Alcoholism Is It A Disease - 1564 Words

Drug use has been a part of human history since the beginning of time, with an especially steep incline in the 20th century. Amongst these drugs, the most commonly abused is alcohol. The National On Alcohol and Drug Dependence states that, 17.6 million people suffer from alcohol abuse or dependence. If this substance is so frequently abused, one must question what it is about alcohol that makes a person become dependent? Is it a choice or is it a side effect of the drug itself? In other words, is it a disease? In order to come to a conclusion on the topic, we must first define the nature of disease itself. According to Webster’s dictionary, it is â€Å"a condition that prevents the body or mind from working normally†. Based on this definition, alcoholism is a disease. This is to say, however, the general populace can agree upon the definition decided by Merriam-Webster. Every person is entitled to their own opinion of what qualifies as a disease. The thought of alcoholi sm creates a moral quandary for many people. Religious and personal views can affect how the word is perceived. Mark Gold, in Alcohol Addiction Magazine, says â€Å"Alcoholism is a mysterious affliction that originates in an immoral individual who lacks character or has an addictive personality are popular views.† Both of these views place all blame on the addict. It suggests they made the conscious choice to continue drinking and haven’t stopped solely because they haven’t chosen to stop. This theory simplifies theShow MoreRelatedAlcoholism : Is Alcoholism A Disease?929 Words   |  4 PagesAlcoholism has raised many debates over the truth of its nature. Many scholars argue that alcoholism can be treated as a disease. Such approach to defining alcoholism means denying that alcohol abusers own a choice. In consequence, the treatment related differs and may or may not actually help alcoholics recover. A wrong diagnostic of this addiction can lead to serious hea lth issues; therefore, it is vital to answer the following question: Is alcoholism a disease? Most experts in this field criticisesRead MoreAlcoholism The Disease : Alcoholism And Alcoholism1829 Words   |  8 PagesAlcoholism the Disease According to the Dual Diagnosis website, â€Å"In 2012, as many as 87.6 percent of American adults over age 18 were reported in a SAHMSA†¦study to have consumed alcohol at some point in their lives†¦The National Institutes of Health†¦estimated that 17 million adults in the United States in 2012 had an alcohol use disorder† (â€Å"Disease†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). Approximately one in every 12 people either are abusing alcohol, or they are becoming, if not are, victims of alcoholism (National†¦). Alcohol consumptionRead MoreIs Alcoholism a Disease?691 Words   |  3 PagesAlcoholism as a disease? Alcoholism today is not considered as a moral failure, majority of the people view it as a disease. Alcoholism is a chronic primary and progressive disease and it can also be fatal in some instances. It is termed as a chemical disease as it breaks down in the stomach as well as bringing a different effect on the brain of the alcoholic as compared to a non-alcoholic. Alcoholism can be classified as a biological disease since the chemical predisposition of alcohol consumptionRead MoreThe Disease of Alcoholism Essay1084 Words   |  5 PagesThe Disease of Alcoholism Alcoholism is a primary, chronic disease with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations. The disease is often progressive and fatal. Alcoholism is a complex disease with physical, social and psychological consequences, but it can be treated through detoxification and anti-anxiety drugs. What will be explained in this essay is basically the history of alcohol, signs of one possibly being an alcoholic, possibilitiesRead MoreIs Alcoholism Really a Disease?1042 Words   |  4 PagesStudies of Aging Neurodegenerative Disease and Alcoholism†, Eberling and Jagust suggest that for the past 200 years, people have classified alcoholism as a disease, but recently a large portion of the medical community has started to disagree with this diagnosis. Despite common misconception, Alcohol Anonymous was not the originator of the classification of Alcoholism as a disease. Dr. Benjamin Rush created the concept in 1784, and alcoholism has be en considered as a disease since then (Eberling and JagustRead MoreAlcoholism Is Not Only A Disease862 Words   |  4 Pages Alcoholism is not only a disease to the alcoholic himself, It also disease to many people including family members. In numerous ways, for instance it appears to cause by the devastating assault of the physiology of the body by repeated episodes of heavy drinking as a result in the competence to feel the alcohol on average. Alcohol normally composition and social pressures may aggravate the disease. It is characterized by a typical progression of drinking behavior that requires an average ofRead MoreAlcoholism: a Disease or an Addiction?1887 Words   |  8 PagesMost people have a confused idea of alcoholism as a disease that invades or attacks your good health. Use of such a strong word such as disease shapes the values and attitudes of society towards alcoholics. A major implication of the disease concept is that what is labeled a disease is held to be justifiable because it is involuntary. This is not so. Problem drinking is a habit in which the so-called alcoholic simply has decided that the benefits of drinking outweigh the liabilities; it isRead MoreAlcoholism As A Family Disease1368 Words   |  6 Pagesdeveloping alcoholism—and other mental or behavioral issues (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2005). Evidence points to problems with alcohol that are associated with various family factors, such as spousal and parental use, use by children, family principles and attitudes about alcohol consumption, dynamics of family and patterns of relationship, and interplay of alcohol with biological and genetic factors (NIAAA, 2005). Alcoholism is considered a family disease all membersRead MoreAlcoholism: Disease or Choice?1778 Words   |  8 PagesAlcoholism: Disease or Choice? Danielle M Ellis WVNCC Abstract Webster’s New World Dictionary defines alcoholism as a chronic condition which is mainly characterized by excessive and compulsive consumption of and dependence on alcohol as well as nutritional and mental disorders. This definition depicts alcoholism as a disease that is beyond one’s control. It has however been argued in some circles that alcoholism is a choice and the idea of alcoholism as a disease is a myth. Since it is an individualRead MoreIs Alcoholism A Disease Or A Lifestyle Choice?1933 Words   |  8 Pageswhether alcoholism is a disease or a lifestyle choice. One blogger expressed her opinion about how alcoholism is genetic and that parents, about how it is genetic that anxiety and depression is inherited from parents leading, to becoming an addict. But the blogger by the name of andrew69055 stated, â€Å"People would do well to work more on resolving anxiety and depression rather than using alcohol disease as an excuse†¦People need hope and motivat ion and the handed out excuse that it’s a disease is destructive†¦