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Is Alcoholism a disease?

Posted , 14 users are following.

carebourn
carebourn

I know that this will not be popular with many but i firmly believe that alcoholism is not a disease.I also feel that a lot of this misconception is due to the medical profession. Apart from being a trained

counsellor i too found that i had a weakness to alcohol following a number of major issues which hit me in my late forties. I used alcohol as a support to cope with my emotions which i felt at the time i

could not deal with. It was a weakness which i failed to control but still self induced.

I would be interested to hear others experiences of alcohol abuse and how they coped. Also at what point did you seek help and where?

6 likes, 17 replies

17 Replies

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  • Misssy2
    Misssy2 carebourn

    Posted

    I tend to refer to alcoholism as a condition.....only because the word "disease" brings out so much adversity in groups like this.  Although I believe it is a disease.  Whenever people try to debate that alcoholism is not a disease...the comparison to cancer always arises.  Why? 

    Definition of disease: A disease is a particular abnormal condition, a disorder of a structure or function, that affects part or all of an organism. The causal study of disease is called pathology. Disease is often construed as a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be caused by factors originally from an external source.

    Many diseases can be self inflicted...and if you want to talk about "cancer" lung cancer is one of them that is self inflicted but still called a disease.

    Colitis....can be caused by a persons habits...but is a disease

    HPV...s*xually transmitted

    I could list a million that are treated and cured...even thou cancer and alcoholism may not be.  The point is...many diseases are caused by external sources...that can be controlled in some cases.  The reason they deemed alcoholism a disease is because as it says above it causes  changes in structural function of the brain (the main organ in our bodies).

    Opinions are opinions...but facts and definitions define what category alcoholism falls in.

     

  • Misssy2
    Misssy2 carebourn

    Posted

    I added a response to this post. And I'm wondering what was the purpose of this post? Have you been hurt by losing someone to another disease?  Have you been hurt by someone that has alcoholism? Because challenging "sick" people in a forum for which they feel comfortable is odd to me.  I see that you haven't posted anything other than this post and I'm wondering your true purpose for coming to an alcoholic forum and posting a post that would spur adversity?
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