Hey all. Something has been on my mind lately and I thought I would share my thoughts and hear some of your opinions.
I hear alcoholism referred to as a disease very frequently and, to be honest, I find it troublesome. I feel as though when framed as a disease it takes on an entirely different meaning. It connotes a physical battle that you conquer through medical care. While there are people who need medical assistance when quitting drinking, many of us don’t physically require this.
In my opinion, it’s more accurate to describe it as a mental condition as opposed to a physical one. We have trained ourselves that alcohol is the answer. Happy, sad, celebrating, frustrated - drink. That is a combination of poor coping mechanisms and societal pressure.
Every person wants to be viewed as normal in some capacity (yes even me and difficult as it is to admit). When drinking is such an integral part of western culture it’s only natural to feel confused and scared when our drinking becomes unmanageable.
My point is this: I feel as though it is dangerous to think of it as a disease because once it is “conquered” it’s easy to reach a point of complacency. Given that these societal pressures and cultural norms are not changing - it’s only a matter of time before those thoughts of “Well maybe I can just have one drink. I beat the disease. I’m cured of alcoholism. Maybe I can drink like a NORMAL person.” creep in.
In any case: I choose to challenge this perspective. For me, sobriety has become a way of life. Alcoholism is not a disease - it’s a lifestyle in which I no longer want to participate. Just like choosing to no longer eat meat. I have the power to live my life in the way I choose and I’m choosing the sober life.
Ahh, semantics are fun. “The modern disease theory of alcoholism states that problem drinking is sometimes caused by a disease of the brain, characterized by altered brain structure and function”. So I am going with disease.
I totally get this thinking and on one hand I absolutely agree…but there is also the other hand too.
I personally think it IS important to label it as a disease for human rights purposes. You wouldn’t fire a person because they said that had been diagnosed with cancer and needed to take time off form work for treatment. I don’t think a person should be fired for declaring that they have a substance abuse and need to take time off for treatment either. I mean, of course it is different if you were not a well functioning employee because of the substance abuse. If you’re stealing from the till to pay for drugs or things such as that of course you can be fired. But I do think there needs to be compassion for those going through mental health issues and they should be allowed to take the time to make themselves better so they CAN be better in other ways too. So in that way it NEEDS to be described as a disease. And there are medical treatments for it, like other diseases.
My concern is those who say “well, its a disease, it isn’t my fault, there’s nothing you can do”…especially when we talk about genetic predispositions.
It is also dangerous to call it “lifestyle” too. It runs the risk of people saying “you made this choice, you’re clearly a loser/failure, I have no use for people like you”. Yes you have chosen to no longer participate in this activity but it isn’t so easy as waking up one day and choosing to not drink. I KNOW you agree with that.
Calling it a disease takes away responsibly and opens doors for money making schemes imo. Its an addiction not a disease its like saying i have a disease called crack cocaineism, tabaccoism or coffeeism lol
I have always looked at alcoholism as a crutch more than a disease. I’m no expert but in my case I looked at it as a failure on my part. I’m with Kane on this one.
I was told years ago, forgot who or where, but was told that they call it a “disease” so it can be covered under health insurance. Bad habits are not covered under Blue Cross… diseases are.
I respectfully disagree. Alcoholism is a disease. (of the body and mind) It’s progressive just like depression can be if left untreated. It can be handed down in our genes (I have 6 family members in recovery) This is all based on research, knowledge, and my experience.
There’s certainly some genetic component to it.
Too many people in my family and the familes of friends of mine suffer problems with alcohol for it to be just pure chance.
In saying that, throwing in nature/nurture, bad social choices, cigarettes and bucket loads of legal and illegal drugs really muddy the waters!
Not much to say here, but I like to think of it more as a mental disorder than a disease. Like “social anxiety disorder”, etc. Probably both genetic and environmental components.
There is a lot of talk and education at my work right now about mental health and definitly substance abuse is being covered everytime. If it isn’t a mental illness on its own then it is a symptom of undiagnosed mental illness. We are self medicating for sure. So many posts here talk about it too.
For me, I think I have ADHD and an anxiety disorder. I’ve never been diagnosed but the more I learn about myself it is clear to me that I was using alcohol to avoid all the things that made me uncomfortable.
I agree with you @VSue and you make a very good point about the dangers of referring to it as a lifestyle. I think in my initial post I downplayed the fact that there are generally untreated issues going on contributing to use of alcohol to self medicate. That was a point that I didn’t successfully communicate. I think that looking at the underlying issues instead of the alcohol use itself is more useful. It should absolutely be covered under insurance and looked upon with compassion.
@Melrm depression is not considered a disease though. Depression is a disorder. The point that I’m trying to make is not that there isn’t an illness present. Just that maybe calling the alcoholism itself a disease keeps people from looking further into why they are using alcohol in the first place. I feel as though it should be classified more in the realm of a disorder than a disease. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evil-deeds/200809/is-depression-disease
I think the biggest issue is stigma. There is so much stigma was substance abuse. You must be a loser if you let it get this bad. You failed. So when it is called a disease people latch on to that and say “It’s not my fault, it’s a disease”. The problem is that in BOTH cases people avoid getting real help.
It sucks.
But the good thing is that WE are ALL here and we ARE getting help for ourselves.
@Sober where is this quote from? Do you have a link?
There are a plethora of disorders that are characterized by altered brain function. Depression for instance. Why then classify alcoholism as a disease instead of a disorder? From what I understand all of the scientific studies haven’t been able to find a singular cause of addiction.
Yes, definitely. I chose to call it a lifestyle because that’s what I’m telling myself. When you stop drinking the result is a lifestyle change. However, I know that I personally have several other (mental health) issues to work on.
To be honest for me it started with cutting. Then cutting led to drinking because it is the most socially acceptable form of self destruction and I got away with my alcoholism 100x easier than my cutting. And I know people drink for different reasons but I guess what I’m saying is that it’s a lot more complex than just slapping the disease label on it.
@Charlesfreck you make a good point with nature v nurture. One could argue that perhaps it is more of the environment and the learned behavior from family members struggling with addiction. There could be a genetic component but so far (to my knowledge) there isn’t any actual science to back that up.
I’ve never liked the disease model of addiction, personally, but I have come to see it as a mental illness. Just like any other mental illness, there is no cure, but it can be managed through the choices we make. Just like I choose to take my medication for depression, I choose not to drink. Both so I can live my life without constantly wanting to die. And be the best person I can be.
@MissQuinn I didn’t say depression is a disease…I said LIKE alcoholism, it is progressive. There is something in on our brains that is different than normal drinkers and alcohol most definately covers up other issues.
" The modern disease theory of alcoholism states that problem drinking is sometimes caused by a disease of the brain, characterized by altered brain structure and function. The American Medical Association (AMA) declared that alcoholism was an illness in 1956."
"Alcoholism as a Disease
Toward the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, addicts were often viewed as morally wrong and even shunned as being bad people or sinners. This type of thinking led many physicians of the time to fight to change common perceptions and try to help addicts instead of punish them. The formation of AA – Alcoholics Anonymous – in the 1930s and the publication of noted psychiatrist and Director of the Center of Alcohol Studies at Yale Medical School E. M. Jellinek’s famous book defining the concept of alcoholism as a medical disease facilitated moving alcoholism into a different light.
Jellinek is often called the father of the disease theory or model of alcoholism. His theory listed alcoholism as having stages that drinkers progressively passed through. These stages are:
Pre-alcoholic phase, which includes social drinking when drinkers often start to develop a tolerance for alcohol and drink to relieve stress or feel betterProdromal phase, also considered the early-alcoholic stage where blackouts begin to occur, the drinker begins to drink alone and in secret, and thinks about alcohol frequently while their alcohol tolerance continues to growCrucial phase characterized by a spiral of out-of-control drinking at inappropriate times and problems with daily life and relationships as well as physical changes to the brain and bodyChronic phase which includes daily drinking, drinking as the main focus of life, health problems cropping up, cravings and withdrawal symptoms, and physical and mental long-term alcohol abuse issues"
So could alcoholism be a disease depending on what level you’re at in your addiction? Maybe it’s not so black and white.
@Melrm Ok I see now that the AMA does have it classified as such but upon reading further (as a previous comment mentioned) it is basically so insurance will cover treatment. I have ZERO problem with this and think it’s pretty awesome actually. BUT as far as the actual scientific evidence is concerned - it’s still just a theory.
There is tremendous social stigma attached to both substance abuse disorders and mental illness. There is hope though! There is a large problem with heroin in the state that I am from and they are taking initiative to make treatment more accessible for people. My hometown actually instated a policy where if you walk into a police station seeking help they will not arrest you for drug possession, they will help you find treatment! Hopefully one day the stigma surrounding these issues will change.
"Like depression, addiction is a real medical disorder that affects the brain. But if we want to reduce the stigma associated with it, emphasizing recovery and resilience is probably more useful than focusing on definitions of brain disease.
To increase the use of effective and non-stigmatizing care, let’s stick to the empirical evidence, not the ineffable."
