Do You Believe that Addiction is a Disease

[Hope]

Trust me, I know I'm no where close to understanding all the intricacies of it, and I'm coming up on 2 years.

My girlfriend has 14 years sobriety, and is actually starting to question the whole disease model for a few reasons.

As I said, I still feel that it is. Trying my best not to be offended by people in here claiming it isn't when they are not afflicted with it.

Devils advocate though: online shopping, anorexia, other compulsions can be addictive. Would you call that a disease?

For me, addiction = obsession and compulsion leading to spiritual, mental, and physical decay. Obsession = that fixed idea taking me back to that ease I once knew. Compulsion = the physical actions of continuing to act on obsession despite consequences. Disease = "dis and ease". Drugs fit that description.

So I'm not using drugs, but I can obsess and act out on those obsessions in ways that will land me in jail, hospitals, or homeless clean. But I accept who I am, identify with other recovering addicts, so I accept the solution, otherwise, the old attitudes and behavior pop up, and who knows what's next.

But I don't talk about my feelings, emotions, and thoughts too too many people outside of recovery. With family and regular friends it's more surface and we hang once in a blue. Otherwise i'll be confused again, end up homeless or in hospital, and none of those motherfukkers will visit me. lol.

Anything that will have me suffer then die is a disease to me. Thinking I was cured at 3 years clean, then relapsing for a few years, was a huge mistake. God willing never again, a day at a time.

 

[BelowTheMasonDixon]

I'm just letting yall know is alcoholism is no joke. If I could go back in time I wouldn't drink none of that shyt. That shyt is a richeous downer. and once you are down. its hard to get back up again. Alcohol is really a weird ass drug. you can be happy and then within a few hours you can be sad as fukk.

 

[BelowTheMasonDixon]

I'd never encourge a young man to drink. weed use to fukk me up. but alcohol is some whole other shyt. that shyt have you in your feelings.

 

[Seedz]

Thinking it's about will power is a dangerous thing for an addict, which a non addict could never understand. Thinking it's about will power is what keeps an addict using and relapsing.

In fact, I believe one must let go of all will power, in order to realize they are powerless over it. Only then can you have a chance.

My opinion and experience.

 

[notPsychosiz]

An addict would not be able to stop without help of other people, a higher power, or both. So that willpower thing makes no sense, unless you mean "motivation" or "desire to stop using".

Drug abuse, misuse, and addiction are three separate things in medical terms. There are several symptoms (observable measures) to drug addiction. There are even signs (physical and concrete).

If you believe that no one stops using drug gambling or overeatting, or whatever else without help from others you are extremely misinformed.
Many people quit doing those things on their own. Others believe they cannot.

The only difference is willpower.

A person of extreme willpower cannot become addicted at all. A person with high willpower can quit anything they become addicted to. A person of mild willpower may require help. A person of low willpower will relapse, and a person with no willpower cannot be helped.

Quite simple.

 

[Tunez]

This needs more explanation or else I can't really take it serious.

You need self control

 

[Hope]

The only difference is willpower.

A person of extreme willpower cannot become addicted at all. A person with high willpower can quit anything they become addicted to.

Well they aren't "addicts" then. And like I said in my earlier post, willpower is the wrong word here.

 

[notPsychosiz]

It's subjective. Addiction affects people on different levels and in different forms depending upon life experiences, environment, genetics, etc.

For example, alcoholism, some people are more genetically predisposed to becoming alcoholics than others, and with that, full blown alcoholism is a form of chemical dependancy of which treatment would involve medication and harm reduction, because once you're at that point you can't just up and quit because alcohol withdrawals can be fatal.

Opiates, depends on the quantity/potency. There's a difference between popping pills and shooting dope up. People can(and often do) become addicted to pills, but when you start, it's still up to your willpower to not do it on a reg basis where it becomes a habit, then addiction. Heroin on the other hand, you only gotta shoot that shyt up one time and you're addicted, like your body's on chemical dependancy level off jump. Either way once you're addicted to opiates, that's chemical dependancy that is usually treated by medication. Some of those medications turn into other addictions though.

Meth can also cause a chemical dependancy quickly. But about everything else would be pretty much be about will power. There's people who can sniff coke/smoke rocks while partying on the weekend and still keep a job. It depends on the individual. Everything has withdrawal symptoms, even weed and caffiene. Some are just barely there and don't last long while others can affect you for life physically and mentally

Fking nonsense.
The cure for alcoholism is not 'medication and harm reduction' its removal of alcohol.

Anything that requires continual user input is not a disease.
Alcoholism requires alcohol, Porn addiction requires porn, Obesity requires food, etc. These are not real diseases.
Alone in a room without those stimulants you simply lead life devoid of them. Those things evaporate from your life and you are reduced to a person that simply wants things they cannot have. You do not have a disease anymore than a child at a grocery store crying because they can't have candy.

You know what happens to a person with cancer alone in a room?
They STILL have all the symptoms of cancer... Cause its a real fking disease.

Bunch of new age pussies. Get some self control.
You wanna quit drinking? Stop going to Alcoholics meetings and go to a meeting for people with a real disease like Sarcoidosial Meningitis or something and see if your "I got so drunk" story doesn't get you cold stares from dying people. Go google image search 'accute vasulitis' if you wanna know what a disease looks like. They don't sell that shyt at the liquor store next to the 40 ounces... cause NOBODY is willingly gonna panhandle all day to re-up on thier dose of that shyt. Trust me.

 

[Seedz]

I think the disease is not referring to the act of continuously picking up a drink, that to me would be the obsession. The disease part is the alcoholic who does pick up the drink can absolutely not control how many more he/she will drink.

I could stop drinking for days or even weeks at a time. I would obsess about it, but I could stop. However, once I decided to pick up that first drink I absolutely COULD NOT just decide to stop. It is no longer about will power at this point.

 

[Another Man]

Fking nonsense.
The cure for alcoholism is not 'medication and harm reduction' its removal of alcohol.

Anything that requires continual user input is not a disease.
Alcoholism requires alcohol, Porn addiction requires porn, Obesity requires food, etc. These are not real diseases.
Alone in a room without those stimulants you simply lead life devoid of them. Those things evaporate from your life and you are reduced to a person that simply wants things they cannot have. You do not have a disease anymore than a child at a grocery store crying because they can't have candy.

You know what happens to a person with cancer alone in a room?
They STILL have all the symptoms of cancer... Cause its a real fking disease.

Bunch of new age pussies. Get some self control.
You wanna quit drinking? Stop going to Alcoholics meetings and go to a meeting for people with a real disease like Sarcoidosial Meningitis or something and see if your "I got so drunk" story doesn't get you cold stares from dying people. Go google image search 'accute vasulitis' if you wanna know what a disease looks like. They don't sell that shyt at the liquor store next to the 40 ounces... cause NOBODY is willingly gonna panhandle all day to re-up on thier dose of that shyt. Trust me.

If its all in your mind then explain full blown alcoholics who have went into seizures and shyt then died from withdrawls. Im telling you a chemically dependant alcoholic cant just quit cold turkey but since you seem to have all the answers ill just let you cook

 

[Seedz]

I'm not sure why people need to compare everything and be offended. Like if you call alcoholism or addiction a disease it's somehow disrespecting all other diseases.

I know a woman who is alcoholic and going through chemotherapy. She claims both 'diseases' have taken her to horrific bottoms.

I'll take her word for it.

 

[Rawtid]

Not a disease, addiction is controllable

Diabetes is a disease and it's controllable and reversible.

 

[Another Man]

I'm not sure why people need to compare everything and be offended. Like if you call alcoholism or addiction a disease it's somehow disrespecting all other diseases.

I know a woman who is alcoholic and going through chemotherapy. She claims both 'diseases' have taken her to horrific bottoms.

I'll take her word for it.

Im saying, ive seen people completely in the bottle to the point theyre shaking and in pain and shyt. Alcoholism is real and not just mental issue. Dude acts like theres no such thing as chemical dependency or something. Alcohol is definitely one of those things where the more frequently you do it, the more it bioaccumulates in your body to the point where your body takes it as something it needs to function

 

[Seedz]

Im saying, ive seen people completely in the bottle to the point theyre shaking and in pain and shyt. Alcoholism is real and not just mental issue. Dude acts like theres no such thing as chemical dependency or something. Alcohol is definitely one of those things where the more frequently you do it, the more it bioaccumulates in your body to the point where your body takes it as something it needs to function

Well yes, his opinion that it's not a disease is one thing, but I hope he isn't denying that people who are extremely dependent on alcohol can die from withdrawals. That's a certified fact.

 

[SheriffOG]

All addictions are based on the individual, usage of whatever substance / action to fill a void they have within them.

Fix your shyt don't blame the vice I say.