What about the Mel Gibson meltdown? Is alcoholism really a disease, or only a character flaw?

Question

Informed people want to know.

Answer 1

It is a disease that highlights your character defects.

Answer 2

It is definitley a disease. I don't have any links or statistics, I think the other people have that covered. But I do know for a fact it is a disease. Alcohol is also a depressant. So you may get drunk and feel great but eventually you will become depressed. I have seen this within friends as I'm sure most people who read this have. So Mel Gibson might have been suffering from that as well.

Answer 3

its not a disease, its a habit like smoking, by the way Mel is suffering right now and he cant control himself, just because he says crazy things when hes drunk dosnt mean hes an anti semite. I quit drinking 15 yrs ago and i said every word in the planet when i was drunk. If he swore and said white trash piece of &^#@ it would not be a racial issue. The net makes fun of asians all day and nothing. But certain groups are so paranoid about themselves they call it racism or bigotrey. So we have to walk on eggshells around them so we dont offend. No i dont think mel hates jews too

Answer 4

It is a disease, but character can affect it a little. I remember reading that there might be a genetic reason for it. Below are links to the general wikipedia article, an article on the debate about alcoholism as a disease, and an article about a possible genetic link.

Answer 5

Alcoholism is a disease. If one of your parents are an alcoholic you have a 65% chance of becoming an alcoholic. If both your parents are alcoholics you have an 85% chance of becoming an alcoholic.

Answer 6

His alcohol level was .12 and the driving limit .08, so physically he wasn't that drunk. Something else seems to have contributed to his incident.

Answer 7

flaw