is alcoholism really a dis ease or just a behavioral problem?

Answer 1

neither its a lifestyle

Answer 2

My own experience taught me that it can become a dependance at a time when there are other things going on too, like stress, anxiety - all of which are mental illness conditions. The behavioural problems eg. drinking patterns and behaviour whilst under the influence is a sign that the disease has taken hold, I do not believe addictions of any kind can ever be called behavioural problems alone, addiction is a condition of the mind and body and the fact that it has been caused by an external factor (drinking alcohol) it does not alter the fact that the mind and body become ill as a result of this and continue to suffer until the problem is addressed and this in some ways can be compared to other conditions that are not caused via a substance abuse problem, but manifest anyway and cause the same amount of harm, like acute depression for example, this is a condition that can appear in a person either out of the blue or because of some external trigger, but it is still rightly recognised as a disease. I think in some cases the genetic factor comes into play but how I am not sure, I do not think every child of an alcoholic becomes one themselves, I think that we all have our strengths and weaknesses we all react to stress differently and for some theres a trigger for abuse, in others it does not exist, but whether or not it is nature or nurture is something that will be discussed long after our generations have been and gone there are no clear cut answers to that. But for my own experience I would say yes alcoholism is a disease, I suffered from it for several years but I am now well.

Answer 3

One of the difficulties in recognizing alcoholism as a disease is it just plain doesn't seem like one. It doesn't look, sound, smell and it certainly doesn't act like a disease. To make matters worse, generally it denies it exists and resists treatment.

Alcoholism has been recognized for many years by professional medical organizations as a primary, chronic, progressive and sometimes fatal disease. The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence offers a detailed and complete definition of alcoholism, but probably the most simple way to describe it is "a mental obsession that causes a physical compulsion to drink."

Answer 4

Alcohol is a physical addiction as well as a psychological addiction, as are all addictions. It affects ones normal cognitive thinking and disguising itself as being "OK" to the person. Just because it's a "legal" substance does not make it okay if it is used to extremes and on a regular basis. Studies have shown and proved that people who are alcoholics brains atrophy (shrink in size) and you never get that back once it's gone. My brother in law is an alcoholic and now has endstage liver disease (cirrhosis) where the alcohol has "pickled" his liver and now he gets ascites (fluid build up) in his belly. They have to go in and drain it. The last time they collected 3 gallons of the cloudy fluid accumulated in his gut. Now they are saying they will do it no more. He keeps drinking. He keeps getting the ascites and he's dying. Now, if the option of having a drink of alcohol wins out over the option of death, that an addiction. The last time he was in the hospital his DTs were so bad he had convulsions. They even called the family in saying he would not make it. He made it and what did he do when he got home? He made himself a drink.

Answer 5

I think it depends upon the individual. In other words, all people who might be labeled "problem drinkers" don't have a true chemical dependency. Many of the college kids who binge drink on weekends are good examples of people who abuse alcohol (drink to excess, drive while intoxicated, suffer hangovers, etc.) but are not truly chemically dependent...yet. Most of these kids "out grow" their abusive pattern of drinking. On the other hand, some go on to become chemically dependent. Who does and who doesn't become chemically dependent is probably determined in part by genetics and in part by the choices a person makes. The choices are made while the "disease" of chemical dependency hasn't yet fully taken hold. Then, with the right genetic predisposition and with choices that maintain a chemically dependent lifestyle, a person can acquire the full on disease of chemical dependency, also known as alcoholism if the chemical of choice happens to be ethanol. As a rule, when it comes to alcohol, this process usually takes several years, although there are exceptions. So, when you look at college students, the true disease of alcoholism is probably relatively rare, while a behavioral pattern of abusing alcohol on a regular basis is relatively common. Fast forward thirty years and consider the homeless man who has lost everything because of his inability to stop drinking, who spends all of his time seeking, drinking or recovering from the effects of alcohol. He has the disease of chemical dependency. It started with a behavioral pattern of making choices that moved him closer to being chemically dependent. One way of looking at it is that then the chemical "took over" and took away free choice from the person. What was once a fully reversible behavioral pattern of voluntary choices to use alcohol ultimately took on a life of its own and - to some extent - took away free choice. Although most people do not become true alcoholics over night, it appears that some drugs, like methamphetamine for example, do progress much more quickly to "the disease stage". That is, it appears that after just a small number of exposures, a person's free choice might be lost and they then are truly chemically dependent. In other words, the margin of error is extremely small vs. alcohol which usually has a much longer period of use during which a person can simply decide to quit.

Answer 6

Both, just depending on which model you follow.

Alcoholism is a disease if you follow the "medical model" which states that being CD (chemically dependent) is a disease...just not in the truly medical way. Being CD spreads like a disease in the emotional, legal, relationship, and physiological consequences.

But, if you follow a more behavioral model, it is not a disease but a way of looking at yourself and acting out your life.

Good treatment for being CD works on both angles.

Answer 7

I think that addiction is the disease and alcohol is just the substance that is abused.

Some people are just predisposed to try something like alcohol or a drug and something in their brain tells them that it was so good that they need to do it over and over again regardless of the fact that it is ruining their life.

Just because I think that addiction is a disease I don't feel that this gives anyone an excuse to actively abuse anything. Once you figure out that you have the disease you are responsible for controlling it and taking the steps necessary to keep it in "remission".

I know this first hand due to an addiction to drugs that has lead me to recovery. http://www.whatwinnersdo.com is my site where I have documented my addiction recovery.

Answer 8

It is a disease that causes behavioral problems. The disease is called addiction. An addict/alcoholic makes the decision to take their first drink, however cannot control themselves after that. People sometimes say they choose to continue, and they just don't use their will power.

Someone i once knew (a professional) said telling an alcoholic to use their will power to stop drinking after they've taken their drink is like asking anyone else to take a box of ex-lax and use your will power not to take a crap. Its just not possible.

It is a disease, and a very scary one at that.

Answer 9

Two organizations determine if something is a mental disorder, the American Psychiatric Association which places such determination in the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) and the World Health Organization which places its determination in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD).

Yes, alcoholism is a disease in both and treatment is covered by insurance.

Answer 10

experts claim it's a disease, but i never liked the fact that people who have given up alcohol for years still say that they are an alcoholic. i think that at some point it is good to quit labeling oneself. for me the former 'alcoholic' should just say that they don't drink because they know that they will tend to fall back into their old pattern of drinking.

Answer 11

the body can get both physically and mentally dependant on alcohol. sudden withdrawal in someone who is really hooked can be very serious. also, there is a gene that makes people more succeptible to becoming an alcoholic