The "disease" of alcoholism. - Page 5

MidGe · #41 02-09-2007, 07:54 AM

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instead of quitting drinking see if an alcholic could have three beers and stop. that would be a much truer test and a much harder one.

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It is not much harder and not a test at all. I have known many alcoholics that could have three beers, stop, and then have another three, and so on!

With apologies to my friends who have admitted they having the disease.

housenuts · #42 02-09-2007, 08:46 AM

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How to test if something is a disease.

1. Offer sufferer $1,000,000,000 to stop smoking, drinking, having cancer, eating to much, having diabetes etc for one week

2. If they accept it's not a disease!

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I'm an alcoholic, and I have to say that I don't think it is a disease, and for $1,000,000,000 I would immediately quit drinking for life.

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i don't know if i could. if it meant having no drinks ever, i don't even know if i'd do that deal. but if i could still have a couple drinks well obviously i'd try to do the deal, but after a couple it's hard to stop...and i can always tell myself i'm still in control and can stop, but then it gets to the point where i'm completely blackout and i wake up somewhere and my wallet is many dollars lighter, if my wallet is even still with me and i have no idea what happened after a certain point in the night.
in a couple days i'm going away for 6 months soon. i will have no access to alcohol. it should be interesting.

madnak · #43 02-09-2007, 10:10 AM

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Be that as it may, I had no trouble distinguishing alcoholism from 'hippieism'...

As someone above said, we are indeed talking semantics. But to equate alcoholism and chastity is a bit of a stretch no matter how you define things.

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No, it really isn't. None of the working definitions or contexts really work when directly applied (maybe biosocial theory, but none of these absurd perspectives related to some kind of fundamental "responsibility" or "will").

A good example to illustrate the point is anorexia. Many people kill themselves every year as a result of eating disorders, and yet such behavior is, apparently, 100% psychological. I suppose that means it's nothing to worry about?

bdypdx · #44 02-09-2007, 03:43 PM

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What are your thoughts? Is alcoholism a disease or not?

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Alcoholism is a symptom of a disease. The actual disease is "a chronic, unbearable state of conciousness". When alcohol is used (destructively) as the medication, it gets labeled as the disease of "alcoholism".

bdypdx · #45 02-09-2007, 05:44 PM

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I would like to pull this back on-topic.

If you would like to discuss 12 step programs, please start another thread.

Is alcoholism a disease like cancer or not?

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Like cancer?

If a person is diagnosed with cancer; they'll be directed to chemotherapy, surgery, radiation therapy, amputation, etc.

If a person is diagnosed with alcoholism, they'll be directed to some sort of meeting.

So, alcoholism is not like cancer at all.

vhawk01 · #46 02-09-2007, 05:47 PM

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I would like to pull this back on-topic.

If you would like to discuss 12 step programs, please start another thread.

Is alcoholism a disease like cancer or not?

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Like cancer?

If a person is diagnosed with cancer; they'll be directed to chemotherapy, surgery, radiation therapy, amputation, etc.

If a person is diagnosed with alcoholism, they'll be directed to some sort of meeting.

So, alcoholism is not like cancer at all.

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Its not like there aren't medications and treatment plans for alcoholism.

To fix your analogy: If someone is diagnosed with cancer they will be sent to someone who will lay on hands and light some incense.

Sharkey · #47 02-09-2007, 11:38 PM

Alcoholism has a biological component. In that way it is a disease. Though it is one you can self-cure using will power, unlike diabetes for instance.

vhawk01 · #48 02-09-2007, 11:44 PM

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Alcoholism has a biological component. In that way it is a disease. Though it is one you can self-cure using will power, unlike diabetes for instance.

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What kind of diabetes? I was actually going to use diabetes as my counter-example, in case anyone disagreed with my previous point.

Sharkey · #49 02-09-2007, 11:49 PM

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Alcoholism has a biological component. In that way it is a disease. Though it is one you can self-cure using will power, unlike diabetes for instance.

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What kind of diabetes? I was actually going to use diabetes as my counter-example, in case anyone disagreed with my previous point.

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The kind where nothing you do will make it go away. That is what I meant.

vhawk01 · #50 02-10-2007, 12:13 AM

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Alcoholism has a biological component. In that way it is a disease. Though it is one you can self-cure using will power, unlike diabetes for instance.

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What kind of diabetes? I was actually going to use diabetes as my counter-example, in case anyone disagreed with my previous point.

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The kind where nothing you do will make it go away. That is what I meant.

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Well, you could certainly argue that a drastically modified lifestyle (including regularly checking your blood sugar and maintaining healthy insulin and glucose levels) would 'make the disease go away' for all intents and purposes. You could eliminate all elevated risk of long-term complications. Of course, you would still 'have the disease,' meaning your pancreatic islet cells would still not be producing their own insulin, but in that sense only.

And I think the same can be said of alcoholism. By making lifestyle changes (i.e. not drinking, 'exerting your will power,' or going to meetings) you can eliminate any increased risk of long-term health consequences. Of course, you still 'have the disease,' in that if you have a few drinks 5 years later you will almost certainly relapse.