to use or choose to seek help for recovery. Just like us codependents. My husband was not the only problem in this marriage, I can see that clearly know.

Kindeyes

Well stated.

I might add that we cannot control another person, can we? We can't control whether they have a disease or don't have a disease. We can't control their choices. We don't control their lives.

When we begin focusing on our own lives (including our own addiction to the addict--lol), that is where the opportunity for change can happen.

As was stated earlier, whether you believe in the disease model is unimportant. It's a moot point. It is classified as a disease by people a heck of a lot smarter than I am and it is because it is classified as a disease that it can be covered by health insurance. Without that coverage, there are many people in recovery from addiction leading wonderful, productive lives today who would not otherwise have had the ability to do so.

gentle hugs
ke

crazybabie

LMN, you are so right I know my God is a merciful God and loves me.. I had a choice to take my medication or not and I chose too,same as my codependency I am working on that, he on the other hand is doing nothing for his use besides continuously feeding it.

I am leaving in about 30 minutes to spend a few days with my dad not sure if I will be on before I get back or not.

LoveMeNow

Have a great time. :ghug3