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Is alcoholism a disease?

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  • 21-07-2013 10:53pm
    #1
    Karl Stein
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,689 ✭✭✭


    I'll hold fire on this issue until people have voted because I don't want to influence the outcome.

    Is alcoholism a disease? 588 votes

    Yes
    0% 0 votes
    No
    50% 298 votes
    Atari pisshead.
    49% 290 votes


«134567…25

Comments

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    #2
    Amirani
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,522 Mod ✭✭✭✭Amirani


    Yes. It's a mental health problem.


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    #3
    cometogether
    Registered Users Posts: 588 ✭✭✭cometogether


    Yes, without a doubt. Amazes me how people claim that it isn't, in their opinion. You can't have an opinion on that, in the same sense you can't have an opinion on the distance between Cork and Dublin


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    #4
    drunkmonkey
    Registered Users Posts: 28,120 ✭✭✭✭drunkmonkey


    What do you consider alcoholism?


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    #5
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 6,025 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    As per Wiki...

    The modern disease theory of alcoholism states that problem drinking is sometimes caused by a disease of the brain, characterized by altered brain structure and function. The American Medical Association (AMA) had declared that alcoholism was an illness in 1956. In 1991, The AMA further endorsed the dual classification of alcoholism by the International Classification of Diseases under both psychiatric and medical sections.


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    #6
    Karl Stein
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,689 ✭✭✭Karl Stein


    drunkmonkey wrote: »
    What do you consider alcoholism?

    I guess when a person's drinking is severely diminishing their quality of life.


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    #7
    drunkmonkey
    Registered Users Posts: 28,120 ✭✭✭✭drunkmonkey


    Cathal Cloch wrote: »
    I guess when a person's drinking is severely diminishing their quality of life.

    So when they can't afford it and are not enjoying it?


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    #8
    Karl Stein
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,689 ✭✭✭Karl Stein


    Jake1 wrote: »
    The modern disease theory of alcoholism states that problem drinking is sometimes caused by a disease of the brain

    Okay can't hold back any more.

    Disease my hole. It's no more a disease than punching yourself in the face repeatedly is 'swollen face disease'.


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    #9
    endacl
    Registered Users Posts: 22,252 ✭✭✭✭endacl


    Yes.

    And no. Sometimes its a symptom.


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    #10
    MonkstownHoop
    Registered Users Posts: 3,196 ✭✭✭MonkstownHoop




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    #11
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 6,025 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Cathal Cloch wrote: »
    Okay can't hold back any more.

    Disease my hole. It's no more a disease than punching yourself in the face repeatedly is 'swollen face disease'.

    yeah, ok, you are right Im not going to argue with you about it. Think what you want.


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    #12
    cometogether
    Registered Users Posts: 588 ✭✭✭cometogether


    Cathal Cloch wrote: »
    I guess when a person's drinking is severely diminishing their quality of life.

    Nope, that's just a characteristic of it. Alcoholism is an addiction to alcohol.


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    #13
    How Soon Is Now
    Registered Users Posts: 13,109 ✭✭✭✭How Soon Is Now


    MonkstownHoop wrote: »

    Was waiting for someone to post this! :pac:!!!


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    #14
    Annasopra
    Registered Users Posts: 41,019 ✭✭✭✭Annasopra


    endacl wrote: »
    Yes.

    And no. Sometimes its a symptom.

    My mother was diagnosed as an alocohlic and then at a later stage with manic depression. I believe the alcoholism was a symptom of her depresssion.

    It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things.

    Terry Pratchet



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    #15
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 6,025 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    mango salsa wrote: »
    My mother was diagnosed as an alocohlic and then at a later stage with manic depression. I believe the alcoholism was a symptom of her depresssion.

    Its very often the case mangosalsa. Each one feeding the other.


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    #16
    gowley
    Registered Users Posts: 629 ✭✭✭gowley


    Cathal Cloch wrote: »
    Okay can't hold back any more.

    Disease my hole. It's no more a disease than punching yourself in the face repeatedly is 'swollen face disease'.

    dont know myself but a lot of organisations more qualified than you or me state that it is a disease. but hey you obviously know better


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    #17
    Al_Coholic
    Registered Users Posts: 1,319 ✭✭✭Al_Coholic


    2 beer threads in one night! AH i lurrrve you *hic*


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    #18
    MonkstownHoop
    Registered Users Posts: 3,196 ✭✭✭MonkstownHoop


    in all seriousness my dad died as a result of his alcoholism and having had to live with him in his last few years theres no doubt that it is somewhat a disease, its easy to fob it off if not directly affected by it


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    #19
    endacl
    Registered Users Posts: 22,252 ✭✭✭✭endacl


    mango salsa wrote: »
    My mother was diagnosed as an alocohlic and then at a later stage with manic depression. I believe the alcoholism was a symptom of her depresssion.
    Tough. Hope you came through it OK.


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    #20
    Czarcasm
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,076 ✭✭✭✭Czarcasm


    No, it's not a disease, and to classify it as such is merely excusing people for a behaviour that is within their power to change when they learn to deal with the underlying causes of their addiction.


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    #21
    Karl Stein
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,689 ✭✭✭Karl Stein


    gowley wrote: »
    dont know myself but a lot of organisations more qualified than you or me state that it is a disease. but hey you obviously know better

    Where is the pathogen? Where is the marker? When is the onset? What is the cure? Can it be cured?

    These questions are all easily answered when we talk about real diseases. For alcoholism there are no such answers.


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    #22
    Femme_Fatale
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,628 ✭✭✭Femme_Fatale


    Something being self inflicted doesn't preclude it from being a disease, IMO.


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    #23
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 6,025 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    MonkstownHoop wrote: »
    in all seriousness my dad died as a result of his alcoholism and having had to live with him in his last few years theres no doubt that it is somewhat a disease, its easy to fob it off if not directly affected by it

    Very tough to watch Im sure. Hope you and family are doing well now.


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    #24
    mistermano
    Closed Accounts Posts: 121 ✭✭mistermano


    years ago i went to my doc (an alco himself) and he explained i had a disease

    when i started drinking again i decided it wasn't


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    #25
    Bench Press
    Closed Accounts Posts: 262 ✭✭Bench Press


    its a disease of the mind, you can be sober for year and still have an alcoholic mind


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    #26
    cometogether
    Registered Users Posts: 588 ✭✭✭cometogether


    Czarcasm wrote: »
    No, it's not a disease, and to classify it as such is merely excusing people for a behaviour that is within their power to change when they learn to deal with the underlying causes of their addiction.

    Well all of the available information would appear to disagree with you


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    #27
    nocoverart
    Registered Users Posts: 2,354 ✭✭✭nocoverart


    Al_Coholic wrote: »
    2 beer threads in one night! AH i lurrrve you *hic*

    I know, I'd love a few cold ones now.


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    #28
    somefeen
    Registered Users Posts: 1,657 ✭✭✭somefeen


    It looks like a disease to me. I've met a few true alcoholics not a 'heavy drinkers' who just drink too much at the weekend and maybe has arguements with their family/partner. I mean actual alcoholics, whole life ****ed from it, an genuine need to be hammered all the time. Not actually capable of staying sober so no job, relationships etc. Those guys are ****ed and have all sorts of serious medical complications. If they were to get sober they would actually need medical attention because all their nutrition comes in the form of alcoholic beverages and their stomachs cant handle a normal meal.
    Its a disease in the same way that heroin addiction is.

    The idea that its the same is punching yourself in the face and thus not a disease is bollox. If you were compelled to punch yourself in the face all day every day then I would say you had disease and needed medical attention to get rid of the compulsion and deal with the aftermath.


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    #29
    Karl Stein
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,689 ✭✭✭Karl Stein


    Femme_Fatale wrote: »
    Something being self inflicted doesn't preclude it from being a disease, IMO.

    If you remove the poison (alcohol) as if by magic the organism heals itself.

    Also, calling alcoholism a disease can have the effect of absolving the person of responsibility for his condition. I has a disease I can't help it.

    Further, when you call addictive behaviour a disease it's axiomatic that it will require a 'cure' - enter all sorts of charlatans, snake oil salesmen and puritans.


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    #30
    gowley
    Registered Users Posts: 629 ✭✭✭gowley


    Cathal Cloch wrote: »
    Where is the pathogen? Where is the marker? When is the onset? What is the cure? Can it be cured?

    These questions are all easily answered when we talk about real diseases. For alcoholism there are no such answers.

    http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/info2/a/aa022697.htm



    as i said im not qualified to say. but if you just google it you can see numerous medical experts state it is a disease. you are obviously more qualified than them and why you asked the question when you already have your mind made up is baffling. you should have just stated in your op that in your opinion its not a disease and you wont listen to the opinion of anybody else.


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    #31
    cometogether
    Registered Users Posts: 588 ✭✭✭cometogether


    Cathal Cloch wrote: »
    If you remove the poison (alcohol) as if by magic the organism heals itself.

    Also, calling alcoholism a disease can have the effect of absolving the person of responsibility for his condition. I has a disease I can't help it.

    Further, when you call addictive behaviour a disease it's axiomatic that it will require a 'cure' - enter all sorts of charlatans, snake oil salesmen and puritans.

    But alcoholism cannot be cured, hence the phrase 'recovering' addict rather than 'recovered' alcoholic


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