Why do some people call alcoholism a disease?

Question

If you have Aids and you stop having sex, Aids will still be in your system. If you are an alcoholic and you stop drinking, alcohol will no longer be in your system.

Besides that, most diseases have medication to treat the disease. What do you do to treat alcoholism, take medication? No, you stop drinking, that's how.

A word that is commonly found in the definition of disease is "involuntary". But when you drink alcohol, that is voluntary, not involuntary!

I also believe that many alcoholics will say that they have a disease because that takes some of the responsibility off them so they don't have to be responsible for their actions.

What do you think?

Answer 1

alcoholism is a bad habit that our society has deemed a disease to avoid the reality that we all make choices in what we want to do and how we act. I agree if a disease is involuntary then alcoholism does not fit the bill.

To the nurse who compares alcoholism to diabetes maybe you should check your notes. Just because something is taught a certain way does not mean that it is correct. ALCOHOLISM is more a pattern of bad habit than a disease. That's the reason so many people go back and forth to rehab and still use after they are done. Alcoholism is often used as a coping method. If people learn they have the strength and ability to stop their own bad habits then there might be a lot more recovered alcoholics. Not diseased "One day at a time"ers.

In 1990, the Alcoholic’s Anonymous General Services Office or AA GSO, the governing organization overseeing all “autonomous” meetings, published an internal memo for the employees of its offices. It was an analysis of a survey period between 1977 and 1989. The results were in absolute contrast to the public perception of AA. “After just one month in the Fellowship, 81% of the new members have already dropped out. After three months, 90% have left, and a full 95% have disappeared inside one year!” (Kolenda, 2003, Golden Text Publishing Company) That means that in under a year, 95% of the people seeking help from AA leave the program. While this only speaks for attendance, it has further implications. AA surveyors do not include dropouts in their sobriety statistics, which is a deceptive, if not outright dishonest, practice. Using the AA GSO statistics, and including the program dropouts, the success rate of AA, as a whole “…the total averages of sobriety for the total AA membership become 3.7% for one year [of sobriety], and 2.5% over five years.” (Kolenda, 2003, Golden Text Publishing Company) It’s important to understand that 95% of all substance abuse treatment centers in the United States are 12 step based programs. Thus, the failures of AA, are also the failures of treatment.

Repeated studies have shown that the average person, who could be diagnosed with a substance abuse problem, will discontinue use on their own 20-30% of the time. But, those who are exposed to AA and treatment, and who are taught the disease concept, have a drastically decreased chance of achieving sobriety. While treatment professionals are aware of program failure, governing organizations support and promote the adoption of 12 Step tenets into treatment programs for substance abusers. Families pay tens of thousands of dollars to help their loved ones only to place them in programs that follow guidelines of another failing program. Any program based on a program that fails will inevitably fail. For most, 12 Step has become synonymous with failure.

In contrast, programs that teach control and choice are far more successful than programs that teach the disease concept. While conventional treatment methods result in a 3% success rate after five years, programs that do not teach the disease concept, and instead teach choice, have success rates of 86% after five and even ten years (Baldwin Research Institute 2003).


Why don't you take the time to read an article since you think you know so much more than everyone else. The link is listed.

Answer 2

They call it a disease because it IS a disease. Alcoholics process alcohol differently from nonalcoholics. Look it up; this is pretty settled science.

The fact that it is a disease, however, does not let alcoholics off the hook. Alcoholism can be treated, and that treatment is the responsibility of the alcoholic. Compare it with cancer. A person with cancer isn't thought of as being "responsible" for having a disease . . . but they are certainly responsible for following through with their treatment.

So what is the treatment? Well, as you say, it's abstinence. Many of us need help to remain abstinent--I certainly do (I'm 9 years sober today, btw). That's what AA is for.

Go to an AA meeting sometime. You won't hear a single excuse. What you will hear is people taking responsibility . . .

And to Amy . . . our little "AA doesn't work" friend . . . honey, if AA didn't work, I'd be dead. AA taught me to take responsibility for myself and yes, for my disease. It has not turned me into a zealot or 12 step freak; it's just given me a way of dealing with life that works. And with 9 years in AA, I think I know a little bit more about this than you do.

Answer 3

Wait a minute - you've got some things confused here. First off, when you stop drinking alcohol, it's still in your system. In fact, alcohol is the only thing that can kill you if you stop cold turkey. Don't believe me? Ask anybody who works with drug rehab which is worse - withdrawl from drugs or alcohol. Second, there are drugs to treat alcholoism. You have to put alcoholics on anti-psychotics and sedatives when they're "drying out" or they will go psychotic and/or die. Third, continuing to drink alcohol is not voluntary. Starting to drink is voluntary, but once you're an alcoholic, continuing is not. It's the same as any other addiction. The person wants to stop but can't. They have to get that next drink. Their entire life depends on it. When they try to stop, they feel absolutely terrible and even start hallucinating. Without help, they will die while trying to stop drinking.

The reason we label alcoholism as a disease is not to make people feel like they don't have to take responsiblity for their actions. We label it as a disease because that's what it is. Helping people understand thas is the way we help them help themselves. Think about this: those who are alcoholics and won't admit it are are the people who don't get help and let the disease ruin their lives. Those who admit that they're alcoholics are the ones trying to get help and straighten themselves out. The label alcoholism is not an excuse, it's a tool to help people.

Answer 4

i think a lot of what you are saying holds ground. It is convenient to call it a disease. There is a 12-step program to help alcoholics but there is no cure. Alcoholics will always be alcoholics. they have recovered and are no longer drinking but they still have the disease (according to Alcoholics Anonymous). I am not in AA but a few people really close to me are. They would also say that their drinking is not voluntary. The act of the first drink is but the next bottle of liquor they drink are not. They literally feel as though they cannot stop. As you also said, there are medications to treat the disease. To stop drinking is their treatment, as well as meetings and following the 12 step program. Alcohol is not the disease, alcoholism is. I have been to many meetings and listened to tons of people talk about their experiences with this disease and I have even heard them call it a spiritual disease. The program is very god oriented or finding a higher power to help you regain control of your life. Look up alcoholism is google. You'd be surprised what you'd find. Also, they have tried to make medicine to "cure" alcoholism but none of them have proven effective.

Answer 5

I think that you do not understand the disease process. Alcoholism is indeed a disease, with genetic markers and an identifiable progression. Much like Diabetes or frankly any other disease process. One can be irresponsible and not deal with the disease, this is true of any disease, but that makes it no less a disease process. Just as diabetics must control their dietary intake, so alcoholics have to control their alcohol intake, even more strictly. Just as Diabetes uncontrolled will lead to tissue destruction and eventual death, so also will alcoholism. It is not just a matter of will power, there is a physical component and the addictive urge is most powerful. I suggest that you are lacking in understanding and knowledge, and that you tend towards being judgemental. You may want to take another look at what your opinions are based on.

Answer 6

they call it a disease because once you are an alcoholic you will always be an alcoholic even if you quit drinking. I have went threw this with both of my granparents my mom and now my dad, I have been trying to get my dad to go to AA for about a year now because that is how everyone else kicked the habit. but even after you quit if you ever pick up another drink there is a 95% chance that you will relapse, that is why they call it a disease.

Answer 7

Alcoholism is a form of addiction and this is considered a disorder not a disease. A disease is usually physiological where a disorder is often mental.

Answer 8

I definately agree. My mom's boyfriend is an alcoholic and my mother always tells me "he cant help it, it is a disease" which i think is complete bullsh!t. people just dont want to take the responsibility for their problem. they want to feel like they HAVE to keep drinking. but there are PLENTY of facilities where a person can go to get rid of the "disease."

Alcoholics will put the blame (for many things) on other people a lot.

There is a south park episode that deals with this and it's really funny, by the way. lol

Answer 9

You are spot-on, Alkies love the term disease because it excuses them from personal responsibility. I stopped drinking 20 years ago & understood drinking to be a choice, not an afflication.

Answer 10

Because they don't want to accept the responsibility for their own weaknesses and actions.