Do you consider drug addiction a disease?

[HarryCaray]

I didn't say all alcoholics and addicts do this.

You kinda implied it when you said "I guess my point is two kids can be raised in the exact same environment with the exact same parents and one can choose to cope with one life and the other can cope in a different manner."

I read that as the alcoholic can't cope with life in a regular way, he needs booze to cope.

 

[RenoChazz]

Alcoholism when treated has a success rate of about 5%, when not treated the success rate is also about 5%. What other disease has equal success rate when not treated? Cancer no, but that's not a fair comparison, so how about other mental illnesses like bi-polar? It's not even close, with just about every mental illness, the success rate is noticeably higher with treatment vs no treatment. Not saying it's a choice either. It's chemical IMO and everyone handles addiction different. Serotonin is a hell of a drug, and the more your body creates when you do things, the harder those things are to kick and is probably near impossible for some people.

 

[Bourn]

You kinda implied it when you said "I guess my point is two kids can be raised in the exact same environment with the exact same parents and one can choose to cope with one life and the other can cope in a different manner."

I read that as the alcoholic can't cope with life in a regular way, he needs booze to cope.

Yeah enfuego you did say this which contradicts what you said in another post.

 

[Enfuego]

You kinda implied it when you said "I guess my point is two kids can be raised in the exact same environment with the exact same parents and one can choose to cope with one life and the other can cope in a different manner."

I read that as the alcoholic can't cope with life in a regular way, he needs booze to cope.

Oh, I'm sorry I implied that.

Not what I meant at all. Don't think all that booz are doing it to cope.

 

[Enfuego]

Yeah enfuego you did say this which contradicts what you said in another post.

No, I did not say all boozers and drug addicts drink and do drugs to cope with life.

I was throwing out one pretty specific scenario and in that scenario, the abuser uses to cope.

 

[RenoChazz]

For those that don't know what Serotonin is, it's a drug your body produces to reward you for doing things that are eminent for survival. It's released when you eat, do drugs, or win in gambling. If your body over produces it, it will feel like a matter of survival to do these things. That's how I feel about it.

 

[HarryCaray]

Let me tell you the story of the last time I drank, maybe it will shed some light onto why I feel the way I do about it.

I went to visit an old college girlfriend in Washington DC. Having resigned myself that alcohol had gotten the better of me, I had recently decided I was done for good, or at least for a long while. I hadn't drank a drop in 4 months.

The trip was too much for me too soon, as I gave into the "what harm will one night out really do" mentality.

We went out drinking and watched the Blackhawks game. I remember that they were in the playoffs at the time. Anyway, we both got pretty fucked up. That was my CHOICE.

The next morning, we woke up at 7am. She was hurtin, but nothing that a glass of water, advil, and some breakfast couldn't fix.

I, on the other hand, physically needed a drink. I was shaking, my heart was racing, I was having panic attacks, etc. I was going through withdrawal. After one night of drinking.

So I had some drinks that morning, and I was off to the races again.

This has happened to me so many times I can't even count, where I would quit for awhile and then one night and instantly it's back.

Why is it like that? Why is my body different? I don't choose for that to be the case. I wish more than anything I woke up after one night of drinking with a headache and general fatigue, not raging withdrawal.

That's what being an alcoholic means to me. I don't know if it's a disease but being an alcoholic is certainly not a choice cause no one in their right mind would choose it.

 

[Enfuego]

no, I typed in Google..... Disease Defintion and this comes up....

Dis-ease

a disorder of structure or function in a human, animal, or plant, especially one that produces specific signs or symptoms or that affects a specific location and is not simply a direct result of physical injury.

Guess I would say by this definition, many things are diseases including drugs, drinking, overeating, hoarding.

 

[Illini]

I have no clue if he has a disease. Why I asked the question.

Why don't you just leave the thread if you can't post without being a fucking giant insult?

Let's just agree that Josh Hamilton is never going to be able to enjoy some beers while watching games. Many can, some cannot.

 

[Bourn]

Guess I would say by this definition, many things are diseases including drugs, drinking, overeating, hoarding.

Enjuego can you tell me specifically what part of the human body hoarding affects?

 

[Enfuego]

Let's just agree that Josh Hamilton is never going to be able to enjoy some beers while watching games. Many can, some cannot.

Don't know of anyone that would disagree with you.

 

[DNoonan]

i can't read 10 pages of arguments on this, but if it isnt a disease what is it?

my sis has worked at a methadone clinic in portland and i think you would have a very tough time telling anyone that works in the field that it is not a disease...does that mean there is no personal accountability? in my opinion, no.... but that is not the question

 

[wilbur]

Enjuego can you tell me specifically what part of the human body hoarding affects?

I would think it's a mental disorder, my mother is a hoarder.
And I'm an alcoholic
Noone else in the family drinks to excess other than me.

 

[Enfuego]

I would think it's a mental disorder, my mother is a hoarder.
And I'm an alcoholic
Noone else in the family drinks to excess other than me.

That's what I was going to say.

 

[stale]

Guess I would say by this definition, many things are diseases including drugs, drinking, overeating, hoarding.

Right, 5 yrs from now SMARTEST PERSON IN THE ROOM, will be a syndrome, then determined to be a disease

 

[Bourn]

I can totally understand why people who don't agree with smoking a bunch of crack or drinking themselves into a stupor would not want to classify drug addiction and alcoholism as a disease. Mainly because they don't respect people who do such things to themselves. For example Josh Hamilton. It's almost like if they admit those two things are diseases than that takes responsibility off the individual who is doing said things and then they can't be mad at them. I get it.

 

[RenoChazz]

i can't read 10 pages of arguments on this, but if it isnt a disease what is it?

my sis has worked at a methadone clinic in portland and i think you would have a very tough time telling anyone that works in the field that it is not a disease...does that mean there is no personal accountability? in my opinion, no.... but that is not the question

It is a disease in theory, so it's open for debate IMO. AMA accepts it as a disease, but many doctors don't. A lot of mental illnesses are only diseases in theory, because there's no way to test it, at least not yet. It fits the the description, but there's no hard science that proves it or disproves it.

 

[Bourn]

I would recommend those who haven't read Josh Hamiltons book "Beyond Belief" to read it. If you think Josh Hamilton is an idiot now then wait until you read some of his stories in there. I've seen a lot of shit in my life, but I was reading that book and saying WOW what a crazy lunatic.

 

[RenoChazz]

I can totally understand why people who don't agree with smoking a bunch of crack or drinking themselves into a stupor would not want to classify drug addiction and alcoholism as a disease. Mainly because they don't respect people who do such things to themselves. For example Josh Hamilton. It's almost like if they admit those two things are diseases than that takes responsibility off the individual who is doing said things and then they can't be mad at them. I get it.

I'm not mad, and really don't care what people do to themselves. As long as they don't hurt other people (physically), it's all good.

 

[stale]

I would recommend those who haven't read Josh Hamiltons book "Beyond Belief" to read it. If you think Josh Hamilton is an idiot now then wait until you read some of his stories in there. I've seen a lot of shit in my life, but I was reading that book and saying WOW what a crazy lunatic.

So he no control of his life is your view