Is drug and alcohol addiction just a bad habit? Or is it a disease?

@joeyjensen1959 I read this, again this morning. It is The Doctor's Opinion (Dr Silkworth) from the Big Book. I thought of it when I read your post. You are probably familiar with it.

THE DOCTOR'S OPINION (pg. xiii & top of xiv)

WE OF Alcoholics Anonymous believe that the reader will be interested in the medical estimate of the plan of recovery described in this book. Convincing testimony must surely come from medical men who have had experience with the sufferings of our members and have witnessed our return to health. A well-known doctor, chief physician at a nationally prominent hospital specializing in alcoholic and drug addiction, gave Alcoholics Anonymous this letter:

To Whom It May Concern:

I have specialized in the treatment if alcoholism for many years.
In late 1934 I attended a patient who, though he had been a competent businessman of good earning capacity, was an alcoholic of a type I had come to regard as hopeless.

In the course of his third treatment he acquired certain ideas concerning a possible means of recovery. As part of his rehabilitation he commenced to present his conceptions to other alcoholics, impressing upon them that they must do likewise with still others. This has become the basis of a rapidly growing fellowship of these men and their families. This man and over one hundred others appear to have recovered.

I personally know scores of cases who were of the type with whom other methods had failed completely.
These facts appear to be of extreme medical importance; because of the extraordinary possibilities of rapid growth inherent in this group they may mark a new epoch in the annals of alcoholism. These men may well have a remedy for thousands of such situations.

You may rely absolutely on anything they say about themselves.

Very truly yours,
William D. Silkworth, M.D.

THE DOCTOR'S OPINION (pg. xxiv & top of xxv)

The physician who, at our request, gave us this letter, has been kind enough to enlarge upon his views in another statement which follows. In this statement he confirms what we who have suffered alcoholic torture must believe-that the body of the alcoholic is quite as abnormal as his mind. It did not satisfy us to be told that we could not control our drinking just because we were maladjusted to life, that we were in full flight from reality, or were outright mental defectives. These things were true to some extent, in fact, to a considerable extent with some of us. But we are sure that our bodies were sickened as well. In our belief, any picture of the alcoholic which leaves out this physical factor is incomplete.

The doctor's theory that we have an allergy to alcohol interests us. As laymen, our opinion as to its soundness may, of course, mean little. But as ex-problem drinkers, we can say that his explanation makes good sense. It explains many things for which we cannot otherwise account.

Though we work out our solutions on the spiritual as well as an altruistic plane, we favor hospitalization for the alcoholic who is very jittery or befogged. More often than not, it is imperative that a man's brain be cleared before he is approached, as he has then a better chance of understanding and accepting what we have to offer. (A.A. Big Book(

THE DOCTOR'S OPINION (pg. xxv & top of xxvi)

The doctor writes:

The subject presented in this book seems to me to be of paramount importance to those afflicted with alcoholic addiction.

I say this after many years’ experience as Medical Director of one of the oldest hospitals in the country treating alcoholic and drug addiction.

There was, therefore, a sense of real satisfaction when I was asked to contribute a few words on a subject which is covered in such masterly detail in these pages.
We doctors have realized for a long time that some form of moral psychology was of urgent importance to alcoholics, but its application presented difficulties beyond our conception. What with our ultra-modern standards, our scientific approach to everything, we are perhaps not well equipped to apply the powers of good that lie outside our synthetic knowledge.

Many years ago one of the leading contributors to this book came under our care in this hospital and while here he acquired some ideas which he put into practical application at once.

Later, he requested the privilege of being allowed to tell his story to other patients here and with some misgiving, we consented. The cases we have followed through have been most interesting: in fact, many of them are amazing. The unselfishness of these men as we have come to know them, the entire absence of profit motive, and their community spirit, is indeed inspiring to one who has labored long and wearily in this alcoholic field. They believe in themselves, and still more in the Power which pulls chronic alcoholics back from the gates of death.

Of course an alcoholic ought to be freed from his physical craving for liquor, and this often requires a definite hospital procedure, before psychological measures can be of maximum benefit.

As a mother of a child w/addiction and also AS a child of an alcoholic I truly feel this is a disease of inheritance. My husband drinks, his father drank and so did my father—to excess MANY times. Multiple DUI’s, job losses and jail stays easily confirms to the afflicted even though they always acted as if it was no big deal. It destroys a family, causing anxiety and heartache for siblings, father and mother for sure. After years of abuse, my father quit drinking. My son overdosed, went to rehab and jail multiple times before he finally got sick of his life. He is so determined to put it behind him and it makes my heartache fade as I see him thrive. You have to want it bad enough to stop! Good luck and I hope you have a support team to cheer you on!

Alcoholism and addiction is the craziest disease. It is a dis-ease of mind, body, and spirit. I have posted many times my battle with it. I have also posted many times about my partner of 28 years' battle and finding him dead in the floor of our kitchen from the disease. I know that battle. In AA they call it the "jumping off" point where one can't see life with the substance and can't see life without it. This is the lowest of the low. I will speak from my own experience. I knew it was going to kill me and yet, I could not stop. It is like having two different people inside and it is as I believe the mind (which is different than the brain) my mind, anyway, has the alcoholic part and the sober part. As of 12/16/17, the sober part of my mind is stronger and I rely on other people and the Spirit of the Universe to give me strength a day at a time. I have moments where the addict part of me tries to tell me things are hopeless and I "might as well drink..." I can catch that part and remember to play the tape forward. For me, to drink is to die and I know that it NEVER gets better to relapse. I have done so many times and the last relapse was 7 years I think. Today, I do not have to drink or use drugs...no matter what happens. I miss my partner. He was a great person, smart, funny, and kind. He just could not put down the bottle. I appreciate so much everyone's share on this post. It helps me more than you know.

Ginny

As a mother of a child w/addiction and also AS a child of an alcoholic I truly feel this is a disease of inheritance. My husband drinks, his father drank and so did my father—to excess MANY times. Multiple DUI’s, job losses and jail stays easily confirms to the afflicted even though they always acted as if it was no big deal. It destroys a family, causing anxiety and heartache for siblings, father and mother for sure. After years of abuse, my father quit drinking. My son overdosed, went to rehab and jail multiple times before he finally got sick of his life. He is so determined to put it behind him and it makes my heartache fade as I see him thrive. You have to want it bad enough to stop! Good luck and I hope you have a support team to cheer you on!

@gmarosie, we inherit the propensity for addiction. I used to tell people that I was born with the propensity to it, you just needed to add some substance (which I did in abundance). Addiction in my family goes back generations.

Not to trivialize or befuddle the debate over whether alcohol and drug addiction are diseases or just weaknesses of character:

I am an addict. I am addicted to FOOD. I wake up thinking about food, I go to bed thinking about food, I have to RESIST food every day and minute of my life!

Is it a disease? No.

Our brains have pleasure centers which if we do not resist feeding that "pleasure" center, we become "addicted" to whatever trips that trigger the most.

I HAVE to control my desires for that trigger, mine being FOOD. I could just as easily do wine and liquor as I love both, too....and if I even tried cocaine, or took too much oxycontin I fear I would ALSO get addicted to such a pleasure because I have tried both (cocaine just a taste back in the 70s to see if it really would make my tongue numb - and it did of course) .

SO: if we don't control our impulses to feed the pleasure centers - we can get addicted to anything. Food, drugs, alcohol, sex...

And when the addiction takes over it will kill us in some way, shape or form.

I feel compassion for those who haven't the fortitude to say "no" or "that is enough". and yes, I think there are genetic propensities to find an addictive substance addictive, but we also have genetic propensities for everything to include being strong of mind enough to say "no" to addiction.

If we do not say "no" we end up in the ditch of life.

Mother Nature sorts us all out that way....to find the strongest.