Addiction a disease?

jetscreaminagain

Schizophrenia, like addictions and eating disorders and anxiety disorders,is in the DSM the manual of mental disorders. You cannot effectively treat schizophrenia or true bipolar without medication. They are more serious, IMO than a minor skin cancer that can be excised.

Ill also clarify that addictions are often treated with meds : chantix methadone and Wellbutrin and another new one for opioid dependence the name of which escapes me. Not a doctor, but I wouldn't be surprised if EDs are treated with meds.

Addictions don't go away just because the behavior stops. Ever know a dry drunk? You almost wish he'd go on a bender and at least unclench for a moment. People switch addictions all the time. Ny friend got off coke, and was a ridiculous smoker coffee drinker and raging *kitten*.

Similarly is PTSD less serious because absent the traumatic event there's no PTSD? I should think not.

Lastly, until a person has the years of training and supervision needed to declare addiction or not, maybe just when someone says addiction hear them say "This is hard and there's more going on than I just want a ____" and be kind.

AshjMusik

Great discussion! Kenneth thanks for the refrences, I'm saving them in case this thread gets shut down

Dragongrl

In responce to the OP I think that addiction is more like a disorder rather than a disease. And here is my logic. Diseases kill people.

Forget spelling and grammar. Your logic is flawed.

Google search "nonlethal diseases". First two results:

List of Nonlethal Infectious Diseases
http://www.livestrong.com/article/139195-list-nonlethal-infectious-diseases/

Non-Deadly Genetic Diseases
http://www.livestrong.com/article/74445-nondeadly-genetic-diseases/

Okay, Mr. Spock. I was talking figuratively not litteraly. Thank you. Have a nice day.

Jennjenn1974

Addiction is a choice. You choose to put the drugs/alcohol/food whatever into your body. You do not choose to have a disease, such as certain types of cancer, Multiple Sclerosis or the like. Note I said most diseases, if you smoke for 40 years and end up with lung cancer or empahysema, who's fault is that?

maab_connor

Food addiction is just not possible - to my mind at least, addiction is to do with something that we don't *need* but which the body is convinced we do.

Each and every one of us *needs* food - without it we die. It's a necessity, not an addiction. We don't *need* sugar though, so he could be suffering sugar addiction - that is very real (scientifically confirmed as such). Likewise we don't *need* nicotine, alcohol, heroin etc.

that's a really nice thought. I need to eat, therefore food can't become an addiction. But that's not true. Would that it were, but unfortunately is not.

Addiction isn't about what your body ACTALLY needs, it's about what your brain TELLS your body it needs so that your brain can get the chemicals it's grown dependant on. And the science backs up that eating certain foods/an over abundance of food brings in the same chemicals as drugs, as sex and as drinking. Addiction isn't about which chemical you're ingesting/injecting/inhaling, it's about the chemistry in the BRAIN.

someone has a bad day and the happy drugs in the brain go down. now, in a non-addict/non-active (for enough time)-addict's brain there are options to increase the levels again. there are a lot of them. you give your brain the right stimulus and it releases the happy drugs from your petuitary and you're better. but that's not how it works for an active addict. because an active addict has crippled their petuitary through non use. so the brain has become unable to feel better on its own and it sends out signals to get them. and the addict uses. it can be drugs, alcohol, sex OR FOOD. it just depends on what you have told your brain will get it that happy chemical.

it is entirely possible to become addicted to food, because food WILL cause an increase in the right chemicals in the brain.

foremant86

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

That's not true. My brother is currently being treated for his drug addiction with suboxone.

http://www.suboxone.com/

I can't even begin to describe what a difference suboxone has made in him, without it I don't think he could overcome his addiction.

But either way, i don't care what addiction is classified under. To act like one disorder/disease is "superior" to another is ridiculous. All diseases and disorders should be treated with the same kind of respect.

It's so simple to sit on a high horse and look down at the "weak" people who are addicts and tell them to just stop using or eating or whatever it is they may be addicted to, but again you just don't understand addiction.

And the human body can be addicted to ANYTHING. Food, drugs, porn, alcohol, video games, etc. etc. Honestly those of you who act like addiction is just a weak willed person, need to take some psychology classes.

Also, just because an addict finally kicks the habit doesn't mean they are cured. Addiction is a life long battle and that person will never be able to let their guard down. They can relapse at any point in their life.

MrBrown72

Most likely it's just another excuse for being lazy. Food addiction and compulsive overeating are obsessive compulsive disorders that generally lead to death if not MEDICALLY treated. However unless your gym friend is eating around 15,000 food calories a day chances are he's just weak willed and looking for a socially acceptable excuse to give up.

I know everyone tends to like calling whatever their issue is a "disease" or giving some other medical excuse for their issues to keep themselves blameless and avoid the work involved in fixing the issue. However the cases of actual disorders are few and serious, not necessarily something you'll see in 9 out of 10 people who claim to have them.

gsager

I'm an alcoholic, been sober 22 years, and I think that it started to be called a disease so that the treatment centers could bill insurance companies. I do think its more of a disorder.

ipeloquin400

I too am an alcoholic, 14 years sober. In the book Alcoholics Anonymous, alcoholism is defined as an Illness, not a disease which I think is a good description for any addiction.

timeforme23

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.

^^^ This. Is truly sad how uneducated people are about addiction, and its to no fault of their own, but the way society views things. Unless you suffer yourself or know someone who does, its easy to cast those people off as weak. They're not.

kennethmgreen

In responce to the OP I think that addiction is more like a disorder rather than a disease. And here is my logic. Diseases kill people.

Forget spelling and grammar. Your logic is flawed.

Google search "nonlethal diseases". First two results:

List of Nonlethal Infectious Diseases
http://www.livestrong.com/article/139195-list-nonlethal-infectious-diseases/

Non-Deadly Genetic Diseases
http://www.livestrong.com/article/74445-nondeadly-genetic-diseases/

Okay, Mr. Spock. I was talking figuratively not litteraly. Thank you. Have a nice day.

Sorry. I didn't mean to sound glib. Or like Mr. Spock. It was very late for me and the conversation seemed to be turning into grammar and spelling arguments, taking away from the discussion at hand. I wanted to point out the problem in your supporting argument rather than focus on spelling.

I don't necessarily disagree with your statement that "addiction is more like a disorder than a disease." I was pointing out that the logic you used to support that statement is incorrect. That's all. I think your statement is a good one, and probably at the crux of this debate. But you cannot support the statement "addiction is more like a disorder than a disease" with the logic that "Diseases kill people" - figuratively or literally. It is simply not a true statement. Some diseases are lethal. Some are not.

Healthy debate is good. I think people can learn from healthy debate. But there needs to be a level of logic and reason for it remain healthy and good.

Dragongrl

I'm going to speak from personal experience. I've been addicted to everything you could imagine. The only thing I'm having trouble kicking is the cigarettes! I think my problem stems from genetics, OCD, and pathology. I just cannot wrap my head around someone saying I have a disease. What about the people addicted to bodybuilding? That is a healthy addiction. So does it seam right to label that addiction a disease? I think not.

I also think that it's really easy for people to judge others with addiction because they've never experienced what it's like for themselves. So instead of calling me weak for not being able to kick the habbit, try walking a day in my shoes.

pain_is_weakness

agree, I consider overeating and undereating and addiction a disorder, all on the same level pretty much, nothing more nothing less.

SoDamnHungry

Lame. It is NOT a disease.

pain_is_weakness

I'm going to speak from personal experience. I've been addicted to everything you could imagine. The only thing I'm having trouble kicking is the cigarettes! I think my problem stems from genetics, OCD, and pathology. I just cannot wrap my head around someone saying I have a disease. What about the people addicted to bodybuilding? That is a healthy addiction. So does it seam right to label that addiction a disease? I think not.

I also think that it's really easy for people to judge others with addiction because they've never experienced what it's like for themselves. So instead of calling me weak for not being able to kick the habbit, try walking a day in my shoes.

I think everyone has been addicted to something at one point in their life, bad or good habit, addiction does not exclude anyone. And you can be a strong person who has a weakness ofr something, everyone has their weaknesses. You know that you are a strong person, especially if you have overcame so much already!

JellyJaks

Didn't you hear? Obesity is caused by a virus...a delicious cream filled virus :laugh: I don't remember which show I saw this on but it made me laugh.

As for a serious answer to the question, no I don't believe that addiction is a disease. I believe that calling it a disease is a crutch that people suffering from addiction use as a way to justify what is happening to them instead of taking responsibility for their actions. I have no experience with drug addiction but I have had a few significant others that were alcoholics and by their own admission they had to keep alcohol in the house "just in case" they "needed" it... When I first started trying to change my life the first thing I did was go through and get rid of all the fatty junk food we had. If it's not in the house, it's not as big a temptation. No one controls your life but you and by continuing to harm your own body, I think you pass the point of legitimately being able to say "it's a disease"

sarahlucydaynes26

YES there are lots of addictions and disorders..

I have a very rare blood disorder which can kill me at any moment plus epilepsy.
There are people who have eating disorders such as bulimia, aneroxic, obesity... One point I MUST get across... A larger person in life can be bulimic.
When it comes to addictions and disorders though addicts choose to smoke. Drink. Have that extra bar of dairy milk * like me ;-) * . Inject. People with DISORDERS choose none of their situations. I didn't ask for a cancerous blood disorder or epilepsy but hey. You simply.get on!

Now to my beautiful amazing dad -
My dad from the age of 19 was a alcholic ( sorry I can't spell that word ) ... He travelled the world and the life style he led when he was in a band and after the band split he worked abroad driving the national express buses... He got in with the wrong crowd and obviously started drinking and smoking.60 cigars / cigarettes a day, a litre of jack daniels every other..!
5 years ago my dad was diaganosed with being diabetic! Which he done his insulin for daily and obviously this is a disorder.
However early one morning 26th June 2010 I got a call from dad saying he was in hospital. I asked him why and he said ' its alright sugar, they're just doing a few tests ' ... Well I went up there... Bad idea I'm unsure but seeing my poor dad sitting there on a drip in tears, can barely keep awake and shaken... I looked and simply said ' what's wrong ? " and his reply? ' I've been told sweetheart that one more drink will kill me and no more cigarettes as my arteries are closing up..:-o well I simply looked... Got up and walked. I never knew he drunk until that day! He's got serosis of the liver. Which is a DISEASE.. which was caused by a ADDICTION which started very young when my granddad wanted my dad to ' be a man ' so dad smoked at 12. Drunk at 19. He got told he can never work again and that's torn him apart ..
HOWEVER he left hospital. Lost 8 stone in weight, stopped the drink imediately. Cut the cigarettes and he's just MWAH!! He gets very zzzz some days and can sleep up to 18hrs but his condition knocks him for six!

But you know something?
Every single day i wake up and smile. My dad is here. My hero. Maybe some of you think ppftt can't see why but trust me.. he's the bestest man in the world and I love him to bits.

Some of you're family members are not here through drink and I'm deeply sorry XXX

softballsharie

Just searching through to find other people in my situation. I got off pain killers (opiates) 10 months ago. I most definitely am still suffering from the disease of addiction. I have to fight the chemical imbalance in my brain telling me to buy a 30 mg percocet every single day. I fight it, and have for 10 months now.

After quitting pain killers, finishing nursing school, and losing 50 pounds while strengthening my muscles, if you have the nerve to call me weak, I would like to know what you think makes you any stronger than me.

Please don't ever call somebody weak for being addicted to anything. Addiction is a disease, a real one. Do not criticize others' situations until you have walked in their shoes. It is amazing how naive some of the responses to this post really were. -_-

caraiselite

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

i like this.

softballsharie

The only people that wouldn't consider it a disease are:

1. People who don't have any kind of degree in medicine at all.
2. People who haven't been through it.
3. People who haven't done enough research on it to fully understand the chemical/genetic imbalances that can make you more likely to have an addiction.

If it wasn't a disease, it wouldn't be called one. Plain and simple.