by ChrisDG on February 7th, 2007
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.
by Antichrist84 on February 17th, 2009
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.
by RosieGHM Jetpacker on August 4th, 2008
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! :)
by Account Closed on August 3rd, 2008
In my opinion no it is a bad habit that can very easily get out of control.
by Punny on August 3rd, 2008
I believe so...
by Jen-Jen on August 3rd, 2008
In my opinion, yes it is.
by hershey_squirter_ on February 21st, 2007
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.
by Little Miss Dangerous on February 19th, 2007
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.
by Austinius SillyVilles Resident Lothario on May 28th, 2009
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.
by Mountain Momma on May 28th, 2009
Yes, it is.
by CatLover- The Original Original on May 28th, 2009
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.
by Trout fishing in America...Charlie on May 28th, 2009
That's a good excuse.
by celticmoonlight on September 20th, 2008
not a disease but a way of lifestyle that can seem impossible to get away from
by TRK360 on September 20th, 2008
I am a little biased, but i look at it as a personal weakness, not something you're born with or acquire genetically, but i'm sure someone's research would oppose that statement. All i know is that none of my four grndparents were alcoholics, and both my parents are, maybe it skips a generation or something??? But i don't look at it as a disease necessarily, by my definition of disease anyway.
by In my search of happiness on September 20th, 2008
Deseases result addiction and bad for health
by CUBS4EVER on September 20th, 2008
I don't think it starts out a as a disease but it turns in to one over time.
by miteb on September 20th, 2008
Disease because of physiological dependency and/or predispositon. Can be controlled, but not cured.
by dark_leota on August 28th, 2008
no... but
I do think people have addicting personalities, or a type of personality flaw that makes them more prone to take drugs or alcohol.
I think that is sometimes genetic.
myself included, but I made myself stop.
anyone who forces themselves to stop, CAN. If it wasn't why do they alway say, the only way an addict can get better, is if they want to?
it IS about willpower, once you get over the physical withdrawls anyway.
Also I think it is circumstantial as well. If you grow up around it, you'll be more prone to it as well.
Oh no, here goes the downgrading.
by Doggie S on August 3rd, 2008
Since you're asking for my opinion, no, I don't think it's a disease.
My father was an alcoholic, and even though he was like that, I never viewed him as having some sort of a disease.
I don't know anyone who's addicted to drugs, but I'd say that it's also not a disease.
by Bellpepper on August 3rd, 2008
I have a theory. EVERYONE has a chemical imbalance of some kind. It's all a matter of balancing it out with the right chemical. Alcoholics picked the wrong chemical. So, a disease? I don't think it is...a problem? Definitely!
by Anonymous on August 3rd, 2008
I wouldn't say it was a disease. It think it may be a form of mental sickness where one is looking for an escape from reality and becomes dependent on it to give them the releif from it which they desire.
by Babycakes on August 3rd, 2008
No, I don't think it qualifies as a disease in the way I think of diseases.
by technios on August 3rd, 2008
no... its a cure for an unknown disease/curse
by Jeztyr - whispering in the ears of kings on August 3rd, 2008
Yes it is. The body is out of control, it's in a state of dis-ease. It requires treatment, not only in the form of abstinence, but also in getting to the root of the problem. I haven't found research to say so, but anecdotal evidence would suggest that it may be a genetic thing, or that it stems from other diseases of the mind like depression and chronic anxiety.
by Daevid on August 3rd, 2008
No, for you are not born with it, even if your parents were heavy drinkers and they gave you a bit when you were little. This disease issue is something the doctors and medical personnel fabricated to make more money. It benefits them more than it helps us. It is just another excuse, and we don't need any more of those.
by marsha in n.s. on August 3rd, 2008
I'm not sure.Wouldn't that imply that anyone with any addiction has a disease. Is smoking classed as a disease or an addiction?
by Cheery Cherry on August 3rd, 2008
I think it is. Looking up the definition of "disease", it seems to be true.
by DrMcNasty on August 3rd, 2008
My only problem with that statement is that someone can be fired from there job for drug abuse but if it is truely a disease then why arn't drug addicts classified and protected under the ADA?
by colorado kid on March 25th, 2008
Yes without a doubt!
by angel on March 13th, 2008
Alcoholism has successfully been treated with diet and vitamin therapy.
I was trying to find an article instead of me sounding insane as always.. here is just one to explain what I believe.. maybe not the best one, I merely scanned it
http://www.doctoryourself.com/alcoholism.html
by Anonymous on March 13th, 2008
no.....alcoholism is a problem you either create or avoid
by Sheriff Raff -Answerhag on April 28th, 2007
No, not a disease.
You choose to have a drink. You don't choose cancer.
by placentaparty on March 28th, 2007
yes, its a mental disease
If you think addiction isnt a disease then depression and aniexty, arent either
by vic2tat2d on March 21st, 2007
It's a weakness not a disease someone very close to me is in N.A and that disease thing is an excuse to take the blame off addicts so that they feel less guilt and it's easier to gain sobriety when there is a vaccine for it I'll call it a disease.
by VOD on February 28th, 2007
No- I believe its a sympmtom of something greater. Addicitve beahaviours often run in families- by either genetics or learning. Addiction to any substance, be it food,shopping, alcohol or drugs, is a sign of discontent and frustration with your circumstance- possibly self loathing. America treats the symptoms most often because its easier and quicker than uncovering and addressing the underlying cause.
by idne on February 28th, 2007
Yes. Just because we bring it on by our own choices this doesn't make them not a disease. The same can be said of cancer, diabites, and heart disease. There is even strong evidence that some people have a genetic proclivity towards these diseases. I also think they are treatable and know of many people who have won the battle against them.
by CONNIE on February 21st, 2007
i belive that alcohol is a desease. after watching my boyfriend of 20 years battle alcoholism for a long time i could see in his face how much he hated himself but he still continued to drink. after being in the hospital for 15 days he has been sober for almost 18 months but it is a constant battle. i believe that drugs are a addiction that occurs after putting them into your system.
by Soneji on February 19th, 2007
Alcoholism is NOT a disease, it's an addiction.
From the Mirriam - Webster online dictionary:
---------------------------------------------------
Addiction - Compulsive need for, and use of, a substance characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal.
Disease - A condition of the living animal or plant body, or one of it's parts that impairs normal functioning and is typically manifested by distinguishing signs and symptoms
Alcoholism - A: a poisoning by alcohol. B: a chronic disorder marked by excessive and usually compulsive drinking of alcohol leading to psychological and physical dependence or addiction.
---------------------------------------------------
YOU CAN QUIT. No matter what.
It all boils down to willpower.
It's just like saying you're overweight because obesity is a disease. NO! You're overweight because you're too lazy to exercise.
I am/was an alcoholic, and I am overweight.
But I DON'T claim that my problems are caused by an uncontrollable force that refuses to let me stop drinking or lose weight.
Calling alcoholism a disease is just an excuse not to quit.
by PerfectlyPink on February 9th, 2007
Definitely! It is the way ones mind works and their thought process. Which may not be a disease but the recovery from such is much like you would with a disease.
by Athrael on February 9th, 2007
Yes both make physical changes in the brain. Second addiction stems usually from other 'problems' like stress, depression, anxiety, etc. Most users/drinkers are self medicating (treating other ills) and the process of self treating makes a new illness to deal with.
by thinkin on February 7th, 2007
Yes and no. As after as it been like cancer or something no, but it is cripling. I allways get that needing feeling and have come close to using alot. My mom is an alcoholic and honestly I thing if she stoped drinking her body would go into shock she has drank for so long. But it is something that if you want to over come you can. You will never be with out temtation but you can live with out it.
by Damiana on February 7th, 2007
For Alcohol - Yes, in the case of fetal alcohol syndrome. Those babies didn't "choose" to be born that way. That also falls in the catagory of babies being born "drug addicted".
For Drugs - Yes for Meth and Heroin, studies have shown you can become addicted the first time you smoke it or inject it.
Mental/Depressive Disorders - "addiction" can be a cause or a side effect of particular disorders.
by anonymous on February 7th, 2007
I think that it is definitly a problem for some people but not necessarily a disease. Most people can quit if they have enough will power.
You cant say that about Cancer or AIDS.
by staffie on February 7th, 2007
no because people who are alcoholics and drug addicts have brought it on themselves and to say its a disease when there are lots of people suffering from serious illnesses is just a joke in my opinion
by MarcusAurelius on February 28th, 2007
No. Some people are just weak.
by kenneth06 on February 9th, 2007
i do not. this is because, with some disease, there is no cure and with drugs and alcohol, there is always a chance to stop and it takes will power to stop. will power does not cure diseases.
by Eidelweiss on May 28th, 2009
Yes.
But it can be avoided by never drinking at all.
If I had a history of alcoholism in my family, I would probably never touch the stuff.
by curiousgeorge on February 17th, 2009
It is an addiction not a disease
by Pixie - jeg er elsket on May 28th, 2009
I know people are going to disagree, but i think 'alcoholism' is widely over given as a problem.
A lot of alcoholics, blame their problems on alcoholism and i do not agree with it.
But i do think, it can be a genetic problem, to be especially sensitive to co-dependency on a substance.
by gone on March 13th, 2008
no, i've dealt with first hand addiction and it's not in any way a disease. 100% of the blame goes to lack of will power and self control.
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You're reading Do you believe that drug addiction and alcoholism is a disease? Why or why not?
- which can also be phrased in the following ways:
In your opinion, is alcoholism/drug addiction a disease?
Alcoholism: Disease or not in your opinion?
Do you believe alcoholism is an actual medical/psychiatric disease?
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Comments
I like your point of view, and you bring up some really good points, for it being an unfinnished answer.
by Penny The Wise on February 7th, 2007
how do you know cancer is caused by smoking there is smoke all around us people who dont smoke get cancer. i say alcoholics and drug addicts dont have a disease because they can stop with help and implant things(i dont know what they are called) with cancer etc you cant just get rid of it you need chemo etc. alcoholics and drug addicts know that when they start they are doing something that will eventually mess them up
by staffie on February 7th, 2007
Staffie, did you really just ask 'how do you know cancer is caused by smoking'?? have you been frozen in carbonite for the last 20 years? <A href="http://www.thetruth.com/" target=_blank rel=nofollow>http://www.thetruth.com/</A> I would suggest you might want to read up on it a little bit.
Also, what is this implant you speak of? Do you maybe have a link to it?
by Penny The Wise on February 7th, 2007
i know cancer is caused by smoking but what i am saying is how do you know it was caused by smoking because people can have lung cancer without ever smoking cigarettes.
by staffie on February 7th, 2007
so you cant 100% say to a smoker it was caused by smoking cigarettes when someone who as never smoked can have the same disease aswell. i will look up the implants now
by staffie on February 7th, 2007
He admitted he had tested the implants he had sewn into his stomach to see how many drinks he could have before he was sick (this is about george best) and this is the link http://www.aa-uk.org.uk/alcoholics-anonymous-reviews/2005_11_01_archive.html
by staffie on February 7th, 2007
He's not saying that all lung cancer is caused by smoking, %100, period. What he's using is an example. If you had a person who smoked for years who got lung cancer, would you say their cancer wasn't a disease because it was self inflicted.
by Penny The Wise on February 7th, 2007
no i wouldnt because cancer can be caused by many things and not just smoking. what is hard about not picking a bottle of beer up or popping a pill its down to will power sorry im not arguing its just my opinion
by staffie on February 7th, 2007
The article (If I read the right one) was about him having a liver transplant after being an alcoholic for many years. Is that what you meant?
by Penny The Wise on February 7th, 2007
yeah but he had an implant sewed into his stomache to make him feel sick everytime he had a drink. and thats another thing that gets me mad he was given 2 chances and most people dont even get 1 chance at living a life again he had 2 transplants and wasted them both
by staffie on February 7th, 2007
Right OK, lovely tea, a bit catching up to do here! Yep, people can indeed have lung cancer without ever smoking themselves. Just tell Roy Castle. Died from years spent working in clubs, never smoked himself. The thing with cancer is it is multi-factorial. Just as you can get heart disease even if you have never smoked, exercise well every other day, eat well, etc, you can still have a heart attack. Smoking is a "risk factor", and in fact for lung cancer is so strong that it causes all sorts of problems for epidemiologists trying to identify other factors, because it's effect is so great it masks others. I understand (I think) what you are saying staffie - you agree that smoking can cause cancer, but for each case you cannot say definitively that had they not smoked they would not have got it. I've got a graph here (paper, not electronic, sorry can't post it), that shows changes in death rates from lung cancer over a century.
by ChrisDG on February 7th, 2007
For males in 1980, about 70 non-smoker people per million died from lung cancer. For smokers, the rate was over a thousand per million.
by ChrisDG on February 7th, 2007
yeah thats what im trying to say but i think its come out all wrong
by staffie on February 7th, 2007
I'm having a hard time catching up! I agree that giving Best a second transplant was a waste, certainly after he had lost a first transplant completely. Now then, the will power question. OK, could you live without, I don't know, cakes? For the rest of your life. Yes probably, you may not want to, but you can do it. The craving for sugar/fat isn't that strong, and you can receive your 'hit' oads of other ways, sweets, chocolate, biscuits etc. Could you cut out all foods that contained more than 2% fat for the rest of your life. Probably not. Supply problems aside, you would find it hard. And you're not even thinking of yourself as addicted. But fast forward 20 years, you carry eating as you do now, nothing wrong with it (I'm assuming, you eat sensibly etc, have the occasional treat, fin), and you have a heart attack. And it was caused by an atheroma in a coronary artery. Is that self inflicted?
by ChrisDG on February 7th, 2007
Good question. No, sometimes things just happen that you can't control. You can be what is assumed perfect health and have any mumber of things happen to you, that you would not have thought possible.
by Penny The Wise on February 7th, 2007
Ultimately, my answer comes down to the fact that it fits the definition of disease as I undertsand it. Therefore it's a disease.
by ChrisDG on February 7th, 2007
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
by staffie on February 7th, 2007
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.
by ChrisDG on February 7th, 2007