Over the years there has been much debate about whether alcoholism should be classified as a disease or not. It is certainly a problem, there is no denying that but is it actually a disease? When you think of a disease you think of a condition that isn’t normal and that has a negative effect on the body, causing its functions to be impaired. Different diseases will have different symptoms associated with it. When you think of alcoholism it is an abnormal condition that has a negative effect on the body and has symptoms associated with it. So in that sense then alcohol should be classified as a disease.
Alcohol is not a symptom of another disease; it is a disease on its own that causes a person to be obsessed with the need to drink. This is not a normal obsession and has an extremely negative effect on the body. This disease has symptoms that are specific and consistent with the disease. Alcoholism is a disease that causes a controlling disability that seriously disadvantages those who suffer from it.
When a person becomes an alcoholic it is incredibly difficult for them to stop drinking and the condition will continue until they are treated or until they are dead. Unfortunately, many alcoholics do drink themselves to death. An alcoholic’s physical and emotional state is affected with this disease and it can affect their social life in a very negative way also. As the drinking continues, the symptoms of this disease worsen.
Because alcoholism is an addictive disease it is very difficult for a person to get healthy again on their own and they usually require outside help. Their obsession with drinking becomes so bad that they can’t stop drinking and will do anything to get another drink. Their obsession takes over their life. An alcoholic reaches a stage where they just cannot live without alcohol and they will become quite distraught if they cannot get a drink. Their obsession and symptoms are both physical and mental and even if they realize that they have a problem, they just can’t stop. Their disease has a huge negative effect on them and on those around them.
Many alcoholics will not admit to having a problem and will live in denial. They will try to hide their obsession or just ignore it and pretend it is not a problem. If you confront an alcoholic about their disease they may become angry because they don’t want to admit that they have a problem to you or to themselves.
Alcoholism can harm relationships and is the cause of many break ups. An alcoholic may find themselves on their own when their family can no longer live with their disease. They may also find themselves jobless when their boss will no longer live with their disease.
There are also a number of other physical diseases that alcoholism can cause. It does damage to the heart, kidneys and liver and can also increase the risk of getting cancer. Then there are the mental problems that it can cause like dementia, anxiety and depression.
The debate will go on as to whether alcoholism is a disease or not, but even if you think it isn’t you must admit that it has some terrible symptoms and causes a lot of negativity and harm to a person’s life. Relationships, careers and lives can be destroyed from this terrible condition.
The longer a person suffers from alcoholism the harder it can be to treat it and overcome it. It is best to seek help as soon as you realize you have a problem. The first step is to admit that you have an alcohol problem and then seek help for it.
