Monday, October 06, 2014

Is addiction a disease?

Stanton Peele writes:
Those in the upper-middle class far more often drink (about 70 percent of college graduates) than those in lower socioeconomic groups (only 35 percent of those lacking a high school diploma do). But, of those who do drink in both groups, far more of the socially disadvantaged have drinking problems. They also smoke more—despite smoking’s now-exorbitant costs. For example, 12 percent of college grads smoked in the last month, compared with 34 percent of those without a high school diploma.

Peele hates the disease theory of addiction. Read more here.

I like these thoughts by commenter Assistant Village Idiot:
I earn my daily bread in mental health pretty close to these issues.

I have concluded I have little idea why some people get sober and some cannot. I have seen 12-Step work and not work, Antabuse and Naltrexone work and not work, high accountability work and not work. I have seen heritable susceptibility (even when the child does not know the bio parents), and addiction acquired from overprescription/overuse of legitimate pain medication. I have seen addiction begin at age 6 and as late as 71 (a Baptist who had never touched alcohol until age 68).

There is indeed a neurological/physiological aspect. Sometimes I think it's 90% of the game. Sometimes 10%.

If you were once an abuser of mood-altering substances and no longer are, be very, very grateful.

Another commenter named Kevin Bush says:
"Disease Theory" or not....yes my body can't handle alcohol and I go into immediate "craving" or alcohol withdrawal on the first drink ...so yeah 'disease' ..but so what ..

"The Steps" however (process of repentance) are to cure the obsession..and they're all about responsibility ..in that they require us to become responsible for our very thoughts ( steps 4 & 10 ) by challenging their validity ..daily ..hourly ..minutely.. always checkin for BS

In that light I could never figure out how anyone in A.A. could be "liberal"..

Another commenter writes:
I use them as tools to modify my behavior. They helped me learn to take responsibility for my actions, not my thoughts, and to see the possible consequences of my actions before I act out. I don't know anyone who can control their thoughts, only people who choose to act - or not - upon them.

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