Re: The \"disease\" of alcoholism.
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What about OCD, Obsesive Compulsive Disorder, where the person finds himself compelled to check whether he locked the door before going to sleep - 1000 times every night. Is this a disease? All he has to do is make up his mind not to check the door anymore. Isn't alchoholism somewhat similiar?
PairTheBoard
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Very different kind of compulsion. With alcohol you're seeking out a substance to satisfy internal cravings or dull feelings - it becomes a behavior of habit and eventually your brain starts needing it to function properly. If you take away the substance, eventually the patient will improve and the addiction/compulsion will lessen. None of this is true of OCD.
Regarding anorexia - that is actually a disease, because an anorexic's self image becomes so distorted that they lose touch with reality. Alcoholism is different. Alcoholics make a choice to drink - they're actively seeking out moods and feelings, and alcohol helps them get to that state. They crave the alcohol state and will do almost anything to stay there. Is that crazy? Kind of. But underlying it all is an emotional choice to wallow in self loathing or self pity or cowardice, to take the easy way out.
None of the other disorders, once they're sufficiently advanced, have this trait.
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