alcoholism as a disease?

[Lin]

I never heard of this concept until 11 1/2 years ago when we went to the first rehab. That's when I was told I had so much anger i must get to alanon ASAP. I'm glad I did.

this is where I heard the staff members say it is a disease. The person does nto ask to be an alkie. They may not want to admit they ahve it. The disease makes them behave in different ways such as telling lies or being verbally abusive. The disease can't be cures, it can only be put into remission if they "follow the doctors orders" by not drinking. the disease is progressive...it gets worse when left untreated.

I've heard this alot since that day. I believe it.

For me hearing this and believing it has helped me find compassion for all of the alcoholics inmy life. I know they were doing the best they could. I know what a struggle it was for them to quit. I know their actions were not jsut willful acts against me..they were the acts of a powerful disease. This concept has helped me detach from unkind words and has helped me stay married when I was about to toss in the towel after 24 years. I related it to diabetes. If he does not eat correctly and has diabetes he will get very sick again. If he does what is suggested he can get better for a very long time. I also see that if my family memebres had diabetes or cancer or another disease, would i wal away from them? No. I'd be there to support and love them

What do you think about the disease concept?

LIN

[lildee]

Interesting Thread.

Being that my training is is the medical field I can relate to alcoholism/addiction being treated as a disease. Where I find fault with this theory is in its cause. For a disease such as diabetes its origin is organic in nature. Meaning that the body is not producing or using insulin in the proper way. There is a physical reason. Once the addiction has started there are chemical changes within the body that take place, so there is an organic reason for continued use. The point that I take issue with is the original use. At this point there is no organic reason for use. So the only other option to use this modality is to turn to "mental disease." It wasn't only until recently that mental disorders were even considered a disease process. A disorder of the natural thinking process. For me dealing with my addict I can only say that his mental processes were not functioning normally when faced with the stressors of daily life. Unable to deal with death, work, family and so on. Possibly if these things were dealt with at the time of their occurence his addiction would not have happened??? Just a thought. So I tend to see addiction as a mental disease in its origin, compounded by a physical disease once the addiction has begun.

There is also others that would consider addiction due to the lack of spirituality. That their souls and morals are bankrupt or insincere. And if led on a path to spirituality and living in God's way the addiction would have not occured.

One more therory that is floating around is the genetic theory. That there is some particular gene that is altered or missing from the addict and that is why they are prone to becoming addicts.

All theories. The cause doesn"t matter but the treatment does.

[ChrisK]

I would agree with that. I do know, I could not stop at the last. I didn't have to drink every day but, I could not stop until, i blacked out or passed out whichever came first.

[caressa]

Actually found a post that I never responded to! LOL!

I know it is a disease. It is an obsession of the mind and an allergy of the body and I don't metabolize alcohol like normal people do. What took a while to learn was the mental aspect of it. It is also a dis-ease within myself that I tried to 'fix' by looking outside of myself to make me feel better.

This is how I felt. It was so dark and stormy inside I could not see God either.

Attachments:

[SunnyGirl]

I have always had a problem equating alcoholism and diabetes.

But when I look at addiction as a neurological disorder that is
complicated by physical dependence, it makes a whole lot more
sense to me. I read somewhere that tourette's syndrome and
alcoholism are much more closely related that comparing it to diabetes.

Just my opinion.... Hugs, SG

[caressa]

Well have the diabetes now, and neuralgia in my face from Bell's Palsy, and my alcoholism and addiction have daily reprieve, thanks to the program.

The alcohol and drugs are but a symptom of the disease. The problem has always been me:- my attitudes, my beliefs, and my lack of any sense of self and well-being.

[caressa222]

Whether you say disease or dis-ease, it all leads to the same soul sickness. The substance is but a symptom of my disease and the problem is me.

Drugs come in many forms. I am powerless over people, places, and things.