A vague, ambiguous term referring to
people who have lost control over their drinking, and is therefore having a negative impact on their life, such as work, relationships, or health. Somewhere along the
line, for the sake of political correctness and to completely liberate
people from responsibility for their own actions, Alcoholics
Anonymous and other such groups started referring to alcoholism as a "disease". They claim that you CAN'T bring your drinking under control, you have to SURRENDER TO A HIGHER POWER, and you have to
STOP DRINKING FOREVER, because you have a DISEASE, and are not responsible for your actions, but are in fact a VICTIM.
Calling alcoholism a disease is not only false and harmful, it is also offensive. Cancer is a disease. AIDS is a disease. Lyme disease is a disease. Alcoholism is an addiction, and addictions are a pattern of behavior, NOT a disease. Alcoholism can LEAD to disease, such as cirrhosis of the liver, but isn't itself a disease. You CHOOSE to drink. You
don't choose to get AIDS or Cancer.
By calling it a disease, you are throwing your hands up, and saying "I can't
help it! I have a disease! I'm a VICTIM." By saying "Damn, I drink way too much. I'
m the
one putting the drinks into my body, and only I alone can cut down or
stop", you are empowering yourself to take control of your life. The power to
stop is in YOU, not an imaginary "higher power".
"I know I
don't need this next drink, but I can't
help it! I have a disease! The disease of alcoholism! I'm gonna have
several more drinks, because it's not my fault!"
