Addiction a disease?

ninerbuff

I was speaking to a gym member and one the things he brought up was he had a hard time losing weight because he was suffering from the disease of food addiction.
I don't consider food addiction a disease because if the person doesn't eat there's no disease. I consider any addiction a disorder and not a disease.

Your thoughts?

MissingMyOldSelf

You bring up a good point.... though..... when you say that "if a person doesn't eat, there is no disease," how do you feel about Alcoholism? Is it a disease? But yet, "If a person doesn't drink, there is no disease."


Note: I'm really NOT trying to be a smart *kitten*. I'm just curious to the response. Thanks!

snookumss

Its a way for American doctors to sign off and give excuses for our fatness ;(

I agree with you.

Jeepinmom4

I don't wanna sound mean but I think addiction is just people that are too weak to stop doing whatever it is that there "addicted" to. Canser is a disease,in my opinion eating,drugs,drinking ect.,isn't!

heretic911

Its a way for American doctors to sign off and give excuses for our fatness ;(

I agree with you.

You make a solid point. Overeating like over drinking or drugging is an addiction. Cancer and Parkinson's are examples of disease, very big difference. Don't get me wrong addictions are serious and can be forms of suicide but calling them a disease is just not right....

luvmycandies

I agree, I think its more of a disorder than disease.

taso42

This is an area I actually struggle to understand. Curious to hear responses.

MissingMyOldSelf

I don't wanna sound mean but I think addiction is just people that are too weak to stop doing whatever it is that there "addicted" to. Canser is a disease,in my opinion eating,drugs,drinking ect.,isn't!

I agree to about 95% of your opinion. yet, the small part of me inside says that there IS treatment for Overeating, drugs, drinking etc, so it should be labeled as a "medical issue." Whether the treatment is taken care of by the person's self, or a medical official, there's "Treatment" involved. MFP, IMO, is a treatment, for those of us who need to NOT overeat.

snookumss

You bring up a good point.... though..... when you say that "if a person doesn't eat, there is no disease," how do you feel about Alcoholism? Is it a disease? But yet, "If a person doesn't drink, there is no disease."


Note: I'm really NOT trying to be a smart *kitten*. I'm just curious to the response. Thanks!

If you google this, you discover that its a modern way of thinking, a medical theory that explains away the addiction to the person being wired wrong.

Personally, I think these are both fine examples of the same thing. If the alcoholic, or fat person, were to watch themselves, they wouldn't have become addicted. There is a difference between an addiction and a disease in my mind. I would never take medicine for something like a food addiction "disease". My boyfriend would say they need to man up like how everybody in MFP is trying to do. WE ALL KNOW ITS NOT EASY. It doesn't matter how fat or unhealthy we get, we have to make conscious decisions and fight the urge to eat bad foods... does this mean we are all "addicted" or that we have a "disease"? Just because our body tends to crave fatty foods, doesn't mean its a disease.

JNick77

I think that some people are more predisposed to addictions than others and what they choose as their vice be it, alcohol, gambling, drugs, food, etc is just a matter of preference in how there addiction is manifested. Food addiction specifically a disease, nah. People being more prone to addiction than others, yeah definitely; I believe there is research that points to that.

JDNOX

Addiction it's self is concidered a disease. So if you have an addictive personality food, sex, drink, even excercise can be an addition if it is taken to an unhealthy point.There are eating disorders too not being a doctor i am not sure what you would officially call it. I have known people that are in great shape but have a food addition where they will binge hard but you would not know it because they are in shape. Odd yeah but I guess it can happen. I don't think it is always and excuse but that is my opinon only.

MissingMyOldSelf

It doesn't matter how fat or unhealthy we get, we have to make conscious decisions and fight the urge to eat bad foods...

100% agreed!

FearAnLoathing

As a former addict,I do not consider addiction of any kind a disease. I also think its more of a disorder

ninerbuff

You bring up a good point.... though..... when you say that "if a person doesn't eat, there is no disease," how do you feel about Alcoholism? Is it a disease? But yet, "If a person doesn't drink, there is no disease."


Note: I'm really NOT trying to be a smart *kitten*. I'm just curious to the response. Thanks!

Alcoholism is another addiction, although it's defined as being medically treated as a disease. But again, no alcohol, no disease IMO. How does this affect the health of the person? Does it make it worse?

MissingMyOldSelf

My father was an alcoholic, and I can't tell you how many times he was admitted to a hospital and put on medications for the withdrawals. Sometimes, the withdrawals were so bad, they just sedated him for 24-48 hours, so he could sleep through them. When he was sent home, they prescribed a lot of medication for him to take to help during the detox time, but when the medication ran out, he ran to the store for his Canadian Mist. Unfortunately, his addiction was so great that it ended up taking his life.

ninerbuff

I think that some people are more predisposed to addictions than others and what they choose as their vice be it, alcohol, gambling, drugs, food, etc is just a matter of preference in how there addiction is manifested. Food addiction specifically a disease, nah. People being more prone to addiction than others, yeah definitely; I believe there is research that points to that.

I don't doubt this. Even genetically people have different reactions to alcohol. Native Americans and Inuit usually have a low tolerance to alcohol.

ninerbuff

My father was an alcoholic, and I can't tell you how many times he was admitted to a hospital and put on medications for the withdrawals. Sometimes, the withdrawals were so bad, they just sedated him for 24-48 hours, so he could sleep through them. When he was sent home, they prescribed a lot of medication for him to take to help during the detox time, but when the medication ran out, he ran to the store for his Canadian Mist. Unfortunately, his addiction was so great that it ended up taking his life.

My uncle (in-laws) was also an alcoholic and AA meetings were a regularity for him for 20 years. He relapsed and died of liver failure.

kennethmgreen

Easy to get hung up on semantics. We tend to not like to label things similarly when they appear to be so different (e.g. alcoholism and leprosy are both "diseases"). Lots of research showing addictive behavior can be chemical, genetic. But the behavior looks so much like a "choice" why can't people just stop?

There is physical addiction and psychological addiction, possibly even behavioral addiction (though that might fall under psychological). Whether addiction is a disease or mental illness or psychological disorder depends on whom you ask. How it is labeled can also affect what kind of treatment an addict can get.

In 2007, Joe Biden (as senator) introduced the “Recognizing Addiction as a Disease Act” in the U.S. Senate. It didn't pass. http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s110-1011&tab=committees

The DSM-IV does not list addiction as a disease, but does talk about substance dependence and uses terms like "disorder." It uses a symptom-based definition.

The National Institue on Drug Abuse says addiction is a disease, and that genetics play as high a role as 50% of the risk of becoming addicted.
http://www.drugabuse.gov/Testimony/6-23-10Testimony.html

Tons of information and differing opinions about the labeling of addiction, addictive behavior, etc. Even recent debate about whether addiction should be called a 'brain disease.'
http://healthland.time.com/2011/08/16/why-the-new-definition-of-addiction-as-brain-disease-falls-short/

I've seen people have a difficult time accepting the ideas food addiction, love addiction, sex addiction. How can someone be addicted to something that is good, something that we need? Easy to see why this is hard to comprehend. But for the addict, often the pleasure from those behaviors is gone. Whether it's food, cocaine, relationships or sex, it's become a psychological and/or physical need. A sex addict having sex doesn't enjoy the act the way most people do. Likewise, a food addict doesn't enjoy a good meal the way some of us might.

And I think - for me, at least - that's the tipping point. That's where I would say the line between compulsive behavior and addiction begins - when there it is no longer a pleasure-motivated choice and more a function of need or dependency. It's where a person becomes a slave to the addiction, where choice really does begin to disolve.

There are smarter people that can articulate this stuff a lot better than I can. I do have fairly extensive experience with addiction (myself, family members, friends, working with groups, etc.) but my experience isn't science.

And whether you want to call it a disease, a condition, a mental disorder, whatever, I don't really care. However, I do sometimes get a whiff of judgment and even condemnation when people discuss this topic (whether addiction should called a disease), and I suspect much of the discussion is fueled by the opinion that calling addiction a "disease" lets the addict off the hook. Or that calling addiction a disease somehow minimizes "real" diseases in people's minds. I can understand that thinking. But I think it can be myopic.

I think the idea of accountability is a tricky one. It sounds so simple, right? If an adult makes a choice to do something he or she is accountable for that choice. But are there any shades of gray there? What about the mentally unstable?

The terms "addict" and "addiction" get overused. "I'm such a chocolate addict!" "Garfield is addicted to lasagna." If you want to get into the issue of accountability, it's probably crucial to distinguish between someone who has a substance abuse problem, or a psychological/behavioral disorder and someone who is truly an addict. Many of the definitions of addiction actually hinge on the point where a person loses control over choosing the behavior or not.


Some resources:

Drugs, Brains, and Behavior - The Science of Addiction
http://www.drugabuse.gov/scienceofaddiction/

Understanding Drug Abuse and Addiction
http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/understand.html

What Is Addiction? What Causes Addiction?
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/addiction/

What Is Alcohol Or Drug Addiction? Part 1 of 3 – The Medical View
http://addictionrecoverybasics.com/what-is-alcohol-or-drug-addiction-part-1-of-3-the-medical-view/

What Is Addiction?
http://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/addiction

What is Addiction?
http://www.addictionsandrecovery.org/definition-of-addiction.htm

Definitions & Characteristics of Addiction
http://www.alcoholanddrugabuse.com/article1.html

The Genetics of Addiction - Is Addiction a Disease?
http://www.addictionsandrecovery.org/is-addiction-a-disease.htm

Addiction: A Neurological Disorder
http://www.medical-online.com/addict.htm

Treating Addiction as a Disease: The Promise of Medication-Assisted Recovery
http://www.drugabuse.gov/Testimony/6-23-10Testimony.html

Why the New Definition of Addiction, as 'Brain Disease,' Falls Short
http://healthland.time.com/2011/08/16/why-the-new-definition-of-addiction-as-brain-disease-falls-short/

lor007

I think Ken made some really good points.

I also think arguing about semantics is counterproductive.

kandrews24

Overeating and overdrinking and smoking, etc. are all addictions and all disorders. These disorders often lead to contracting various unwanted diseases. Regardless of the label, disorders and diseases are serious and require treatment.

billsica

Easy to get hung up on semantics.

^^^ this

ninerbuff

Easy to get hung up on semantics. We tend to not like to label things similarly when they appear to be so different (e.g. alcoholism and leprosy are both "diseases"). Lots of research showing addictive behavior can be chemical, genetic. But the behavior looks so much like a "choice" why can't people just stop?

There is physical addiction and psychological addiction, possibly even behavioral addiction (though that might fall under psychological). Whether addiction is a disease or mental illness or psychological disorder depends on whom you ask. How it is labeled can also affect what kind of treatment an addict can get.

In 2007, Joe Biden (as senator) introduced the “Recognizing Addiction as a Disease Act” in the U.S. Senate. It didn't pass. http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s110-1011&tab=committees

The DSM-IV does not list addiction as a disease, but does talk about substance dependence and uses terms like "disorder." It uses a symptom-based definition.

The National Institue on Drug Abuse says addiction is a disease, and that genetics play as high a role as 50% of the risk of becoming addicted.
http://www.drugabuse.gov/Testimony/6-23-10Testimony.html

Tons of information and differing opinions about the labeling of addiction, addictive behavior, etc. Even recent debate about whether addiction should be called a 'brain disease.'
http://healthland.time.com/2011/08/16/why-the-new-definition-of-addiction-as-brain-disease-falls-short/

I've seen people have a difficult time accepting the ideas food addiction, love addiction, sex addiction. How can someone be addicted to something that is good, something that we need? Easy to see why this is hard to comprehend. But for the addict, often the pleasure from those behaviors is gone. Whether it's food, cocaine, relationships or sex, it's become a psychological and/or physical need. A sex addict having sex doesn't enjoy the act the way most people do. Likewise, a food addict doesn't enjoy a good meal the way some of us might.

And I think - for me, at least - that's the tipping point. That's where I would say the line between compulsive behavior and addiction begins - when there it is no longer a pleasure-motivated choice and more a function of need or dependency. It's where a person becomes a slave to the addiction, where choice really does begin to disolve.

There are smarter people that can articulate this stuff a lot better than I can. I do have fairly extensive experience with addiction (myself, family members, friends, working with groups, etc.) but my experience isn't science.

And whether you want to call it a disease, a condition, a mental disorder, whatever, I don't really care. However, I do sometimes get a whiff of judgment and even condemnation when people discuss this topic (whether addiction should called a disease), and I suspect much of the discussion is fueled by the opinion that calling addiction a "disease" lets the addict off the hook. Or that calling addiction a disease somehow minimizes "real" diseases in people's minds. I can understand that thinking. But I think it can be myopic.

I think the idea of accountability is a tricky one. It sounds so simple, right? If an adult makes a choice to do something he or she is accountable for that choice. But are there any shades of gray there? What about the mentally unstable?

The terms "addict" and "addiction" get overused. "I'm such a chocolate addict!" "Garfield is addicted to lasagna." If you want to get into the issue of accountability, it's probably crucial to distinguish between someone who has a substance abuse problem, or a psychological/behavioral disorder and someone who is truly an addict. Many of the definitions of addiction actually hinge on the point where a person loses control over choosing the behavior or not.


Some resources:

Drugs, Brains, and Behavior - The Science of Addiction
http://www.drugabuse.gov/scienceofaddiction/

Understanding Drug Abuse and Addiction
http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/understand.html

What Is Addiction? What Causes Addiction?
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/addiction/

What Is Alcohol Or Drug Addiction? Part 1 of 3 – The Medical View
http://addictionrecoverybasics.com/what-is-alcohol-or-drug-addiction-part-1-of-3-the-medical-view/

What Is Addiction?
http://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/addiction

What is Addiction?
http://www.addictionsandrecovery.org/definition-of-addiction.htm

Definitions & Characteristics of Addiction
http://www.alcoholanddrugabuse.com/article1.html

The Genetics of Addiction - Is Addiction a Disease?
http://www.addictionsandrecovery.org/is-addiction-a-disease.htm

Addiction: A Neurological Disorder
http://www.medical-online.com/addict.htm

Treating Addiction as a Disease: The Promise of Medication-Assisted Recovery
http://www.drugabuse.gov/Testimony/6-23-10Testimony.html

Why the New Definition of Addiction, as 'Brain Disease,' Falls Short
http://healthland.time.com/2011/08/16/why-the-new-definition-of-addiction-as-brain-disease-falls-short/

You articulated just fine. And good job on the references.

foremant86

It doesn't work that way.

If every person had the ability to say No alochol or no drugs or no food or whatever the addiction may be then there would be no such thing as addiction.

It's so easy for those of us who don't have these problems to say "just stop drinking, just stop taking drugs, just stop eating so much" because we don't understand what it's like to have your body and mind telling you that you NEED the alcohol, drugs or food.

It's like telling someone who is clinically depressed to just be happy and positive, it doesn't work that way, Their BRAIN doesn't work that way.

maab_connor

It doesn't work that way.

If every person had the ability to say No alochol or no drugs or no food or whatever the addiction may be then there would be no such thing as addiction.

It's so easy for those of us who don't have these problems to say "just stop drinking, just stop taking drugs, just stop eating so much" because we don't understand what it's like to have your body and mind telling you that you NEED the alcohol, drugs or food.

It's like telling someone who is clinically depressed to just be happy and positive, it doesn't work that way, Their BRAIN doesn't work that way.

couldn't have said it better myself.

I've been in recovery from drugs and alcohol for 12 years. "just stop" doesn't work. addictions - all of them - are like hydras, there are always two more core problems when you think you've "handled" one of them. and i'll say this too - the only way that weightloss is working for me NOW is that i finally started treating it like i treat my addictions. it's day by day and sometimes minute by minute. the big difference being, i can't choose not to eat, i can only choose to eat better.

Pangea250

No no no no no. If an alcoholic doesn't drink, the disease is most assuredly still there. If a drug addict doesn't use, the disease is still there. The alcohol and drugs are just a symptom, not the disease itself.

If a diabetic controls her blood sugar with insulin, isn't she still a diabetic? If a hemophiliac controls his bleeding by avoiding being cut, isn't he still a hemophiliac? If a person with an allergy to peanuts doesn't eat peanuts, isn't he still allergic?

If an alcoholic or drug addict simply avoids alcohol & drugs and does nothing more, they will be a miserable sot. Addiction is a disease that affects the thinking. Addictive thoughts rage through the addict who doesn't use or drink. Food is no different in that aspect. In fact, it is considered more difficult for the food addict, for one can live without drugs and alcohol, but one must eat.

Pangea250

I don't wanna sound mean but I think addiction is just people that are too weak to stop doing whatever it is that there "addicted" to. Canser is a disease,in my opinion eating,drugs,drinking ect.,isn't!

Okay. But what about the addict that DOES stop? If you feel that addiction is only for those too weak to stop, where does the addict who stops fit into your equation?

Anyone who wonders about addiction and the disease process should find (Google) Father Martin's Chalk Talks. It's nice to "think" that it isn't a disease. But if you aren't knowledgeable about it, then what you think can really be quite wrong. Insurance companies (who, btw, really really would rather not pay claims) and doctors disagree with you.

Gwen7121

Just my opinion but I've always thougth disease & disorder were just interchangeable words. Both require treatment. Sometimes with drugs, and sometimes with therapy.

My ex-husband was an alcoholic. My best friend has had issues with depression to the point of being suicidal. I don't see a difference between either illness.

With my ex, I used to think if he loved me, he would quit. Then one day, he told me something that made it click for me. He said that alcohol was the first thing he thought of when he woke up. That every second I was there, getting ready for work, he was planning the alcohol he would get the moment I was out the door. The thought/need was so intense, it was like pain. It was the most honest thing he had ever said to me.

I used to smoke. A cigarette was the first thing I wanted in the morning. If I couldn't have a cigarette, I would just about go nuts. Quitting was super hard, took multiple tries, and even now, three years, eight months and 26 days later, I still crave a cigarette. I know that I wouldn't stop with one. But I still want it.

If you've never had an addiction, you will most likely never truly understand that feeling. And I think most who have never had an addiction are fairly judgemental of those who have, regardless of the scientific studies showing that certain people are pre-disposed due to genetics, environment, etc. (Notice I said MOST, not all)

ninerbuff

Addictions can be treated with no drugs. Diseases like cancer, Systic Fibrosis, etc. require drugs to help.

kennethmgreen

Addictions can be treated with no drugs. Diseases like cancer, Systic Fibrosis, etc. require drugs to help.

And therein lies the biggest contribution to prejudice with addiction and addicts, IMO. The problem with that logic is that you are judging a disease by its treatment and not by its symptoms. Only the general public does that. Very few, if any, scientific, medical or gov organizations will do this. Addiction and diseases are defined by their symptoms.

ninerbuff

And therein lies the biggest contribution to prejudice with addiction and addicts, IMO. The problem with that logic is that you are judging a disease by its treatment and not by its symptoms. Only the general public does that. Very few, if any, scientific, medical or gov organizations will do this. Addiction and diseases are defined by their symptoms.

Again, my opinion is addiction is a disorder just like those that are deemed mental disorders. I'm not prejudicial about seeking treatment nor using medical means to assist, I just don't believe that addiction is on the same level as a disease like cancer.

livnlite

There is a difference .. at least as far as I understand it ...

Wikipedia says it best:
Historically, addiction has been defined as physical and psychological dependence on psychoactive substances (for example alcohol, tobacco, heroin and other drugs) which cross the blood-brain barrier once ingested, temporarily altering the chemical milieu of the brain.

A disease is an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism. It is often construed to be a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs.[1] It may be caused by external factors, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune diseases. In humans, "disease" is often used more broadly to refer to any condition that causes pain, dysfunction, distress, social problems, and/or death to the person afflicted, or similar problems for those in contact with the person.