Alcoholism or Drug Addiction - Disease or Excuse? Hmmm

by Jamielee
(Panama City Beach, Fl)

Well, this is coming from an experienced former alcoholic and drug addict. My father was an alcoholic, my mother a close second to him, my oldest brother died from alcoholism at age 52. My next brother was also an alcoholic, but health problems forced him to stop drinking, or die.

Thank God he is still here today. My sister has an addiction to marijuana, nothing else. I am recovering today from alcohol and drugs. So in all my personal experiences and all my readings about this subject I do believe that there is a certain gene in all addicts (addicts meaning drug and alcohol abusers) that makes a person more vulnerable to abusing than a person without that certain gene.

At the same time there is also this thing called "self discipline" that an addict cannot seem to apply while abusing. It is two-fold, 1)a genetic trait that can ruin a persons life by abusing, then 2)once it's realized by the addict that they have that gene - the pure will of that addict comes into play using self discipline to control that want, need or craving for that drug or drink and get help.

I know ..... for I have been to the mountain and back, both of them and at different times in my life!! People who have never experienced addiction are the first to say it's an excuse, but unless you have experienced this thing called addiction, you cannot fully understand how extremely hard it is to quit that drug or drink.

Think about the obese person that eats too much because it tastes good, or the gambler that can't quit because they have to have one more win. It's all relative, a weak gene that needs to be controlled by that person. Addiction comes in many forms, not just drugs or alcohol, but in food, gambling, sex, and yet something as simple as shopping!!!