Is Alcoholism a disease?

TheyKnowMyIP

I am not so sure. Alcoholism does not fit the diagnostic profile of an actual disease. Personally speaking, I am "addicted" to chocolate. This is a result of my choice. I can stop. People with cancer cannot just "stop" metastasis. Self control is a great thing.

Dangerous Man

Thanks for that.

The Outside Agency

It's a choice.

opinion guy

TheyKnowMyIP wrote: »

People with cancer cannot just "stop" metastasis.

Even if they are homeopaths ?

artanevilla

I see it all the time in my line of work. I believe it is a diesese. You say you are 'addicted' to chocolate, but then go on to say it's your choice and you can stop anytime? You do know that 'I'm addicted to' and 'I enjoy' are two completely different things?

TheyKnowMyIP

opinion guy wrote: »

Even if they are homeopaths ?

Homeopathy is pseudoscience.

geetar

yes it is a disease

Little Acorn

You can "just stop" eating chocolate. Good for you. Some people can't "just stop" abusing alcohol, without receiving some help first.

RichieC

it's not a drug. It's a drink.

Keith186

It's an addiction not a disease.

Two different things in my book.

Galway K9

Oh god I can see this thread getting nasty.

Might as well sit back and watch the clash of the egos.

The Outside Agency

artanevilla wrote: »

I see it all the time in my line of work. I believe it is a diesese. You say you are 'addicted' to chocolate, but then go on to say it's your choice and you can stop anytime? You do know that 'I'm addicted to' and 'I enjoy' are two completely different things?

What other animal on the planet gets intoxicated and calls it a disease? :pac:

It's just in a long line of excuses for drinking, a fairly pathetic one at that.

I've no sympathy for alcoholic who excuses his/her behaviour as a disease.

finnigan

nivekd wrote: »

It's a choice.

for some its not

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

of course it's not a disease, that's a ridiculous american tradition that's been gaining popularity in the rest of the world because it gives drug addicts an excuse to blame their own problems on something else

Dangerous Man

nivekd wrote: »

What other animal on the planet gets intoxicated and calls it a disease? :pac:

It's just in a long line of excuses for drinking, a fairly pathetic one at that.

I've no sympathy for someone who calls alcoholism a disease.

Drunken monkeys. Where do you think the Kung-Fu dudes came up with that shit? From watching monkeys get pissed. Science. Fact. Monkeys with booze.

Saila

geetar wrote: »

yes it is a disease

of the drinking classes! oh no wait thats work

MetalDog

I ticked "few cans":D

But in all seriousness, I would think its an addiction as opposed to a disease.

RichieC

Dangerous Man wrote: »

Drunken monkeys. Where do you think the Kung-Fu dudes came up with that shit? From watching monkeys get pissed. Science. Fact. Monkeys with booze.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohgqRRLjBsg

TheyKnowMyIP

QFT

"Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence" - Carl Sagan

bradyle

Definiton or disease:

a disorder of structure or function in a human, animal, or plant, especially one that produces specific symptoms or that affects a specific location and is not simply a direct result of physical injury:
bacterial meningitis is quite a rare disease
[mass noun] :
heart disease


Addiction is a disorder of the general structure of humans therefore it is a disease

opinion guy

TheyKnowMyIP wrote: »

Homeopathy is pseudoscience.

I was making a joke....da goddammit I forgot my smiley faced for the sarcastically challenged again:rolleyes:

artanevilla

nivekd wrote: »

What other animal on the planet gets intoxicated and calls it a disease? :pac:

It's just in a long line of excuses for drinking, a fairly pathetic one at that.

I've no sympathy for alcoholic who excuses his/her behaviour as a disease.

I don't think any other animals can call anything anything. I would see it as a disease in a sense that some people are born with it, not in the traditional sense. I shouldn't think alcoholics use it as an 'excuse' for their behaviour, they literally cannot stop without some sort of help or intervention.

TheyKnowMyIP

bradyle wrote: »

Definiton or disease:

a disorder of structure or function in a human, animal, or plant, especially one that produces specific symptoms or that affects a specific location and is not simply a direct result of physical injury:
bacterial meningitis is quite a rare disease
[mass noun] :
heart disease


Addiction is a disorder of the general structure of humans therefore it is a disease

I think you need to reread that definition again.

artanevilla

TheyKnowMyIP wrote: »

I think you need to reread that definition again.

'OR'

Micky Dolenz

Not sure, but some people are more prone to getting addicted then others.

ballsymchugh

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar wrote: »

of course it's not a disease, that's a ridiculous american tradition that's been gaining popularity in the rest of the world because it gives drug addicts an excuse to blame their own problems on something else

officially it became recognised as a disease in the US so that people could claim for the treatment on their medical insurance. before that, who knows what was thought of it.

iguana

Alcoholism is not a disease as most people understand the word diseases. It is however a severe brain injury which can be repaired with the proper treatment. There are numerous excellent, excellent therapies for addiction, unfortunately they are not well known and most people's understanding of addiction is based upon the "teachings" of the extremely profitable, almost completely ineffective addiction industry and it's 80 year old philosophy derived from a time before neuroscience and modern medical knowledge.

"Alcoholism" occurs as a result of severe damage to the GABA(b) receptors which are one half of the receptors for our chief neurotransmitter, gamma-Aminobutyric acid. Alcohol (and most types of drug) abuse leads to impairment of these receptors, the more someone drinks the worse they function leading to often debilitating physical symptoms. Unfortunately the most obvious way to alleviate these symptoms is to keep using the drug of choice, this is what causes the overwhelming cravings. Most crucially, as with all addictive substances, over time more and more of the drug becomes necessary to mask the symptoms of the brain damage. No mystery, no spiritual deficiency, no lifelong incurable illness just straightforward neuroscience. Many people who have addictions also often have untreated mental illnesses like depression, bi-polar disorder, schizophrenia, etc. These illnesses are often the reason why the addict began self-medicating and they usually go undiagnosed while the addiction is active.

More people die annually from alcohol addiction than do from any single form of cancer. Addiction is an extremely serious medical condition. It isn't as simple as they are just people making a selfish choice. But neither is it as complex as it being a mysterious lifelong illness.

As to why it happens to some people and not to others, that is as of yet unknown. There are a range of psychological reasons which seem to lead to substance abuse issues, such as childhood abuse, neglect, rape, broken family, etc. Physiologically there is a theory of some substance which suggests that many alcohol addicts have livers which produce excess alcohol dehydrogenases. This means that they would be able to drink more to little immediately felt physical effect, so they drink more in order to get drunk and this excess drinking is what leads to the damage in the GABAergic regions of the brain. It makes some sense and some studies show correlation between alcoholics and excess alcohol dehydrogenases production but is as of yet unproven.

The Outside Agency

artanevilla wrote:

they literally cannot stop without some sort of help or intervention.

Well, most of the alcoholics i've met over the years didn't even want help but would always say "it's a disease" as if to say it was out of their control...amazing people would fall for that.

Smoking must be a disease too.

msg11

Keith186 wrote: »

It's an addiction not a disease.

Two different things in my book.

See, Alcoholism is caused by your addiction to drink. If you notice it early you can stop. When you can't stop and it's causing your vital organs to fail, then it's a disease which will in the end kill you unless your treated with anti depressants to stop serve DT's

TheyKnowMyIP

artanevilla wrote: »

'OR'

Your post is meaningless. I require the specific context surrounding this word. Context sensitivity.

celj

Alcoholism is a disease and one which does and will kill you.
All of the people who say it's not have obviously not got any experience of the disease.
Really find it quite crazy that there are Irish people who don't think it's a disease when the effects of chronic alcohol abuse are so well reported here.:mad: