How is Alcoholism a disease?

Question

Can it be transmitted from person to person? Will I catch it!?

So is smoking a disease? I'm just curious, I'm not sure what constitues a disease.

Answer 1

Like heart disease, MS, osteo-arthritis and a huge number of other diseases - it's not transmissible as a VIRAL or BACTERIAL illness is. There is an ever growing body of scientific evidence to suggest that certain individuals have a genetic predisposition to this disease. I suffer from an illness called Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: again this disease is NOT transmissible individual-to-individual but science has recently identified that my own individual genetic make up had predisposed me to fall ill with CFS. Do you get it now? In sum, a disease doesn't need to be contaigeous to be a disease.

Hey look, someone on here has God on his speed-dial :
"so if doctors or anyone else tells you that it is a disease, then it is against Gods Law".

This is the sort of person who is best left living alone on a deserted island. They are far tooooooo ignorant and dangerous to be let out in public places.

Answer 2

If this could be answered the way you are looking for it to be answered we would probably be able to better treat it.
It is a medical disease. Maybe the physical addiction comes first, or maybe the psychological does but either way an alcoholic ends up with both. As does a drug addict. They are both classified as people with addictive personalities.
My brother was an alcoholic. At an early age he started drinking and initially it was to get drunk. He moved on from this stage to needing to drink so he didn't shake, have a headache, be nauseated, etc.
A couple of years before he was killed he was hospitalized and within 48 hours he was having DT's which is the physical addiction rearing its ugly head. There were several days the Drs weren't sure Paul would survive and it would have been his alcohol withdrawal that killed him not the infection he also had. Alcohol addiction is not contagious the way a cold is but it is definately genetically predisposed. My grandfather had twin brothers who were alcoholics, my aunt (his daughter) was as well as one of her cousins on the same side, my cousins (her son and daughter) were, my brother was.
It is a huge problem in this country and it needs to be researched and a "cure" looked for just as hard as a cure for any other disease is looked for. If a cure were already found my brother would still be with me. He would have been 37 in Jan, he was 31 when he was killed because he made a very bad choice he never would have made if in a sober mind.
If you have relatives who are alcoholics or addicts to any other chemicals you do need to be mindful of your increased risk of also becoming an addict. And the easiest way to avoid a problem is to totally avoid addictive substances. You can not become an alcoholic if you don't drink nor can you become a drug addict if you never ingest the drug to begin with.
Hope this helps and good luck.
\K
K

Answer 3

It has been given status as a disease by the American Medical Association for a few decades now. Yes, it is a disease that can be fatal. There is no cure but there are many interventions available to try controlling the alcoholic patterns.
There are studies being made to find DNA evidence that there is in fact a genetic link, but as far as I know there is no confirmed results to date. It is however known that there is a familial pre-disposition to this disease.

Answer 4

No you can't catch it, I have a family member that is a recovered alcoholic, she relasped over five years ago and attempted suicide, then went into a thirty day treatment center, hasn't touch a drop since all that, but cigarettes took the place of that, which now she would like to stop smoking, so she will be taking a new drug for that in the next month...

Answer 5

Alcoholism Is a disease b/c u can pass it to u children...& b/c Alcohol is one of those drugs that usually once u start & you get enough of it in ur system u can't stop...AKA making it uncontrolable, & half the time u don't really know that u are doing it....I mean like drinking to much, or that u can't stop drinking until it is to late...making it a disease.

Answer 6

No you won't catch it. Many diseases can't be transmitted (like Diabetes and most forms of Cancer). It's a disease because of what it does to your body, e.g., Liver, and kidneys. It progresses through stages as well.

Answer 7

No, it is not a disease, because you have a choice to use it or not to use it, and you do if you are one. The bible condemns over drinking and intoxication, so that is my authority. In Acts 5:29 We must obey God as ruler rather than men, so if doctors or anyone else tells you that it is a disease, then it is against Gods Law......A little wine is for rejoicing, but too much is no Good for you.....KECK

Answer 8

hey u just answerd my wuestion about if guys liek big boned girls...well there is such a thing as big boned ppl ok there r diff body tipes u could look at my stomich and its not flabby its skinny and iam not flabby at all just to let u know couse my doctor told me and NO smoking isnt a disease

Answer 9

they say it can be passed thru genes, but you must be kidding when you ask can you catch it like its the flu!

im not sure this is a real question.

if this is real and you really want more info email me, i have been an alcohalic for 14 yrs in recovery so i know a few things!!!

Answer 10

you just might, if you get too close to someone who has it

bad habits rub off easily