Alcohol Abuse Advice

Is Alcoholism a Disease ? The Truth about Alcoholism!

While the alcoholism disease theory has been around for decades and has had many staunch supporters, E.M Jellinek is credited with bringing the concept to the forefront in the fifties and sixties. However, Jellinek did not act alone since he had financial support and backing from Marty Mann, one of the charter members of AA and founder of the National Counsel for Alcoholism and R. Brinkley Smithers founder of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. In fact, Smithers actually funded Jellineks study “The Disease Concept of Alcoholism.” However, much of his work was discredited. In addition, During his tenure at Yale the university requested that Jellinek refute his findings in the study “The Stages of Alcoholism” on the grounds that the results failed to stand up to scientific scrutiny. It seems that Smithers and Mann played a significant role in bringing the disease concept to the mainstream. In fact, they successfully lobbied support from the U.S. government during the Nixon administration which eventually prompted a proclamation from the American Medical Association that alcoholism was indeed a disease. This, in turn, led to courting insurance companies to embrace the disease concept and addiction recovery programs as a covered modality. Today, the average cost of inpatient addiction treatment is 00 per month, and the length of programs range from 30 – 90 days. Consequently, the average cost of inpatient treatment ranges from 00 – ,000. The addiction treatment industry revenue exceeds Twenty-Billion dollars annually. Therefore, it would be safe to say that recovery is big business. Yet, to date, there is no empirical evidence whatsoever to support the alcoholism disease model it was founded on! In fact, “The Disease Concept of Alcoholism” study conducted by Jellinek was found to be skewed. Apparently, the surveys he based his conclusions on were from a group of alcoholics hand picked by, none other than, supporter Marty Mann. There were 158 questionnaires handed out while only 100 were included in the study – hardly a random sample! This closely parallels the pharmaceutical industries chemical imbalance theory. Once again, there is no empirical evidence to support such a theory, yet it has driven billions of dollars in sales of antidepressants, anxiety and mood stabilization drugs. Is it possible that the primary motive for driving the alcohol disease concept was purely financial gain? Well, here’s something to ponder. Bottom line, the chances of insurance companies covering treatment programs without labeling alcohol addiction as a disease would be slim to none. You’re free to draw your own conclusion, but the evidence does add up! 

In my opinion, alcohol and/or drug addiction has never been, nor will it ever be, a disease – period! Sure, the (NIDA) National Institute on Drug Abuse will offer hundreds of CT brain scans demonstrating that alcoholism is a disease, but all that really proves is that alcohol and drugs are mind altering substances. However, so are other innocuous substances such as sugar and salt! By no means, does this substantiate the disease theory! Disease is defined as a physical malady that can be pathologically diagnosed and treated. Cancer and Tuberculosis are diseases because they are, indeed, physical maladies whereas alcoholism is not! Alcohol addiction merely serves as a tool to manage one’s emotional pain. Although, what many view as a solution quickly becomes a trap. This occurs because the body adapts and requires more of the substance to achieve the desired emotional or psychological effect. In conclusion, alcohol addiction is a result of ones failure to process and overcome emotional scars caused by family dysfunction. This often encompasses personal power, personal identity and true life purpose issues. Deal with these issues, find inner peace and drinking destructively becomes repulsive. 

Regards, 

David Roppo

The Addiction Freedom Coach

 

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