From my exp. it helped me tremendously when I got educated & found out what I had was a disease. Just as important finding out why I did the things I did.

To Recovery everyone & have a good week.

Yes, to recovery! Great post, thanks for the share!

Karen

I totally Agree!

Thanks for the post gjm.

Pam

I've spent some time lurking on a few boards where everyone views it as a moral issue, and their whole pattern of re-commitment to the ideas of sin & repentance in the face of repeated failure and frustration speaks for itself.

when i started learnign about the disease of addiction, the "sense" part of it started to fall into place -which was obviously something I needed but had not sought out and I feel very blessed that I have sought and continue to seek information.

Peace

Calling it or classifying alcoholism as a disease brings up some interesting discussion points. It seems to be a disease that can only be diagnosed by its symptoms, not by an underlying cause. It seems to be a disease that can only be diagnosed by the sufferer. It seems to be a disease that has a spiritual aspect that needs to be dealt with along with a mental and physical aspect.

Huh? It seems to me that the term "disease" is being tossed around pretty loosely.

What are some of the ramifications from calling it a disease?

Are there people who don't take responsibility for their actions because they have a disease? Can't be their fault, they are sick! How could I help myself -- of course I had a drink, I have a disease! I was sober for two weeks, then the disease took over and I drank, etc.

Even legally this has created problems -- how do you arrest someone for being drunk in a public place when they suffer from a disease? (This went back and forth for may years in the US legal system.)

And then the medical community and pharmaceutical companies weigh in. Nemo touches on those points. On the plus side, many insurance companies will cover rehab now.

And just because the AMA has classified alcoholism as a disease, don't go thinking that there is a consensus in the medical community. At an August 1997 conference held by the International Doctors of Alcoholics Anonymous (IDAA) 80% of physicians surveyed there said they perceived alcoholism not as a disease but primarily as a behavior problem.

Personally, viewing it as a disease makes it more difficult for me to deal with. I think it as an addiction.

Whether I use the word disease or not clouds the important points for me. What was important for me was to realise that I was drinking because of a compulsion and that I could not beat that compulsion using my willpower. I had been trying to stay sober based on willpower and choice for a long time and to gain some understanding of why it hadn't worked was invaluable for me. It also opened up a solution for me and seeing the hopelessness of trying to stay sober on my power gave me the willngness I needed to overcome my ego and try another way.

I have a description of alcoholism that exactly fits my experience and a solution to it that has really worked and fits my experience as all the promises it offers have come true in my life. That's good enough for me.

I found it hard to want something (sobriety) that I couldn't fathom.

It wasn't until ANYTHING was better than THIS, that I found the courage and chose to venture into the unknown.

Thought it would be easy. It wasn't.

Thought it was willpower until I realized my willpower was not enough.

Learning of the compulsion/disease, I began to know my enemy.

I am a work in progress.

evening G, Once I accepted I was wired with an alcoholic mind that was out to kill me or spend the rest of my time in prison, our disorder being a disease or whatever reallly didn't matter.
It is just great that there is a solution.

B, as ya know we all look at things a little different. like I mentioned for myself it was huge to get educated on the disease and finding out there is a solution. yourself as long as you knew there was a solution you didn't care of anything else. bottom line as long as we both get the same result is all that matters. i know you understand where i'm coming from.

Have a good night

It didn't make any difference to me to find out that alcoholism was a disease. The only thing that mattered to me was that I couldn't stop. My experience was all I really needed. What anyone told me was of very little use.

I went into a treatment center knowing I had very little control over taking the first drink and I needed to be able to get that control back. I realized once I started drinking I wouldn't stop-that was a given.

I was asked to consider what my Higher Power would be and to start working on the Steps. They said that in this process, the solution may come to me taking that first drink. It did, the obsession was removed after a spiritual experience following working through a Step Four.

No knowledge of myself whatever ever helped to actually resolve the main problem of alcoholism.

Personally, I am with Jersey on this regarding disease but as gjm pointed out ...who cares? As long as you understand what you are up against as an individual and know how to effectively beat it then it is all mute.

just to point out, other diseases require behavior change. Diabetes, high Blood Pressure, heart problems, copd, etc.

I think part of the reason I had such a hard time with acceptance was because that meant everything had to change. The "sense of security in the familiar" was dead on accurate for me. I was a creature of habit and trying something different was so far out, that I couldn't comprehend a lifestyle change.

Stepping out of the comfort zone and taking a leap of faith is what helped me to find my willingness....which led to acceptance. I used to be terrified of change, still am to some degree but I realize that change is healthy, change is good. :) Scary as hell? YES! But worth it. :)