Addiction or Disease

[ladyjan]

I have a question for you knowledgeable ones out there...?

What makes our alcohol addiction a disease...??

what is the defines the difference between an addiction and a disease

Is it that the effects of our alcohol abuse has caused a permenent chemical inbalance in our brains?

Thus we then have a disease????

But also what defines a disease??

Or are we just lifetime *drug addicts?? but for many in remission..???

(*alcohol being the drug in question here)

and again before any jump up and down "I am not a drug addict"
Alcohol is a drug

Beatle's post struck a chord for me, one that I can relate to,

Yes I am a drug addict, but one in remmision

[Theme2be]

Addiction or Disease

Our "disorder" or "disease" or "addiction" is "real".

I have lived it through experience.

Their are symptoms that shuffles into the category of disease.
Thier are symtoms and angst that categorize as a disorder.

If practicing the disorder/disease it is full blown addiction with stopping by not starting.

I have tried moderation that soon led my life to the point of death.

Recentlty, something in my addiction reasoned with me that it was all figured out.

I came close to death in the shadow of miseries loving of my company again after again and again.

Something unbelievable happened today that if not to ready to hit the sheets, I pray to share must change my course or else the consequence will follow.

However you choose to label it , it wants to label you as one of its own unforgotten, unforgettable and unrelieable.

Don't give in, give it up.

With complete love~

[gyco]

Addiction or Disease

hi lady j,great post,one that has no ending,disease one brot on by ones self,not God made ? not all get as violently sick as i did the 1st time i drank,or by others that drank the same as i did,addiction,we were addicted to al as much as were addicted to keep coming back to here or what ever works for one in are situation,i said it a long time ago,were tot how to do everything in are lifes,but drink ? Alchoholic or Alchoholism al these words have been researched thro the ying yang,theres an old saying when i was in AA,once an alchoholic always an alchoholic,i dont belleive that any more,beleive it or not we have that map rite in front of us,We just have to figure out which diretion we want to go, gyco

[Mish]

Addiction or Disease

ladyjan;966526 wrote: I have a question for you knowledgeable ones out there...?

What makes our alcohol addiction a disease...??

what is the defines the difference between an addiction and a disease
Mish Says:
This is a fabulous thread, ladyjan, and I've done quite a lot of research into these very questions. Here is a brief overview of my findings.

Mish's Answer:
First of all, the prefix "dis"...: many English verbs, nouns, adjectives, with dis
prefixed mean the direct contrary of the simple word; thus, ease, in this instance meaning 'freedom from pain or trouble.' Disease, then, refers to a
condition where there is a lack of physical, mental or emotional ease due to human imperfection.

Addiction is more and more being recognised as a genetic and personality disorder (again, note how dis suggests a lack of order in this particular instance). There are temperament tests also which determine our temperament 'type' which Holding Pattern has discussed on his thread.

Is it that the effects of our alcohol abuse has caused a permenent chemical inbalance in our brains?

Mish's Answer
For me this is a question of which came first, the chicken or the egg? I suffer from ADHD which involves an imbalance of brain chemicals. I have other mental health issues such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Panic Disorder, Clinical Depression, PTSD and so on.

Thus we then have a disease????
Mish's Answer
I certainly have a "lack of ease" about AL. So, yes, I have a disease.

But also what defines a disease??
(See definition above, ladyjan).

Or are we just lifetime *drug addicts?? but for many in remission..???

Yep, it's a lifetime condition, being embedded in the genes.

(*alcohol being the drug in question here)

and again before any jump up and down "I am not a drug addict"
Alcohol is a drug

Beatle's post struck a chord for me,

Yes I am a drug addict, but one in remmision

I'm not sure that remission is a "safe" term. It seems even if we stop drinking altogether for many years, the disease continues to progress (within our genes) without us being aware of it. If you take up drinking again, it's as if you never stopped as to where the disease is in time. Therefore we are never "recovering" or "in remission" or "cured." We're either active or inactive alcoholics.
AL is unbeatable, so I've stopped trying. It's so great to give in to the truth about AL, because only the truth can set you free (John 8:32).

Hope this has helped. Just the results of my own research, but I suggest you never stop looking for yourself so you can make the truth your own.

Every wish for your success,
:h Mish :h

[BradyKelly]

Addiction or Disease

Gyco;966537 wrote: when i was in AA,once an alchoholic always an alchoholic,i dont belleive that any more,beleive it or not we have that map rite in front of us,We just have to figure out which diretion we want to go, gyco

I'm glad to see someone else echo that sentiment. I am not in denial (:H) , but I do believe that my drinking problem is a symptom of something else and not a primary cause.

[Mish]

Addiction or Disease

I disagree, Brady. In my case, I know it's genetic.
However, it's cool to disagree without being disagreeable.

[BradyKelly]

Addiction or Disease

Mishmash;966555 wrote: I disagree, Brady. In my case, I know it's genetic.
However, it's cool to disagree without being disagreeable.

I don't rule out genetics: When I was very young, my mom went through a drinking problem phase, but her mom was diagnosed with depression, where she never was. I don't know whether my gran had a drinking problem or not, but I am diagnosed with anxiety disorder. It seems there is something up on my maternal line, but my mom has been drinking very moderately (a few glasses of a wine a week) for about 30 years since it was last a problem for her, and many of those years she has spent at home, not working.

[ladyjan]

Addiction or Disease

Mishmash;966549 wrote: I'm not sure that remission is a "safe" term. It seems even if we stop drinking altogether for many years, the disease continues to progress (within our genes) without us being aware of it. If you take up drinking again, it's as if you never stopped as to where the disease is in time. Therefore we are never "recovering" or "in remission" or "cured." We're either active or inactive alcoholics.
AL is unbeatable, so I've stopped trying. It's so great to give in to the truth about AL, because only the truth can set you free (John 8:32).

Hope this has helped. Just the results of my own research, but I suggest you never stop looking for yourself so you can make the truth your own.

Every wish for your success,
:h Mish :h


I have a question for you knowledgeable ones out there...?

What makes our alcohol addiction a disease...??

what defines the difference between an addiction and a disease
Mish Says:
This is a fabulous thread, ladyjan, and I've done quite a lot of research into these very questions. Here is a brief overview of my findings.

Mish's Answer:
First of all, the prefix "dis"...: many English verbs, nouns, adjectives, with dis
prefixed mean the direct contrary of the simple word; thus, ease, in this instance meaning 'freedom from pain or trouble.' Disease, then, refers to a
condition where there is a lack of physical, mental or emotional ease due to human imperfection.

Addiction is more and more being recognised as a genetic and personality disorder (again, note how dis suggests a lack of order in this particular instance). There are temperament tests also which determine our temperament 'type' which Holding Pattern has discussed on his thread.

Is it that the effects of our alcohol abuse has caused a permenent chemical inbalance in our brains?

Mish's Answer
For me this is a question of which came first, the chicken or the egg? I suffer from ADHD which involves an imbalance of brain chemicals. I have other mental health issues such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Panic Disorder, Clinical Depression, PTSD and so on.

Thus we then have a disease????

Mish's Answer
I certainly have a "lack of ease" about AL. So, yes, I have a disease.

Or are we just lifetime *drug addicts?? but for many in remission..???

Yep, it's a lifetime condition, being embedded in the genes.

Great & extreemly interesting reply post Mish..:goodjob:
I like the explanaition about disease & disorder, makes lots of sense..

Yep both my parents were alcoholics, my dad once wanted to go to detox, he called me and we went together, but after checking in he was begging me not to leave him a place "like that" he was scared, he was not a weak man quite the opposite, but he only saw the addicts in there and it freaked him out, that he didn't belong in a place "like that"..!!
shame was I went back and got him out.. I should've been stronger and made him stay.
After he was on a merry go round of AD's & sleep tabs (mogadon) his drinking did slow down but he was on the cocktail of meds..
Few years later he moved house and being the charmer that he was got the chemist to refill his meds without the prescription...he was also under his new doc and he prescribed him other meds without knowing he was taking the others..
His drinking had completly stopped but was suffering severe clinical depression, but he wouldn't accept to hear about that from anyone..and my mothers drinking got even worse, (which she eventually died of).
Two years later, one morning he kissed my mum, went downstairs and there was an almighty bang..
shotgun in his mouth and blew his head off...my mum found him....!

I know this is a bit off the track of this thread, but the relavance of being genetic disease for me is true, I just thank god I have stopped.
Strange tho both my adult children don't touch alcohol or any other drug, they tell me they have seen the distruction it has caused, with my parents and first hand experience with me, they hate alcohol with avengance,and how could they possibly believe it gives great pleasure, it is just vile and murderous. Their words !

[Mish]

Addiction or Disease

I commend your children for their stand, but see why with the trail of destruction AL has left in their family.
BIG HUGS
Mish

[Cinders]

Addiction or Disease

Here is an interesting link I found:

Two forms of alcoholism: One which warrants a chronic disease model, and college | Psychology Today

I think it really doesn't matter what we call "it." "It" kills many of us. 40% mortality rate.

The fact that some people can stop and go on to moderate, etc, is irrelevant.

Some of us can't. We have to live our lives with the knowledge that the first drink we take again may lead us to the last breath we take.

Cindi

[Tabbers (a.k.a. KTAB)]

Addiction or Disease

Oh Jan I am so sorry about your dad, I cant imagine the absolute horror of living through something like that.

[gyco]

Addiction or Disease

hi all,see this is an interesting thread,again as drinkers or drug users in more ways then one,it comes down to ,ones own research,but b4 you can research,the fog has to clear ? mish i to beleive,it has a lot to do with genetics,not totally,only from my own research, we dont have to do what we do,why is it such a great thing to get totalled,numb,sadated i dont have to go on ? cause society will put up with it till it gets out of hand,and family, they have no idea how to treat it, as we do it here,whether your totally abstaining or hopefully moderating in some way or another,you have to come up with the answer ? gyco

[Gaia]

Addiction or Disease

Nice question, LJ.

Also, so sorry to hear about your parents. That must have been a terrible thing to be around as you were growing up, and good for you for breaking the chain. Ollie will be lucky to have a strong mum like you.

I have a hard time calling it a disease, because drinking is a choice, but I do feel like I am in remission. Recovery is too permanent - I will never recover, but only keep the problem under control like cancer in remission. Early Full Remission is the term. It means full abstention for a period of time until a year, I think, when the term changes to Sustained Full Recovery. If you take a drink during this time, it changes from "full" to "partial". Here is a summary from the new edition of the DSM. "Agonist" means taking medication:

Substance Abuse Disorders

• With and Without Physiological Dependence

• Early Full Remission (1-11 months no Dependence or Abuse), Early Partial Remission (1-11 months no Dependence, but Abuse), Sustained Full Remission (12 months with no Dependence or Abuse), Sustained Partial Remission (12 months with no Dependence, but Abuse)

• On Agonist Therapy, In A Controlled Environment

• Dependence, Abuse, Intoxication, Withdrawal

• With Dementia, Amnesia, Psychotic With Delusions, Psychotic With Hallucinations, With Mood, With Anxiety, With Sex, and With Sleep

• Alcohol, Amphetamine, Caffeine, Cannabis, Cocaine, Hallucinogen, Inhalant, Nicotine, Opioid, Phencyclidine, Sedative/Hypnotic/Anxiolytic, Polysubstance, Other or Unknown

[Gaia]

Addiction or Disease

Sorry to inform you but I am addicted to caffeine!

[Mrs Donovan]

Addiction or Disease

BradyKelly;966589 wrote: I don't rule out genetics: When I was very young, my mom went through a drinking problem phase, but her mom was diagnosed with depression, where she never was. I don't know whether my gran had a drinking problem or not, but I am diagnosed with anxiety disorder. It seems there is something up on my maternal line, but my mom has been drinking very moderately (a few glasses of a wine a week) for about 30 years since it was last a problem for her, and many of those years she has spent at home, not working.

Interesting thread.

This is exactly my story Brady....my mum has depression from losing her mother at a young age. She wouldn't ever admit to depression but she has a drink problem and still does.

I have 2 young children and they will be able to say the same as you when they're older (Mum went through a drinking problem phase when we were young, her mum was a problem drinker)

The difference is I know I cannot moderate and my husband rarely drinks so I hope to God that my two grow up not seeing Alcohol as a crutch.