Alcoholism: disease or choice?

Specialties Addictions

Published

What is your opinion; is alcoholism a disease or a choice? Please provide your rationale or empirical support of your belief.

Specializes in ER,ICU,L+D,OR.
Two states, Kansas and Vermont, allow 10 year old children to be tried as adults.

A few years ago, The Associated Press released a study performed by Temple University which demonstrated that many children tried as adults lack the competence to even understand the proceedings.

Im sure there are a few rare murder cases where a 10 year old was charged as an adult, but that is far from "regular". Gathering enough numb-skulls in one place to pull that off can only be an anomaly.

A murdering 10 year old is only a symptom of a much larger problem, but in the absence of an understanding of what that is, i guess we should put them all in the electric chair (whether they understand why or not).:)

And this has what to do with Alcoholism, I'm confused

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well, that's right up there with krispy kreme as a weight watcher's sponser...:banghead:

thought you would see my point....

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And this has what to do with Alcoholism, I'm confused

responding to earlier posts about age of responsibility....

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disease: to me, a disease is something that is biological, just happens, etc.

choice: you make the decision to do something

so, to me, alcoholism is a choice. people choose to pick up the alcohol and drink.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Transplant, Education.
only some are physically predisposed...

typically those who are born to parents that are alcoholics.

the common link amongst all users/addicts, is they experience a perceived benefit...

which leads to heavier use and dependence, then addiction.

another poster mentioned that by calling it a disease, it elicits a helpless/powerless response and any accountability is thrown out the door.

i agree with that.

and i could never compare the disease of addiction to the disease of cancer or cystic fibrosis.

sooooo not apples and apples.

leslie

I agree that only some are predisposed. Alcoholism runs rampant in my family. My father was an alcoholic, as well as his father, and I'm not. On the whole, I choose not to drink much or often, just because it doesn't interest me. I just don't find not knowing what I've done, or waking up in the morning not feeling well enjoyable. But it's different for everyone.

Do I have some family members in my generation that worry me? Sure. But just because I have the genetics, doesn't mean that I myself will become an alcoholic. Will they? Who knows.

I do agree that calling it a disease can illicit the helpless/poweless response, but I do also think that it is a disease. The powers of physical dependency on a substance are awful.

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disease: to me, a disease is something that is biological, just happens, etc.

choice: you make the decision to do something

so, to me, alcoholism is a choice. people choose to pick up the alcohol and drink.

There is much evidence that alcoholism IS biological. It tends to run in families as well as being more prominent in certian ethnic groups.

It's the old nature/ nurture debate at its core. I'm not defending alcoholism by any means, but it is such an emotionally charged subject, the actual science of the condition is sometimes ignored out of anger.

So, the alcoholic is blameless and helpless? Of course not. I'm just pointing out there may be a root cause that goes beyond choice. :twocents:

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Specializes in Emergency/ Critical Care.
disease: to me, a disease is something that is biological, just happens, etc.

choice: you make the decision to do something

so, to me, alcoholism is a choice. people choose to pick up the alcohol and drink.

I have to disagree on this one...

alcoholism is the disease of being (mentally/physically) dependent on alcohol

you remain an alcoholic after quitting drinking

people have the disease whether or not they chose to continue drinking

it's like a diabetic choosing to eat a pie... doesn't change the fact that they are diabetic, only messes with their physical health

(this is, of course, my opinion only... I'm not God lol)

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
I have always questioned the "disease" aspect-which got me into a lot of trouble in nursing school.

Example: Alcohol gives me terrible headaches. I cannot drink wine at all-it triggers a nasty migrane. Does that mean because that is the way my body chemistry is, that I have a disease too? Anti-alcoholism?

I just think giving it a disease label is too easy-it is definitely multifactoral.

It definitely is multi-factoral and complex.

Here's what makes me think there is a disease aspect to it, because if you had the disease of alcoholism you would continue to drink despite the headaches and physical symptoms.

Alcoholics drink despite retched physical symtoms like hangovers, headaches, GI bleeds, liver failure. Alcoholics drink depsite the fact it winds them up homeless, in jail, alienating all of their loved ones.

To me it's too easy to label alcoholics with a moral failing that they are choosing to be this way. It's too multifactoral for that.

Yes we choose to drink, obviousy there's a thought process that goes into drinking. But there are also physiological things that happen during addiction that are out of the control of the person.

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Regularly? If you want to make such claims, it might be wise to back them up with some actual sources. Good luck with that, and please dont come back with an isolated incident or cases from another country. Demonstrate the "regularity" of this practice or quit making claims that you cannot substantiate.

Indeed...

You are preaching to the wrong choir... I can back up ALL my claims...

Plenty of EVIDENCE here...

:chuckle:chuckle:chuckle

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
Indeed...

You are preaching to the wrong choir... I can back up ALL my claims...

Plenty of EVIDENCE here...

:chuckle:chuckle:chuckle

Interesting and maddening pamphlet. Thanks for posting. I didn't read it word for word but I think trying youths as young as 10 as adults is not a regular occurence. Not that it doesn't happen, but it's your wording that it happens regularly that is bothersome. Did you mean "youths under age 18" are tried regularly as adults?

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Specializes in ortho, hospice volunteer, psych,.

disease.

my paternal grandfather was an alcoholic who never was able to quit completely. he was a dentist who didn't go in when he had been drinking. my dad never drank once he got post the frat boy stage but my uncle is a wife battering out of control alcoholic. except for one lost weekend as an undergraduate student, i don't drink. at all. i also avoid products, like mouthwash, flouride rinses etc., but do cook with alcohol. of my three cousins, two are alcoholics who attend aa, and the third, does not drink. i feel it is both a mental health issue and a physiological disease.

kathy

sharpeimom:paw::paw:

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Specializes in Addictions, Acute Psychiatry.

Doesn't matter what we think It's already a medical diagnosis. Look at NIDA *alcohol is a drug, by the way, it just so happens the two most deadly ones are legal for monetary purposes only.

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