Alcoholism Is Not a Cause ... It's an Effect Therefore NOT a Disease

by JHBrisbane
(Brisbane, Queensland, Australia)

According to AA, Alcoholism is a result of psychological issues, such as fear of rejection, fear of abandonment, etc. This makes it a secondary. You cannot argue that something is a disease on the one hand, yet a symptom of an underlying issue, fear, or lack of spirituality on the other. Either it is the cause, or the effect, but not both. Thus, it must be secondary, which means the 'disease' in question is not alcoholism, but a mental disorder, behavioral disorder, or mental illness.

Comment

Relying on AA to provide a medical diagnosis is probably not a good idea, and the last time I checked I'm pretty sure AA do regard alcoholism as a disease.

Do like your cause/effect argument however and do agree alcoholism is the cause of an underlying issue and I personally like Andrew Weil's M.D.'s definition where he refers to alcoholism or addiction as first and foremost a spiritual problem because it represents a misdirected attempt to achieve wholeness.

But having said that, aren't all diseases an effect of something gone wrong in our mind/body make up? Heart disease is usually the effect of poor diet, lack of exercise and maybe some genetic influence is it not?