lessgravity

People in my life with diseases have cancer and alzhimers. I can imagine they, and their loved ones, would give anything to be able to cure their diseases by choosing not to pour an unnecessary and sometimes expensive liquid down their throats. Food for thought is all.

PeaceManic

There was an interesting study where mice could access cocaine, and the ones with a more stimulating environment resisted taking it much more than the mice with nothing to do. I guess that argues in favour of addiction being more psychological than hard-wired?

It's still a pretty unclear field. Another fifty years research and I bet there will be a lot more answers.

nez

My soul already has all the answers I need. For me, drinking was wrong. I don't require any further info or labels. I just need to listen to my soul and do what is right for me. Knowing what exactly alcoholism is and what causes it wouldn't change a thing about what is the right action for me.

Lines

and the other day you suggested I might not be a jerk just because Im having trouble stopping the coke.

I accept the SUD dignosis. Dont think my brain was diseased before I started or anything. The substance is highly addictive and I believe it effects the neurotransmitters, chemicals, and causes the craziness. I think the use of the word disease confuses things so its reason for being used has to be examined. Mostly its because continued flow of the substance has a growing impact on the brain which makes symptoms worse.

Heart disease is similiar in concept and most people accept this idea. What we eat, our activity level, stress management, and other things somewhat within our control can cause heart disease. Heart disease is progressive unless changes are made. some of the damge can be reversed - specially if caught early. and if not, then it can hopefully be managed with the use of medication, lifestyle changes.

one of the most important reasons for understanding the brain changes and how it effects my thinking and behaviors is so I can get the right treatments like CBT, talk therapy, life/work balance which I know work best for me. (and why I keep looking at contact info for my doctor, but no. still havent called).

one thing I remember from my last run was people who know me saying "this isnt you. I dont know who you are anymore" . yes, hijacked brain at the moment.

August252015

Why does it matter, at this point in your journey? Any answer you get will justify you spinning your intelligent mind one way or another- and keep going.

Ya gotta stop before anything else matters- even if a kernel of one of those explanations makes sense to you.

HeadEast

^^^^^ Yes ^^^^^. ^^^^^This^^^^^

SoberCAH

Glad you're going to meetings, Old.

mariposa

Kachal

From the first drink I had as a teen, I absolutely loved it. It was an immediate and long lasting love affair. An ex told me in total seriousness when I was twenty (twenty! When everyone was drinking too much around us) that I was an alcoholic. At 38, I finally gave up. Just before I did, I met a biological relative of mine. (I was adopted at birth so I don't know my blood relatives.) This woman, my aunt, told me that my grandfather, her father, was a terrible terrible violent alcoholic. She admitted to me she also had problems with booze. I downplayed my own addiction but admitted to her I did drink. The truth was it was 10am and I was meeting this person for the very first time, and I had already drunk a full bottle of wine, just to be able to function. I had been drinking the moment I woke for the last couple of years by then. Something about that meeting though, it really got through to me.
I had previously always doubted the disease idea, after all I chose to pick up the bottle daily. But now my thoughts are more like; just because we made that decision to drink, doesn't mean the decision is weighted the same for all of us.
I flew back to my city after meeting her, and I quit for good two weeks later. That was 2.5 years ago.
I agree with the others in the thread who are saying it doesn't really matter right now though. What matters now is getting free of it, whether "it" is caused by free will, genetic predisposition, trauma response, or something else altogether.

Admiral

Not sure if I'm the minority on this, but here it goes...

I think the disease concept is a culdesac or dead end that a person can get stuck in. In other words, it's a place of stagnation or lack of progress. This also encompasses the "beast" mentality, or the idea that a persons addiction is some kind of malevolent force that's out to trick them or do them in. I see absolutely no value in this mindset and I think that everyone would be better off without it.

When we view an aspect of ourselves as a disorder, disease or evil force, we feel the need to fight it or shut it out. When we fight against something within us it will just keep coming back until it has been acknowledged. Our emotions are our body's way of telling us that there is a problem that needs attention. We can process these emotions by focusing on them where they exist - in the body as physical sensations. This is often times referred to as urge surfing around here - the act of observing a craving as a neutral observer. This is good work to do, not only for cravings and urges, but other emotions as well. When we do this we can process things from the past that have been stuck for a long time.

The other problem with the disease model is that it takes the power away from the individual. We no longer feel that we have control over ourselves - we have a disease and will never get better. I don't believe this to be true. I think that we all have the power and tools within us to heal.

At the end of the day it's like walking around the mall with a dozen shopping bags. You can't really experience the world around you because your arms are fatigued, your palms are being cut into by the handles and you can't easily move about. As soon as you set the bags down you can marvel at how flexible and free you are. You are no longer in pain, you are no longer limited and weighed down. This is what it's like to carry around these beliefs. As soon as we see them as the illusions that they are we begin to free ourselves. I think recovery is more about unlearning than it is learning. We have to unlearn our old habits and we also have to unlearn some of the limiting beliefs that we've been holding onto.

Lines

This is good stuff Admiral:

"When we view an aspect of ourselves as a disorder, disease or evil force, we feel the need to fight it or shut it out. When we fight against something within us it will just keep coming back until it has been acknowledged. Our emotions are our body's way of telling us that there is a problem that needs attention. We can process these emotions by focusing on them where they exist - in the body as physical sensations. This is often times referred to as urge surfing around here - the act of observing a craving as a neutral observer. This is good work to do, not only for cravings and urges, but other emotions as well. When we do this we can process things from the past that have been stuck for a long time."

The other problem with the disease model is that it takes the power away from the individual. We no longer feel that we have control over ourselves - we have a disease and will never get better. I don't believe this to be true. I think that we all have the power and tools within us to heal."

THANKS

DriGuy

Disease or dysfunction, the debate for me is academic, and not that helpful in dealing with the issue. There maybe something useful about clearing up the question in you own mind, but the bottom line is the cure is going to be the same whatever you decide.

SoberCAH

Abraham

I pretty much feel the same except for the fact that alcohol is addictive. So while you may not have a disease or even a disorder you may be addicted. Thats a powerful thing. I remember telling myself I would never get addicted to drugs. I did a bunch of stuff and never got addicted but I never really knew or considered alcohol addictive, and it eventually got me. Then I got it back.

zoobadger

Drinking sure felt like a disease to me. And medical professionals undoubtedly helped me get and stay sober.

I feel like I was born an alcoholic. I could never easily stop once I had a couple of drinks, even if it took many years for my drinking to totally overwhelm my everyday life.

My wife, by contrast, would be perfectly content if alcohol suddenly ceased to exist. There's something fundamentally different about me that requires me to completely avoid alcohol.

brighterday1234