not a disease

[alloowishus]

I've been thinking about this and I think it is a falsehood to claim
alcoholism is a disease, any more than obesity is a disease. It is a
choice. Why is there no disease called nicotinism? Cigarettes are
addictive, as is alcohol, as is food. These are drugs used to regulate
emotional problems. If alcoholism a disease have you ever met an
alcoholic that was completely emotionally stable? If it is truly a
disease it should afflict everyone equally, but it doesn't.

[Dan McGown]

"alloowishus" <alloowishus@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1104955912.062064.19800@f14g2000cwb.googlegro ups.com...
> I've been thinking about this and I think it is a falsehood to claim
> alcoholism is a disease, any more than obesity is a disease. It is a
> choice. Why is there no disease called nicotinism? Cigarettes are
> addictive, as is alcohol, as is food. These are drugs used to regulate
> emotional problems. If alcoholism a disease have you ever met an
> alcoholic that was completely emotionally stable? If it is truly a
> disease it should afflict everyone equally, but it doesn't.

Well, thank God that's solved then. Now maybe you can solve allergies since
they are also specific substance related and don't afflict everyone equally.
Gosh and then maybe you can devote some time to solving cancer, which can be
substance induced and doesn't afflict everyone equally.

[alloowishus]

Cancer does afflict everyone equally, meaning that a person who lives a
healthy lifestyle is just as like to get cancer as anyone else. Yet I
don't know of too many alcoholics who aren't using alcohol as a mood
stabilizer. My point is that they do this willingly, whereas cancer
afflicts you whether you want it or not. That, to me, is the nature of
a disease. I'm not saying alcoholics don't have problems, they do, but
the root of it is NOT a disease, rather it is something in their
personality they are trying to hide/erase etc. It makes you feel better
thinking that you have no control over it, but I don't believe it's the
truth.

[Dan McGown]

"alloowishus" <alloowishus@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1104960566.806302.15060@z14g2000cwz.googlegro ups.com...
> Cancer does afflict everyone equally, meaning that a person who lives a
> healthy lifestyle is just as like to get cancer as anyone else. Yet I
> don't know of too many alcoholics who aren't using alcohol as a mood
> stabilizer. My point is that they do this willingly, whereas cancer
> afflicts you whether you want it or not. That, to me, is the nature of
> a disease. I'm not saying alcoholics don't have problems, they do, but
> the root of it is NOT a disease, rather it is something in their
> personality they are trying to hide/erase etc. It makes you feel better
> thinking that you have no control over it, but I don't believe it's the
> truth.

Ohhhhhh! I understand now. At first I thought you were an adolescent. I
didn't realize you were just another troll.

[rosie readandpost]

well........................alrighty then!

--
rosie

wisconsin snow storm coming!
http://img91.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img91&image=dcp00011wr.jpg






"alloowishus" <alloowishus@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1104955912.062064.19800@f14g2000cwb.googlegro ups.com...
: I've been thinking about this and I think it is a falsehood to
claim
: alcoholism is a disease, any more than obesity is a disease. It is
a
: choice. Why is there no disease called nicotinism? Cigarettes are
: addictive, as is alcohol, as is food. These are drugs used to
regulate
: emotional problems. If alcoholism a disease have you ever met an
: alcoholic that was completely emotionally stable? If it is truly a
: disease it should afflict everyone equally, but it doesn't.
:

[Nat]

You might be surprised to find out how many of them drink, knowing full
well it is killing them. Inflicted with the mental disease of alcoholism,
they have no choice.
nat

> Yet I don't know of too many alcoholics who aren't using alcohol as a mood
> stabilizer. My point is that they do this willingly...

[Bobby L]

"alloowishus" <alloowishus@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1104960566.806302.15060@z14g2000cwz.googlegro ups.com...
> Cancer does afflict everyone equally, meaning that a person who lives a
> healthy lifestyle is just as like to get cancer as anyone else. Yet I
> don't know of too many alcoholics who aren't using alcohol as a mood
> stabilizer. My point is that they do this willingly, whereas cancer
> afflicts you whether you want it or not. That, to me, is the nature of
> a disease. I'm not saying alcoholics don't have problems, they do, but
> the root of it is NOT a disease, rather it is something in their
> personality they are trying to hide/erase etc. It makes you feel better
> thinking that you have no control over it, but I don't believe it's the
> truth.
>

Oddly enough the group name is alt.recovery.addiction.alcoholism not
alt.theory.addiction.alcoholism.

That said, when you look outside and notice your donkey is in the ditch, you
have two choices. You can spend a lot of time trying to figure where the
ditch came from, how the donkey got there, whether or not it's a big ditch
or little ditch, etc... or

You can start trying to get your ASS out the ditch.

Which do you think is more appropriate?

Bobby L

[Patrick]

Why isn't everyone addicted to food then?
I know that cravings are caused by a chemical reaction in the brain which
not everyone has, only alcoholics. I also know that some people can smoke
ciggarettes socially whereas for other people one ciggarette leads to a pack
of ciggarettes a day.
If you've ever been addicted to tobacco then you'll know that those cravings
aren't from hiding from some emotional problem they're a chemical reaction
in the brain.

"alloowishus" <alloowishus@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1104955912.062064.19800@f14g2000cwb.googlegro ups.com...
> I've been thinking about this and I think it is a falsehood to claim
> alcoholism is a disease, any more than obesity is a disease. It is a
> choice. Why is there no disease called nicotinism? Cigarettes are
> addictive, as is alcohol, as is food. These are drugs used to regulate
> emotional problems. If alcoholism a disease have you ever met an
> alcoholic that was completely emotionally stable? If it is truly a
> disease it should afflict everyone equally, but it doesn't.
>

[JB]

"Patrick" <someone@microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:41dcd71a@clear.net.nz...
> Why isn't everyone addicted to food then?
> I know that cravings are caused by a chemical reaction in the brain
which
> not everyone has, only alcoholics. I also know that some people can
smoke
> ciggarettes socially whereas for other people one ciggarette leads
to a pack
> of ciggarettes a day.
> If you've ever been addicted to tobacco then you'll know that those
cravings
> aren't from hiding from some emotional problem they're a chemical
reaction
> in the brain.
>
> "alloowishus" <alloowishus@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:1104955912.062064.19800@f14g2000cwb.googlegro ups.com...
> > I've been thinking about this and I think it is a falsehood to
claim
> > alcoholism is a disease, any more than obesity is a disease. It is
a
> > choice. Why is there no disease called nicotinism? Cigarettes are
> > addictive, as is alcohol, as is food. These are drugs used to
regulate
> > emotional problems. If alcoholism a disease have you ever met an
> > alcoholic that was completely emotionally stable? If it is truly a
> > disease it should afflict everyone equally, but it doesn't.
> >

Research has given cause for belief that alcoholism is the result of
a metabolic disorder. In other words, how the alcoholic's body reacts
to alcohol is different to the way a non-alcoholic person's does.

JB

[rosie readandpost]

: If you've ever been addicted to tobacco then you'll know that
those cravings
: aren't from hiding from some emotional problem they're a chemical
reaction
: in the brain.
:
:

actually you have hit on something
here.......................cravings for "a hit of nicotine" can be
both physical and psychological!
smoking is often used as a "coping tool" ask those who are using NRT
(nicotine replacement) and are still craving.

[J]

I presume that you're not an alcoholic... ?

--
J



alloowishus wrote:
> I've been thinking about this and I think it is a falsehood to claim
> alcoholism is a disease, any more than obesity is a disease. It is a
> choice. Why is there no disease called nicotinism? Cigarettes are
> addictive, as is alcohol, as is food. These are drugs used to regulate
> emotional problems. If alcoholism a disease have you ever met an
> alcoholic that was completely emotionally stable? If it is truly a
> disease it should afflict everyone equally, but it doesn't.

[Nat]

> I also know that some people can smoke ciggarettes socially whereas for
> >other people one ciggarette leads to a pack of ciggarettes a day.

I wish that had been me...I was well over 2 packs a day. I wasn't able to
quit until I used the AA formula "Stay away from the first one".
nat

[Patrick]

" rosie readandpost" <readandpost@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:oPaDd.190853$T02.71343@twister.rdc-kc.rr.com...
>
> : If you've ever been addicted to tobacco then you'll know that
> those cravings
> : aren't from hiding from some emotional problem they're a chemical
> reaction
> : in the brain.
> :
> :
>
> actually you have hit on something
> here.......................cravings for "a hit of nicotine" can be
> both physical and psychological!
> smoking is often used as a "coping tool" ask those who are using NRT
> (nicotine replacement) and are still craving.
>
I was smoking 25 ciggarettes a day 15 years ago. I haven't had a ciggarette
since that time (I was smoking for a ten year period). Although for about 7
years after I gave up I would feel like a ciggarette sometimes when someone
else was smoking one, it wasn't the sharp pain of a craving (which is a
chemical reaction to nicotine) but just a need to do something with my hands
& mouth. In this sense my wanting a ciggarette was emotional.
I think that addictions are complex things. It says in the Big Book that
some people die from drinking too much alcohol even though they aren't
alcoholics. ie. they drink too much even though they don't have a physical
craving for alcohol.
Although people abuse substances for various reasons, a true addict has a
chemical reaction to the substance and as a result has a craving for that
substance which means that they are not in charge of how much of it they
consume. I truely believe this.

[lmk]

I'm with "J"....you are not an alcoholic are you??

[Me Omy]

I believe U don't understand the problem---although I now question
whether EVERY set of personal actions doesn't constitute somebodys'
definition of a "disease"

[Sc0t U]

In article <11607-41E01128-53@storefull-3171.bay.webtv.net>, whocares47
@webtv.net says...
> I believe U don't understand the problem---although I now question
> whether EVERY set of personal actions doesn't constitute somebodys'
> definition of a "disease"
>
>
It's a disease for which there is no cure
except for pyschobabble, group meetings
and more alcohol.
--
"Laissez les bons temps rouler!" -"La Grenouille

Back by popular demand, 'steal this book' --over
1,500 hits when I had it in my sig back in 2001
or whenever that was.
http://www.geocities.com/woogawooga99/steal.html


"I can pull a rabbit out of a hat. I can pull
it out but I can't put it back. - WZ

[George &The Dragon]

> You can start trying to get your ASS out the ditch.

HAHAHAHA
Thanks, Bobby L. My laugh for the day. Good advice, too!

Hope you're keeping well. All the best for 2005.

George


&
The Dragon

[Bobby L]

"George &The Dragon" <george@dragon.ca> wrote in message
news:FCHEd.22448$b64.398688@news20.bellglobal.com. ..
> > You can start trying to get your ASS out the ditch.
>
> HAHAHAHA
> Thanks, Bobby L. My laugh for the day. Good advice, too!
>
> Hope you're keeping well. All the best for 2005.
>
> George
>
>
> &
> The Dragon
>
>

Glad I could add a little humor to your Day. 2005 is so far----so good!
I woke up breathing this morning and it's been gravy ever since.
Good to see your smiliing face again - so to speak...

Good on ya'


Bobby L