To think that addiction is a disease?

[feryon98]

Was having a discussion with a few coworkers about this and it seems to offend them when people claimed addiction is a disease and they said people with actual diseases don't have a choice.

Yes, addiction it's self inflicted but there are many diseases which are caused by an initial choice (e.g Eating unhealthy can cause Type II diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure,).

So gloriia you made a choice not to be an addict?

You choose not to because you've got the benefit of knowing what happened to your mother and grandmother and know not to TOUCH a bottle. I also have that benefit as my much older brothers are alcoholics. That's the only thing stopping me from being an alcoholic right now. I mean yeah I tried alcopops in my youth but I never got any "buzz" from them. If I had and they changed my mental state and made me feel happy I'd be addicted. Thankfully that never happened as I realised a few years ago I had an addictive personality too so I'm immensely grateful. I'm pretty much teetotal now.

Go figure that I'm a binge eater and have a spending addiction instead. Things you can't really avoid. Do I wish I was like my parents and grandparents who did everything in moderation? Of course I do! But I'm just not for whatever reason. And I could be SO much worse if I did alcohol/smoking/drugs for long enough or fell in with a drinking crowd in my teens like my brothers did.

I am glad you have a choice. Good luck in your life ❤

I am glad you have a choice. Good choice!❤

Exactly.

People are different shock horror. What is hard for one person to give up is not hard for another. I gave up eating meat 20 years ago, never looked back never had one urge to eat it again. Occasionally I might be like "remember how nice chicken kiev was" but that was the end of my thought process. I imagine that is how non-addicted people feel about most things they can easily give up or do in moderation. I don't think I'm so strong-willed for giving up meat whilst a lot of other people would really struggle, even though it's not even an addiction for most. I simply didn't miss it.

Same with coffee which apparently IS addictive-I've drank it plenty but then just stopped. I guess because it doesn't really make me feel high or happy or whatever. Most on here saying addiction is a choice probably consume meat and coffee...and the meat industry is VERY damaging to the planet and animals. Maybe you should think about giving up meat...

One of the many horrific stories, but it really was NOT you. You did nothing wrong. Nothing. ❤

I don't feel anger towards either of them, just sadness really. He was awful, very cruel and violent, but deeply unhappy and he's dead now anyway. Obviously she should have left him especially when he was violent towards us as kids, but I understand she didn't feel like she could. I have a good relationship with her and just want her to enjoy her freedom now.

'Same with coffee which apparently IS addictive-I've drank it plenty but then just stopped. I guess because it doesn't really make me feel high or happy or whatever. Most on here saying addiction is a choice probably consume meat and coffee...and the meat industry is VERY damaging to the planet and animals. Maybe you should think about giving up meat...'

I love the boost I get from a Costa. I have one maybe once a week, I recognise to have multiple lattes daily would cost a fortune, affect my sleep and make me feel shit. Its just common sense. I don't eat meat.

@Gloriia You obviously don't have a voice in your head constantly telling you to have another one, because you are not an addict. I should be addicted to coffee but I'm not. It's not me having special willpower when it comes to coffee. I just don't care either way. Same with meat. You don't get to know what you're addicted to until you're deep in it. And most addicts WANT to moderate like you do and keep doing what they enjoy.

It takes a lot of time to realise you can't just have one a week, and by that time you're often deep in addiction. You have to stop completely and never touch the stuff. That's hard when you see regular people still enjoying something that you never can. How would you feel if you had to give up coffee altogether?

It’s nice you have a good relationship with her now. My mam died when I was barely an adult, but my abusive dad is still alive. Needless to say I have no contact with him as he continued to be abusive and try to control us emotionally, financially so on
as adults. A leopard never changes its spots so they say.

'How would you feel if you had to give up coffee altogether?'

I'd be fine, have another treat instead matcha maybe? It isn't about coffee or meat though because if I ate or drank both to excess it would not negatively affect those around me.

We all have little voices saying have some more of everything. We all have the ability to control ourselves. I had morphine once post op, made me feel great. I didn't go home then seek it from drug dealers because I'm not stupid.

@Gloriia I'd be fine, have another treat instead matcha maybe? It isn't about coffee or meat though because if I ate or drank both to excess it would not negatively affect those around me.

As I said before eating meat is terrible for the planet and causes untold animal suffering, yet most of the country could never give it up. I guess it's ok if you've moralised it in your head that it doesn't matter as long as it doesn't hurt the people you care about though...

Oh wow you had morphine ONCE and were able to control yourself? You truly do have iron discipline! Now imagine if you were on it or some other drug for months because of an accident, illness or chronic pain that wasn't even your fault. How easy do you think it'd be to stop then? Most heroin addicts probably won't get addicted the first time-but almost all of us would if we took it a few times.

My argument to that would be - as the adult child of an alcoholic mother, I would tick the box for gentics. I’ve had to endure an abusive farther who beat up my siblings (I escaped the worst of that) then she died when I was in my very early 20’s (incase you’ve not seen my previous posts, she was drunk every day practically since I can remember- about 11.l) I hated staying at home and had no stability so loved staying at my friends house as her mum was ‘normal’ and they clearly felt sorry me (which I’m pleased about)

I still drink - I’m having a glass of wine now but I don’t drink on a school night and I also have the added stress of having a disabled child and my Mother didn’t have to deal with the stress of worrying about disabled children, an alcoholic mother and abusive father. On paper I should be an alcoholic because I like the feeling I get after a few drinks as it ‘relaxes’ me, but I chose not to do it infront of my children as I would hate them to feel like I did. My children make chose not to do it every day. My children are with their dad tonight but when they’re home I won’t drink. They are both teens and ones almost an adult and I’m
proud to say I’ve not put them through the same shit I had to deal with. I couldn’t do it to them

Oh excuses excuses. My point was of course morphine gives you a buzz but you don't then seek it out.

Anyone with chronic pain is closely monitored to prevent addiction.

We aren't really talking about chronic pain though are we, we are talking about those who drink or take drugs excessively because they like the feeling then blame everything else and claim to be victims.

Still no idea on the relevance of meat eating. I'm a veggie and would prefer it if we could end the suffering of animals but that has nothing to do with addicts.

@Gloriia We aren't really talking about chronic pain though are we, we are talking about those who drink or take drugs excessively because they like the feeling then blame everything else and claim to be victims.

Because it's often a gateway into drug taking. Whoever brought up Matthew Perry-well he had a jetski accident and got given a pill of oxycodone which set off his drug addiction. What if someone turned to alcohol for the pain or boredom or whatever instead, would they be worse in your eyes than someone who took drugs and happened to get addicted?

Still no idea on the relevance of meat eating. I'm a veggie and would prefer it if we could end the suffering of animals but that has nothing to do with addicts.

Because it's not addictive and still most of the country can't give it up to help the planet even though it's a "choice" and should be soo easy-they're just too selfish to make that choice. Look at most people and their inability to give up something they like and then times it by about 100 when it's something they're addicted to and you just might understand.

Taking heroin 'for the first time' is an insanely stupid CHOICE to make.
Like I said....Fuck around and find out.
By the way, I do understand addiction as I'm an ex smoker, gave up 20 odd years ago, I found it extremely hard at the time, but guess what, it wasn't a disease! It was my own stupid choices that led me to addiction, I've noone to blame but myself, no woe is me, I used them as a crutch to a degree but I had free will and bodily autonomy then and now. I CHOOSE to stop smoking even though I found it damn hard.

@Poetnojo Taking heroin 'for the first time' is an insanely stupid CHOICE to make.
Like I said....Fuck around and find out.

Yes obviously, but then if people on here think it's such an easy choice to stop then actually why not think you could just give up heroin? Apparently all the people on here who hate addicts would find it easy to just choose to stop..

Heroin addicts probably started pretty young so you're potentially saying to a 19/20 year old "fuck around and find out" when they made a stupid choice one night with their friends.

I don't think anyone is saying it's not the addicts fault or they're victims I think they're saying lay off on the "they're vile evil people who don't give a damn about their family and could easily stop but don't because they're selfish" there's a huge area in the middle between those two things.

Absolutely disagree!!

So I must be some kind of medical marvel considering I do still drink but I chose when and where!! (I haven’t got the time nor inclination to explain - so feel free to read my previous posts as that will give you context)

I like the buzz of alcohol as it releases my stress (again see my pp’s) for that short while, yet…… I don’t do it daily because I wouldn’t want to see my children crying saying please don’t drink mam please please….

I have the genes, the trauma, yet here we are. Sometimes I’d like to drink the whole cabinet of alcohol but I chose not to for the sake of my children as I’d hate them to see me out of control as I’m their stability. They also have an amazing dad so I could get wrecked and they would be well looked after but I stop myself.

Yes, I would say to a 19/20 year old who was out with their friends "fuck around and find out" I'd also say that if they decided to get behind the wheel when drunk and out with their friends. Play stupid games win stupid prizes.
I never said anything about them being vile evil people, not once, although I do believe they are insanely stupid to voluntarily walk themselves down the road to addiction.
I cant remember if it was you who's mentioned a few times about meat eaters causing unnecessary suffering to animals, if so, have you thought at all about the absolute trail of devastation along the path of drugs from start to finish? The sheer depts of human suffering along the way, the trafficking, the murders? Even the other day a poor innocent 4 year old boy in Ireland got caught up in the crossfire of some scummy drug gang who petrol bombed the house he was being babysat in and he lost his life.
Drugs are the scourge of the earth.

@FluffyBox I don't know why you continue to take the risk with your family history tbh and you've already admitted to unhealthy behaviour around alcohol. You have no idea if you're one step away from becoming a full blown alcoholic, addictions ALWAYS escalate. I doubt your mum started where she ended up either and thought she could stop every step of the way, until she couldn't.

Well, I was a heroin addict at birth - born addicted to it three months prematurely, and weaned off it. 😳

I guess I was lucky there was the best NICU at King's College hospital in London to help me go through that hell. 😵‍💫

No it doesn’t doesn’t always escalate!! That’s where YOU’RE wrong!! If that were the case, I may as well hold a grenade and threaten to throw it. I completely agree why you’re wondering why I’m not a full blown alcoholic- because on paper I bludy aught to be….

Yet here we are debating why I’m not…. What’s the most closely linked genes? Yep Mothers… have I suffered Trauma? Absolutely yes! (My mother didn’t, it’s so ironic ehh??)

I love a drink (a few drinks in right now but still composmentis and no more drink for me) so why have I had three wines and are getting the buzz feeling and could easily go to the fridge and drink the lot? I could so easily as I have no young children saying please no mam etc…but as a good a mam as I am and I’d say I’m doing a great job as I know they would hate seeing me pissed so regardless of how shit I’m feeling, I won’t take the opportunity to get “high” at the expense of their wellbeing!

To add, that’s the significant point that many posters have made, it’s not a vulnerable situation I’ve put myself in, such as thrown myself in a river when I can’t swim so there is literally no hope for me physically.

No one grabbed my mother and forced fed her a litre of wisky against her will, holding her mouth open! Had that happened id be the first to say how much the laws need changed etc…. She never refused it!