SoberNunn

I just wanted to ask others about their thoughts on this. I've never really though of myself as having a disease. I do consider myself to have an addiction and therefore a character flaw or weakness. I guess this is part of the reason I have kept my drinking problem private for fear of being judged as a bit pathetic

doggonecarl

It's not the kind of disease you can compare to cancer or any of the "typical" diseases, but I do think I have a brain disorder, a chemical imbalance or crossed up wiring that makes me an addict.

I'm currently in remission, thanks to my sobriety.

Dee74

Hi SoberNunn

I'm of the opinion that what you call it is way less important than what you do about it

I call it an addiction - no one seems to quibble with that too much

D

Anna

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. [B]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.

wpainterw

I agree. The term "disease" is misleading if it implies that it's like chicken pox, measles, etc. Many of these are contagious and can be acquired merely by being in the proximity of someone who has it and a recovery or "cure" merely requires accepting and obeying the doctor's orders. Remaining "patient" and passive.
I also do not accept the notion that alcoholism results from "character defects". Scientists now tell us that about 60 percent of the "cause" is genetic. Is having a genetic anomaly a defect of "character"? This "defect" idea represents outdated traditional thinking and merely heightens the shame and guilt of the sufferer, makes the situation worse.
Some may disagree. If they can do that and get sober that's fine. Sobriety is the main thing. If you can do it that's great, no matter how you do it!

W.

Forward12

The disease word gets thrown around by AA, though medical professionals and other recovery outlets consider it a mental illness which I personally agree with.
Either way you look at it, alcoholism is something we have to deal with.

Grymt

I kinda got over that one by calling it a dis ease with a cure: Sobriety, to be taken daily.

( There are side effects and there are successful treatments for them.)

August252015

A few thoughts, my opinions:
Mental illness is disease. I believe alcoholism is a disease as well - for a lot of us, the genetic component is very real; hence the rampant alcoholism you see in many families. That's not the whole story, though, since plenty of folks don't have that kind of family tree; this brings me back to the concept of the alcoholic brain being different than the non-alcoholic brain.

I stringently dismiss any concept or label of "defect" or "character flaw." It is sad when any of us- alcoholics or not- apply that label or definition to something that, is no fault of our own.

I believe in the AA model that sets alcoholism as a progressive disease. The only cure is a daily reprieve based on spiritual fitness- the underlying decision to never drink is supported by everything that follows in the program- so I have a disease I can control by turning over control of it.

At the end of the day, though, the bottom line is that I am an alcoholic. Whatever, whyever and however, that is my reality. So, as the BB says, now what am I going to do about it? Me, I'm going to work every day to stay spiritually fit so the problem of my disease is gone and I live my best possible life.

fini

"I do consider myself to have an addiction and therefore a character flaw or weakness"

i'm not clear on your use of 'therefore', as if character flaw follows logically from 'addiction'.

I mostly use the term 'condition', and it's a manageable one, meaning i need not suffer from any symptoms.

bluedog97

I too believe it is a disease. The BB says an alcoholic can be normal in all matters except when it comes to alcohol. Not everyone who drinks has it. From my experience, I need a program of recovery to ensure a daily reprieve from the compulsion to drink. The problem goes way beyond a simple yes or no choice, like deciding if I'm going to have cereal or not for breakfast.

Fly N Buy

Addiction isn't a moral failure and as such isn't a weakness or flaw. There's a very good read entitled Under The Influence - the book explains how an alcoholics body metabolizes alcohol differently. There's also a thread which is where I encountered it ; http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...influence.html

The word disease is used at times in the rooms certainly by people. Interstingly the word only appears once in the Big Book - the chapter How It Works; Resentment is the "number one" offender. It destroys more alcoholics than anything else. From it stem all forms of spiritual disease.

Today it is also refered to as Alcohol Use Disorder - AUD

I'm satisfied to focus on the solution and having recovered from the insanity.

Angie247

I have a coworker who told me that she went off on a friend who is a therapist that said alcoholism is a disease. She argued that it wasn't, she had no idea that she was telling all this to an active alcoholic (me) at the time. She was so passionate about it and it bothered me but I just listened and nodded. I do believe that I do have some type of disorder and I'm working on staying sober everyday.

AnvilheadII

the definition of disease is:

A disease is a particular abnormal condition, a disorder of a structure or function, that affects part or all of an organism.


addiction is the type of disease that affects ALL part of an organism...the HUMAN organism. it IS an abnormal condition.

tomsteve

its a disease and theres a solution.
its not a disease and theres a solution.

JustTony

Many years ago I was a member of SR where I passionately argued that alcoholism wasn't a disease. I'm now not passionate about this debate one way or another. All I know after a further decade of drinking (thereabouts) is that what you call it is utterly irrelevant.

Seeking to label it never helped me. I just need to stop drinking forever.

GaryB1

This answer by tomsteve is perfect

I have read theories that it is an abnormality in the enzymes of the liver (which is genetic) which renders the body incapable of processing ethanol the way non problem drinkers do, leading to changes in the cells of the brain and body, which leads to addiction to alcohol.

I have read theories that it is the exposure to too much alcohol too often that in itself leads to bio-chemical changes in the brain leading to addiction.

I have read theories that it is a learnt behavior, that it is a maladaptive coping mechanism and on and on go the theories. Truth be told, even the sciences cannot agree or know what it is.

I have my own opinion on what causes it, but it's just that, my opinion. How I dealt with my drinking problem was based on my opinion of what it is.

wpainterw

Doesn't it really come down to this.

1. It's not important what you call it unless you call it (or someone else does) something that makes you feel "bad", guilty or ashamed of having it. I remember as a kid in school we would occasionally yell across the street, "There goes a DISEASE! A loathsome, creepy, crawly, disgusting DISEASE!"
What matters is what you do about it, not what you call it. Actions, not mere words.

2. If working to keep spiritually fit every day involves something like repenting for having a "character flaw" (being a "bad boy") then I think that's likely to be harmful, leading to shame and guilt, making sobriety less likely ("I'm rotten and bad so what;s the use! I'm going to hell anyway so I might as well drink.") .Overlooking the fact that drinking puts you on the fast track to hell right now.

3. As for "character defects" these are caused by drinking, not causes of drinking. Lying, cheating, stealing, hatred, abusing others, DUI's that kill or harm others.

W.

PhoenixJ

If I ever drink again- I will die. I drank because of many reasons, conditions, memories. Genetics, bullying, chemical dependency, illness, parents, culture, advertising, male ego, etcetcetc. Alcohol is described as a disease, an allergy, a person is 'intolerant' of alcohol.
It does not matter to me what I call my use of alcohol. My first statement is self evident.

oakleaf82

It's an addiction like any other addiction. The fact that there's a special word for alcohol addiction actually bothers me as I don't think it's any different than any other addiction. I also think that ANYONE can become addicted, I don't buy the normal drinker theory. Repeated exposure to the substance actually changes the neural pathways in the brain, provides dopamine release, such that after awhile other healthy things do not provide pleasure for you. You can recover by removing the substance and working to create new neural pathways to the brain.

That is my opinion but as others have said, putting a label on it is less important than what you are going to do about it. The solution is the same either way.

FreeOwl

I agree with Dee on this one.

Thinking of it as a 'Disease' is helpful for some, not as helpful for others.

For me, personally, I disliked the notion that I am 'diseased' or 'dysfunctional'. The idea of being broken or defective wasn't helpful for me. What I found to be helpful for me was to simply and honestly acknowledge that alcohol and drugs were not working in my life in any positive way. That what I wanted for my life was inconsistent with what alcohol and addictive substances brought to it.

I still sometimes talk about it in terms like "disease" because that's something people acknowledge and accept and that's something that does resonate with and work for some folks.

It's far less important "what" alcohol is. Whether "alcoholism" is real. Whether disease or defect or predisposition or whatnot.

To me, what's most important is the outcome. The impact. And for me, in my life, the OUTCOME of alcohol was invariably negative. The IMPACT it brought my life was resoundingly incompatible with what I want my life to be.

That shift of thinking and that letting go of the obsession to understand WHY was a crucial and pivotal factor in my successful sobriety.