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Do you believe that drug addiction and alcoholism is a disease? Why or why not?

By Penny The Wise is a Steelers fan Asked Feb 7 2007 10:07AM
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by RosieGHM Jetpacker on Aug 4, 2008 at 2:17 am Permalink

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I have heard each referred to as a disease..of course each is self-inflicted..one has to be proactive, reach out and ingest/imbibe/whatever. You can't "catch" it from others, although there may be a genetic component to it. If someone has a predisposition or "weakness" when it comes to alcohol, one can simply not drink anything alcoholic. The taking of any kind of "leisure" drug seems to me like asking for trouble. I think of "disease" as something big like cancer..there are many different kinds and most of them are mysterious in that there is no one thing that caused it. We know what causes alcoholism and drug addiction..so we can avoid them! :)
Answer originally posted in response to In your opinion, is alcoholism/drug addiction a disease?
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Answer 2 out of 53

by Account Closed on Aug 3, 2008 at 8:44 pm Permalink

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In my opinion no it is a bad habit that can very easily get out of control.
Answer originally posted in response to In your opinion, is alcoholism/drug addiction a disease?
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Answer 3 out of 53

by Little Miss Dangerous on Feb 19, 2007 at 10:33 pm Permalink

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Yes. Predisposition (genetically) to alcoholism would support alcoholism as a disease, not just a 'weak will' focused on alcohol.

We do know that neurological and psychiatric disorders, (including schizophrenia, alcoholism, and Parkinson's disease) are associated with changes in the brain that affect the nerves that communicate with each other through dopamine. Alcohol affects the brains of these people in a way that is different from non-alcoholics. A more comprehensive study of the proteins that carry the dopamine neuron communicating genes (and gene mutations) needs to be done to further pinpoint the physiological cause.
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Avatar Dideedidi Feb, 28 2007 at 10:26 AM
surely if it is genetic then it is a disease and medical?

Answer 4 out of 53

by Antichrist84 on Feb 17, 2009 at 11:45 am Permalink

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It is an addiction but it can have symtoms of a disease but at least you can go cold turkey and get rid of it for good.
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Avatar Penny The Wise is a Steelers fan Feb, 19 2009 at 11:34 PM
Thanks.

Answer 5 out of 53

by hershey_squirter_ on Feb 21, 2007 at 12:24 pm Permalink

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Yes addiction is a brain disease. Although many people do not grasp a basic understanding of what that means. Although initial drug use might be voluntary, once addiction develops, control is disrupted. In many instances the neurological brain structure is altered, which means this is going to affect behavior and the actual processes of thought. For the average meth addict it is never something as easy as simple will power. Meth rewires the brain circuitry, how it sends and receives information and the natural dopamine receptors which reward us and make us feel good about things we should feel good about basically get shut off because meth releases about 100 times the amount of dopamine normally realeased from the brain at any given time. If your brain is getting more dopamine from another source than it needs, and in this case extremely more, then it won't produce any naturally even long after the drug and all its effects are non-existent in the body. This makes it almost impossible to feel happy or pleasure from anything other than the dopamine rush produced by the drug. The user becomes depressed, irritable, violent, even suicidal and homocidal. So once addiction sets in, and it usually sets in very quickly with meth, then the user is no longer using for the high, he's using just to feel normal and ok. This goes well beyond simple will power.
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Answer 6 out of 53

by ChrisDG on Feb 7, 2007 at 10:27 am Permalink

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Yes. I do however perfectly understand why others say it's not. the problem is that a large part of alcoholism is mentally - they can't *understand* how they can live without alcohol.

I've seen severe cases of alcoholism. It's far from pretty, and many (not all) do want to quit, but they cannot. Some may argue that anyone can if they really try hard enough, but that comes from an unenlightened position, without experience of it. I myself have admittedly never suffered from it either, I've only seen it second-hand.

To me, it has the same stigma that many mental diseases currently have. If there is no physical problem (e.g. cancer, appendicitis), people argue that it's not a disease. However, it prevents people from living their lives in a normal way, they have problems functioning, both mentally, physically, emotinally and socially.

To say it's not a disease because it is self-inflicted is wrong - is lung cancer after 20 years smoking therefore not a disease?

I've actually got to go and eat now, so my answer is incomplete, but comment and I'll edit. I'm prepared for the - s.
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Avatar ChrisDG Feb, 07 2007 at 11:23 AM
Ultimately, my answer comes down to the fact that it fits the definition of disease as I undertsand it. Therefore it's a disease.
Avatar staffie Feb, 07 2007 at 11:27 AM
yeah but i reckon my brother is an alcoholic and i still think they bring it on themselves. i know what you are saying but i dont see it as a disease. i feel like knocking my bruv out everytime i see him drinking but its his choice
Avatar ChrisDG Feb, 07 2007 at 02:20 PM
The problem is that although disease can be given a strict definition by e.g. the World Health Organisation, people still interpret the word as how they want it, so that any preconceptions they have causes them to think in different ways against the current medical train of thought. I (as a current medical student) have been taught alcoholism is a disease, hence my answer.

Answer 7 out of 53

by Austinius SillyVilles Resident Lothario on May 28, 2009 at 7:51 pm Permalink

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Yes, however alcoholism is over diagnosed. Dependency issues are generally caused by other underlying issues. Resolve those issues, and the alcoholism might just correct its self.
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Avatar Penny The Wise is a Steelers fan May, 30 2009 at 11:23 PM
Thanks! I agree.

Answer 8 out of 53

by Mountain Momma is a happy camper on May 28, 2009 at 5:46 pm Permalink

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Yes, it is.
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Avatar -- CT -- May, 28 2009 at 05:54 PM
True..
Avatar Mountain Momma is a happy camper May, 29 2009 at 05:07 PM
Sure is.

Answer 9 out of 53

by CatLover-The Original on May 28, 2009 at 5:41 pm Permalink

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I do not have personal experience but from what I have read and understand not only is it a medical condition it can also be genetic.
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Answer 10 out of 53

by Trout fishing in America...Charlie on May 28, 2009 at 5:39 pm Permalink

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That's a good excuse.
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