Do you consider addiction a disease?

[Deleted]

I had always thought it was, but I was reading a story on Cory Monteith (sp?) and almost every single person was saying things like "oh, that's Hollywood" or "that's what he gets for doing drugs".

It sounds like it was a long time battle for him. Yes, he made the decision to start doing drugs, but I feel like when you start and become addicted, it takes hold of you and changes everything about you, include how your brain thinks. I had posted on the story that I felt addiction is a disease and was ripped apart, so now I'm wondering if I'm wrong.

[discogranny]

Yes, very much so. I grew up in an alcoholic household and I really believe that it is much more than just lacking willpower or being someone who likes to drink/smoke/shoot up to excess.

[MWOS]

10 pages by 9am

[mirandahobbes]

Absolutely.

[hopecounts]

Yes. It is an insidious awful disease.

[VeryViolet]

I do think it is a disease but I also think that sometimes that gets used as an excuse. The behavior that goes along with addiction is inexcusable and should be treated as such because otherwise you become part of the problem. That is really easy to say and hard to live though and I get that.

[rex]

Yes.

[thinkofthesoldiers]

Yes. At first it definitely is a choice, but once it grips you, there is very little control on the addict's part--especially if they haven't been sober for any length of time. I think that people like to think that it couldn't happen to them/someone they love because at first it is a choice so they blame the addict for that period of time prior to addiction.

[JLV]

Definitely. I also grew up with an alcoholic father who also did drugs. It is definitely a struggle and an awful disease.

[calledout]

Not really. My mom is an addict, and a breast cancer patient. I remember sitting in on one of her meetings and she made a comment to the effect of "which disease (addiction or breast cancer) is acceptable?" And it was such utter bullshit. Obviously I'm coming from a hostile place (lol - you think:)) , so that's probably informing my opinion more than anything else...

[Deleted]

I don't see how that's even a question. Why would someone choose that life?

[Yankees21]

Yes.

[Kristinmo]

Yes. Just like cancer.

[TrickyBob]

It's their choice to try it, it's their choice to keep doing it - initially. Then it becomes a need and then they become dependent on it. And that's when it turns into a disease. When it takes over their lives and they feel they cannot live without it.

So in short, yes.

[MWOS]

Jul 16, 2013 20:45:59 GMT -5 calledout said:

Not really. My mom is an addict, and a breast cancer patient. I remember sitting in on one of her meetings and she made a comment to the effect of "which disease (addiction or breast cancer) is acceptable?" And it was such utter bullshit. Obviously I'm coming from a hostile place (lol - you think:)) , so that's probably informing my opinion more than anything else...

I don't even really know what you're saying here, but good luck watching this spiral out of control

I change my guess to 15 pages by 9am

[JLV]

Jul 16, 2013 20:45:59 GMT -5 calledout said:

Not really. My mom is an addict, and a breast cancer patient. I remember sitting in on one of her meetings and she made a comment to the effect of "which disease (addiction or breast cancer) is acceptable?" And it was such utter bullshit. Obviously I'm coming from a hostile place (lol - you think:)) , so that's probably informing my opinion more than anything else...

Does not compute.

[melindafelinda]

Jul 16, 2013 20:48:12 GMT -5 MWOS said:

Jul 16, 2013 20:45:59 GMT -5 calledout said:

Not really. My mom is an addict, and a breast cancer patient. I remember sitting in on one of her meetings and she made a comment to the effect of "which disease (addiction or breast cancer) is acceptable?" And it was such utter bullshit. Obviously I'm coming from a hostile place (lol - you think:)) , so that's probably informing my opinion more than anything else...

I don't even really know what you're saying here, but good luck watching this spiral out of control

I change my guess to 15 pages by 9am

I'm taking the under. Despite constantly being proven wrong, I don't believe there are too many really stupid people here. Under 5 pages unless 67 Lurkers chime in with "yes."

[lilybug]

Yes, I do. But I don't like when people use that as an excuse not to fight the addiction at all.

[mollz007]

Jul 16, 2013 20:44:52 GMT -5 thinkofthesoldiers said:

Yes. At first it definitely is a choice, but once it grips you, there is very little control on the addict's part--especially if they haven't been sober for any length of time. I think that people like to think that it couldn't happen to them/someone they love because at first it is a choice so they blame the addict for that period of time prior to addiction.

I agree with this.

[berbles]

Absofuckinlutely.

[AHappierHour]

Yes I think it's a disease.

[pinkeggs]

Absolutely it is.

[Kore]

Yes. And fuck anyone who disagrees.

[speckledfrog]

I do.

[Deleted]

Jul 16, 2013 20:46:13 GMT -5 @jezebel said:

I don't see how that's even a question. Why would someone choose that life?

You would think. That's what I thought, until people were calling me an idiot, a "fucktard", a cunt, and then I was told "you're a disease". 

[melindafelinda]

Jul 16, 2013 20:55:35 GMT -5 @otterama said:

Jul 16, 2013 20:46:13 GMT -5 @jezebel said:

I don't see how that's even a question. Why would someone choose that life?

You would think. That's what I thought, until people were calling me an idiot, a "fucktard", a cunt, and then I was told "you're a disease". 

By the unwashed masses of anonymous Internet comments? Those people don't count.

[underwaterrhymes]

Yes.

[pantsparty]

After what my brother has dealt with - yes. And it took me awhile to come to that determination. I can't tell you how angry I was at him - HOW COULD HE MAKE THESE CHOICES - and sometimes I still feel that way, but I understand what it does to the brain. Addicts deserve empathy, not anger.

I blocked someone today who said something to the affect of how could someone choose to do this to himself and his family. Over the weekend she posted something about how the Zimmerman jurors had "done the best they could". I should have blocked her then.

[kcr1972]

Jul 16, 2013 20:50:14 GMT -5 lilybug said:

Yes, I do. But I don't like when people use that as an excuse not to fight the addiction at all.

But how do you know when someone isn't fighting their addiction? Trust me from a recovering alcohol and addicts view, the fight is ongoing whether I was actively using or not.

[Deleted]

Jul 16, 2013 20:56:46 GMT -5 melindafelinda said:

Jul 16, 2013 20:55:35 GMT -5 @otterama said:

You would think. That's what I thought, until people were calling me an idiot, a "fucktard", a cunt, and then I was told "you're a disease". 

By the unwashed masses of anonymous Internet comments? Those people don't count.

No, they don't...but it did start me thinking about what is considered a disease and what isn't.