Alcoholism/Drug Addiction

[Angle-plex 0]

You know what to do.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Neither...

[Tawren 0]

Neither. They are serious problems, but they aren't diseases in the sense that cancer or AIDS or whatnot.

[haVoc 0]

Addiction shouldn't be labeled as a disease.

[2GOLD 0]

While I do not feel they should be labeled as diseases, they should be treated just as serious.

 

Obviously what I just said makes not an ounce of sense.

[haVoc 0]

Which 2 of you pot heads voted "Alcoholism is a disease, but not Drug Addiction?"

[Guest T®ITEC]

Neither, though I do come from a family with a strong history of alcoholism. Though, of course, that's more learned behaviour than anything else.

[Star Ocean 3 0]

Penn and Teller say no.

 

But, the American Medical Association says something else.

 

H-95.983 Drug Dependencies as Diseases

The AMA

1. endorses the proposition that drug dependencies, including alcoholism, are diseases and that their treatment is a

legitimate part of medical practice, and

2. encourages physicians, other health professionals, medical and other health related organizations, and

government and other policymakers to become more well informed about drug dependencies, and to base their

policies and activities on the recognition that drug dependencies are, in fact, diseases. (Res. 113, A-87)

[2GOLD 0]

I'll listen to the AMA when they don't call everything on the planet a disease. I swear, you could tell them you stubbed your toe and they will call it a disease.

 

I think they have some kind of disease quota to keep funding.

 

Why should it be called a disease anyway? Is there a pill that can help prevent alcoholism and drug use? Seriously, is there cause I haven't been keeping track.

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

I only consider alcoholism a disease in a loose sense. It is an inheritable trait, ie. if alcoholism runs in your family, you are more likely to become one if you start drinking.

 

If it weren't for that trait, I wouldn't consider it a disease at all.

 

On the flipside, I do not believe that drug addiction is an inheritable trait, but more so a learned behavior that can be avoided. I know of alcoholics whose parents, grandparents, and so forth were alcoholics, but none of their elders drank around them. I do not know of drug addicts whose lineage is heavy with drug addictions, and the usage of drugs were hidden.

[Mole 0]

My mom and dad are alcoholics. My mom was sober for 26 years and my dad has been sober for 24 years. My mom used to always talk about her boozing days, how it is a disease and that I should watch my boozing because of my family traits.

 

I guess it has been banged into my head that it is a disease.

[Highland 0]

It's not a disease in the strictest sense of the word, but they can both ruin lives. However, unlike the vast majority of diseases, people actually have a choice on whether they want to become a drug addict or an alcoholic.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

It's not like I'm going to go out and "catch" alcoholism or drug addiction. They're patterns of behavior, not diseases.

[Youth N Asia 0]

I have a hard time believing that being a drunk is a disease. It's a matter of willpower and self respect

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

I'll listen to the AMA when they don't call everything on the planet a disease.

Didn't they just call obesity the "D" word?...

[Angle-plex 0]

Anyone here have alcoholism? Because most alcoholics I know consider it a disease and say they can't help but drink, while non-alcoholics always are the ones that claim it's not a disease.

[Red Hot Thumbtack In The Eye 0]

Anyone here have alcoholism? Because most alcoholics I know consider it a disease and say they can't help but drink, while non-alcoholics always are the ones that claim it's not a disease.

 

I believe that it is due to AA brainwashing. But I'm not sure.

 

Other than that, I have a public service message. Robaxacet - bad buzz. Steer clear kids.

 

I really gotta find me some more codeine tomorrow.

[Guest MikeSC]

Anyone here have alcoholism? Because most alcoholics I know consider it a disease and say they can't help but drink, while non-alcoholics always are the ones that claim it's not a disease.

One little problem: In the end, to get alcoholism, one must still CHOOSE to drink.

 

You don't wake up in the morning and suddenly -- BAM! --- you're an alcoholic.

 

It's a personal weakness based on poor habits. It's a bitch to get over --- but you have to CHOOSE to get into it in the first place.

 

I'll say that alcoholics have a more vested interest in it being a disease than I have in it not being one.

-=Mike

[The Thread Killer 0]

I'm a recovering alcoholic, and I don't consider it a disease.

 

However, anybody who has anything bad to say about AA, and has never been in AA should shut the fuck up, because they don't know what they're talking about.

[Red Hot Thumbtack In The Eye 0]

However, anybody who has anything bad to say about AA, and has never been in AA should shut the fuck up, because they don't know what they're talking about.

 

I'll take that as addressed to me. And I have nothing bad to say about them. I've seen first hand how it can help people.

[MrRant 0]

Aren't you supposed to be nicer after the 12 steps?

[NoCalMike 0]

I dunno, once you get to the point of physical dependency, where your body cannot function properly without a drop of liquor or a smoke of crack, then it s more then just a matter of "will power" However I am not sure the exact classification since I don't know the raw definition of "disease"

[Skywarp! 0]

^

 

You're right in a sense. Sure, you chose to drink a lot, but one thing to keep in mind is that the reason that relatives of people with addictions should be wary of regular substance use is that they have what is called an "addictive personality", that is, their brain is wired in such a way that genetically predisposes them as more likely to become an addict. But that itself isn't a disease. Possibly a phsycial handicap?

 

And once you're an addict, it's not simply a matter of will power to quit, your body chemistry has changed. It gets to a point where it needs the substance to exist. In fact, the most lethal kind of detox is alcohol detox. I know that's hard to believe but it's true. Your body just starts to shut down.

[Guest El Satanico]

Both are diseases...but I also consider Religion to be a disease

[Cartman 0]

Majority of my immediate family are big drinkers, and my mother used to be major into drugs until a few years ago...I have never tried any drugs, nor will I, and I have drank a few times and disliked it very much.

 

I choose not to do drugs or drink alcohol, even though my family history says I am more prone to do those things.

 

Needless to say i don't believe much about studies that say I will most likely become an alcoholic because my family is full of them. Everyone has the choice to start or not start drinking or getting into drugs.

[Guest Loss]

Of course it's a disease. Alcoholism is considered a lifelong condition, and there's no cure for it. All you can control is whether or not you take the first drink. After that, it's out of your hands. It's also hereditary.

 

There's a difference between being an alcoholic and a drunk. You can go years without a drink and still be an alcoholic, and you can drink like a fish and not be one.

[Guest JacK]

That's what *I* say! People say I'm an alcoholic because I go through 3 or 4 bottles of vodka a week, a lot of the time drinking alone, but I figure I'm not, cause, you know, I'm not! I also eat chicken schnitzel 2wice a day, alone; and drink a couple of milkshakes every day, also alone . . . by that logic I have schnitzelism and milkshakism.

I also figure they're not diseases, they're more disorders I would've thought. I figure it's more mental than physical; but then I wouldn't consider myself an expert.

[Guest Loss]

Oh, it's totally mental. But the brain is a part of the body, too.

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

I'm a recovering alcoholic, and I don't consider it a disease.

 

However, anybody who has anything bad to say about AA, and has never been in AA should shut the fuck up, because they don't know what they're talking about.

Do you mean AA or group programs designed to help you? Because AA is basically just a way to get drunks to become Christians (read the 12 Steps and you'll see where I'm coming from), but group therapy definitely does help a lot.