No Way! I Don't Think Alcoholism Is a Disease

by Erin
(dallas)

Primary - After making the cognitive choice to take a drink and continue doing so until it causes damage. People can get cancer from asbestos but that is usually discovered as a cause after the fact. I have never heard an alcoholic say, "I thought it was lemonade I was drinking for thirty years".

Progressive - Making the choice to continue drinking will definitely cause more problems. Taking one drink will not cause the body to deteriorate over time, but choosing to continue drinking will. Cancer patients do not have the choice to say, "These cells need to stop multiplying and damaging my body".

Chronic - Again, if the individual makes the choice to continually drink.

Fatal - Of course alcohol is fatal, if you choose to drink yourself to death.

The disease concept for alcoholics takes away the need to have personal responsibility. It does not make someone a bad or morally corrupt person, just a person that did not make good decisions regarding alcohol consumption.