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Its a habit the same as smoking. IMO a disease is not something the person where a person makes a choice.The reason many do it is they frankly like it ;just like smoking.
Disease or bad genes, I believe there is a physical reason for many addictions. In my opinion, no one WANTS to be enslaved to an addiction. Why would they?
Of couser no one wants or INTENDS to be, but sometimes end up that way anyway.
Of couser no one wants or INTENDS to be, but sometimes end up that way anyway.
For some people, yes, I think addictions are a habit.
For others, addictive behaviors are ways of self medicating depression, anxiety, bipolar, schizophrenia, paranoia, etc. I consider those to be physical conditions- diseases, if you will. Why do I think so? Because I can't see any reason for someone to 'pretend' to be depressed, anxious, etc. They are such destructive behaviors.
For some people, yes, I think addictions are a habit.
For others, addictive behaviors are ways of self medicating depression, anxiety, bipolar, schizophrenia, paranoia, etc. I consider those to be physical conditions- diseases, if you will. Why do I think so? Because I can't see any reason for someone to 'pretend' to be depressed, anxious, etc. They are such destructive behaviors.
I agree one hundred percent. I have seen to many people close to me lose everything in their life due to addictions. Trust me if it were nothing but a choice. These people would have stopped the slide years ago. I also know of three people to die very early from alchoholism. Everyone of them had sclerosis of the liver from alcoholism. All three of them were told by the doctor. Simple quit and live, continue to use and die. One of them was a thirty year old girl. Wasn't even physically showing yet, she could have salvaged her life. Instead, she could not bear to live without alcohol. She chose to drink and ultimately she died six months later. She had two kids and a loving husband. If that is not a disease than I dont know what is. Another person at 35 died. Good support system around him. Another one at 40 something. All had choices. Quit and live. Or, continue to drink and die.
It's funny someone is told they have cancer and no one disputes. Because with such a disease comes something physical which we see with our own eyes. Alcoholism doesn't show up with bumps, bruises or such. It is a disease of the mind and soul. This is what makes it so hard for people to accept. Trust me. Where I have grown up. I have seen prom queens become crack addicts and go from someone who could have been anything, to five dollar prostitutes. It is a disease that shaves away your soul. And people do it because they are in pain for some of the many already mentioned posts. Trust me, it is a disease. It is not a cop out or excuse. The excuse can only be made for someone when they stop, then go back to it. Even that scenario can sometimes be excused for certain justifiable reasons in which I will not go into. Until one gets help though, they are not at fault.
Consider it like an alergy. An alergy in a reverse sort of way. Once you do it your ability to stop is lesser than your desire to continue. For those who use ciggarettes to support that anyone can stop, hence, it is not an addiction. Let those who quit ciggarettes have another ciggarette and see if they put it down right away. They will be off and running. They only stay stopped because they dont pick up. If it wasn't an addiction they would not have to substain entirely. They could use every so often without becoming addicted. Not to say that some dont, they are called people with a habit, which can be confusing for those with addictions. There are differences.
I don't think there's any question that some people are more vulnerable to becoming addicted if they start some addictive activity than other people. I believe this is both genetic and possibly environmental.
Two sons of alcoholics were roommates (both friends of mine). Same age, one putting himself through Harvard with a fabulous single mother behind him, one drinking himself to death working in a mail room while he was suing his mother for money she stole from him in an inheritance. Drunken guy used to whine, "I'm genetically vulnerable," while other guy said, "There's nothing in genetics that makes you take a left into the Blue Star Lounge."
Both men prone to depression. Drunken guy died at 28 from brittle diabetes/drinking/smoking. Other guy got an MBA, became famous for New Orleans flood rescues, is a great father and a bitter divorced guy who became depressed with his marriage's end.
Data points.
I also have trouble with the "disease" phrasing. For what it's worth, in my state, insurance will no longer pay for in-patient detox for cocaine, speed, meth, MJ, or other things that don't cause physical addiction needing medical help to safely detox. However, it is "dual diagnosis," and people can be admitted if they are also suicidal or such, but insurance is being very wary of non-physically addicting addictions. For instance, you cannot be admitted for, say, compulsive gambling.
Its a habit the same as smoking. IMO a disease is not something the person where a person makes a choice.The reason many do it is they frankly like it ;just like smoking.
OK as an ex-smoker I have to ask. Do you really think people "like" smoking? They might think they do but I am fairly sure what they "like" is the fix they get when they light up and suck in that chemical laden smoke into their throat and lungs. Smoking is far from a habit, it is a drug addiction. Withdrawl is real and it isn't particularly pleasant.
I don't care what you call it. Alcoholism is a condition which occurs in only about 10% of the population and those who have it can't get rid of it and those who are not physiologically predisposed to get it never ever will.
Drugs are different. Anybody can become a drug addict. Pump 100 people with drugs every day for 30 days and let them live in the Drug Hotel. At the end of 30 days withdraw the drug. They all withdraw from the drug as they are all addicted. Now pump them up with that drug again, such as meth, cocaine, heroin, pharms, etc. The craving goes away. Drugs are different than alcohol. Anybody can be an addict. Anybody can be a non-addict too. Get off your drug and just choose to never "use" again. Good luck with that, but there ya go. Maybe go to a couple of NA or CA meetings if you need. Maybe go to them for the rest of your life, but since all y'all in here think it's all a choice, just choose to stay "clean". Get a house plant and a dog and try to keep them both alive, or whatever they do.
Now, the alcoholic. Not everybody is an alcoholic, so not everybody has to worry about becoming one. Any foo can drink 8 drinks too fast, drive from the bar and get arrested for DUI. You don't have to be an alky to do this. You could be a social or normal drinker and just drink too much and use bad judgement, or you could be a hard drinker who drinks too much which is normal for them because they like to get drunk... and used bad judgement and blew it. But the alky, depending on his/her stage of drinking may make it home and they may not. A good alky who knows to not stop drinking while they drive home probably makes it home unless they get randomly stopped. It's the abrupt separation from alcohol that causes them to fall apart. An alcoholic is not an addict; they are an alcoholic. Before the term was popularized and eventually became the name of a book, Alcoholics Anonymous, then subsequently a 12-Step program, alkies were called inebriates. This ummmm.... allergy was found to be both mental and physical.
Explain the physical nature of alcoholism and then tell me how it's a choice. Now let's go back to Druggie Hotel, but change the name to Alcohol Hotel. Take one hundred people at random and stick them in Alcohol Hotel. Feed them booze for 30 days. Then tell them all, you're free to leave. 90 people will run over themselves to leave. 10 will want to sign a 20 year lease. Take the booze away from those 10. They withdraw, bigtime. Then give them more booze. The craving increases. Whoa! What happened? Alcoholism is different.
The most successful program for recovering Alcoholics is AA. You can dissect and bash this program and their use of a "Higher Power" all you want, but it works. It works for alcoholics who both really need it and even better, really want it. If they're lucky, they find a program that actually does steps and the accountability for the alcoholic is right there in that program and within that group of people and when/if they get it, they're asked to share that experience with the next suffering alcoholic.
Now alcoholism is a huge field which makes a lot of money for a lot of people; doctors, nurses, lawyers, judges, auto repair/auto body shops, counsellors, shrinks, cops, probation/parole officers, morticians, etc. But in AA, they say thanks be to God. How do you charge money for a Spiritual Experience?
If some of you simple-minded people who can't get your brains on what I just said, try figuring out how AA has survived so well for so long, since 1935. Look at the 12 Traditions they follow and see some real paradoxes of life right there. It's like they took the bible and started putting it to practical use.
For me, it's been 5 years, 1 month, and so many days and counting. Oh, and I quit smoking cigarettes a few years back and about a year ago, I quit chewing Copenhagen! Tobacco! Piece of cake! I'm now addicted to coffee. So sue me.
Add: You know, they've done a lot of studies with seratonin and dopamine and thiq and all this stuff. Who cares what it is? The bottom line is that they cannot and probably never will find a cure for alcoholism. But back in 35' they found a way out, regardless of Modern Day Science! Trip on that one! Now, as far as AA and Higher Power and stuff; it serves to change the way a person thinks and acts! So what more do you want? They are told they are Power-less... over the booze and their inability to
Control the intake once they start to drink... usually after about 2 or more good drinks, and
The inability to stay away from booze once they've stopped.
So what does AA give them? Personal responsibility... for their sobriety. They must go to meetings. They must do steps. They must drink the lousy coffee. They must seek God as if their life depended on it. They must get up and give their experience strength and hope, they must recover! Then if they do that, they not only straighten up, but they come to work with a new attitude and try to give that away to others. They get honest, put their resentments, fears, and harms done to others on paper in writing, confess it to someone, beg God to take that behavior away from them, then go to those they've harmed and clean up the wreckage! Tell me you want to dog 12-Step now!
Actually, I think some people are predispositioned for cancer and other "innocent" diseases. Maybe if they weren't so negative and stern and had a little faith, maybe they COULD pray their disease away. Who knows? Surely not you genius' on this here debate forum.
I would LOVE to think that Alcoholism and Drug habits are not diseases but unfortunately having lived with an Alcoholic/Drug addict I can only tell you that it sure appeared to be a disease to me. What I went through is way too lengthy to describe but what I will tell you is that I saw this man drink for 30 days non stop and then on day 31 shake so badly I thought he would die on the spot. He could NOT stop and has not stopped so I left him 30 years ago and never looked back.
Anytime you have something in your body that feels and seems to be out of control with no way to stop it, it is considered a disease, mis-fire, call it what you will but it just isn't right. The way we are raised, the way other people treat us, our family history, our parents, our lifestyles as adults all of it effects who we are and what we turn out to be. Some people are strong enough to right all the wrongs in their lives and some are not...those of us who are able to keep ourselves on the straight and narrow need to develop more tolerance for those who can't and if you find yourself in a bad situation with an Alcoholic/Drug Addict who IS SICK, and refuses to get help then walk away.
Sometimes we as humans seem to forget that there is not a single, solitary one of us who is perfect and for any of us to become that "Right Fighter" who would "puke" at something like blaming Alcoholism/Drug Addiction on being a disease needs to look at their own weaknesses and decide if perhaps what they have is the disease of maybe being OCD with regard to trying to be perfect.
Can you provide me with some data on that fun fact?
There ARE no data to support the chemical-imbalance theory of mental disorders; that's exactly what I mean. Of course the absence of evidence does not equal evidence of absence, but in 35 years of laboring under the chemical imbalance theory, nobody has been able to quantitatively support it in any meaningful way.
Example: I once saw two articles on facing pages in The Family Therapy Networker. The article on the left said, We now have proof that schizophrenics have fewer dopamine receptors than other people, because 30% of the schizophrenics we tested have fewer dopamine receptors than control subjects. This means that 60% of the schizophrenics tested have the same number of receptors as anyone else, but they still have schizophrenia. Hello? It also didn't say how you count the dopamine receptors, which leaves a hole big enough to drive a truck through. They could only be counting active/functioning receptors, for instance. If you'reusing the wrong counting method you might find out later on that schizophrenics have as many receptors as anyone, but they're gummed up with something. On and on. All kinds of unaddressed possibilities, basically a very flawed study. The article on the right said in a much bigger study than the receptors one, a different set of researchers found that regardless of diagnosis, the main factor determining success in treatment was how well a psychiatric patient engaged with his or her therapist. They looked at everything -- the meds the patients were on, length and intentity of treatment, modality of treatment, age, blah blah blah. And if they didn't really click with the therapist, they didn't get better, period. So in that sense it IS all about chemistry.
Here's how it works in practice:
Ask your doctor sometime for a blood test to determine whether your brain chemistry is out of balance to determine whether you have a mental disease. S/He won't be able to give you one; there is no such test.
The doc can only determine if you're mentally ill by interviewing you and deciding whether or not you fit the DSM criteria for any mental disorder. Good luck here, too, because there is so much overlap between DSM syndromes and so little training in differential diagnosis that even some psychiatrists don't know the difference between, for instance, recurrent Major Depression and Bipolar Disorder. And it seems sometimes that there are only about 6 people on earth who know the difference between Bipolar Disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder.
Regardless of the diagnosis made, the only way to treat a given mental disorder -- medically -- is to try likely-looking meds and see if they work. Some docs say without shame that if mood stabilizers work better on this person's depression than antidepressants, well then I must have been wrong and this guy is Bipolar, even if there's a good history in place and this guy has never had a manic symptom in his life. Many people with zero psychotic symptoms respond well only to anti-psychotics, and nobody really knows why. One psychiatrist I know prefers to simply diagnose everyone who comes in with Bipolar Disorder + ADD, because -- he said this to me -- it gives him the widest array of medication options, regardless of the person's symptoms.
Man, I really am blathering today. Sorry everyone.
Without a thyroid it could potentially make it near impossible for her to lose weight. True some people are fat because they want to be, but not everyone is overweight because they're lazy, that is just asinine.
Where did I say that everyone who is overweight is lazy? Please quote my post where I state that.
As far as her not being able to lose weight even if she exercises, does that mean she should just sit around and get fatter? There are far more benefits to exercise than simply weight loss.
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Alcoholism, Drug Habits Not a "disease"
