Posted by alexandra_k on November 5, 2005, at 18:39:56
In reply to Re: This was a rhetorical question everyone » alexandra_k, posted by SLS on November 5, 2005, at 8:43:04
These aren't tooooo bad.
They give a bit of an account of the problem.This one talks about the EXTREMISTS on both sides. So... The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle:
http://www.counselormagazine.com/display_article.asp?aid=Advocates_and_Critics.asp
This one talks about how we should understand the concept of disease. Basically... It talks about how we need to define the concept of disease:
http://www.counselormagazine.com/display_article.asp?aid=disease_concept_for_21_century.asp
> Do you think it has been too much of a stretch?
Okay... I think that what is most useful here is to look at WHY some people consider it to be a disease and WHY some people don't want it to be a disease.
Then we need to figure out where we stand regarding those issues. And then given where we stand... Is the disease concept most helpful or not? Personally... I don't care whether it is considered a disease one way or the other. Not really. But if people make assumptions about the nature of addictive behaviours on the basis of whether it is called a disease or not, well, then our decision as to whether to call it a disease or not does have consequences. It is those consequences we need to look at.
> Does it depend on the mental illness?Sometimes people say that a disease needs to have a unique etiology or marker. So... Schizophrenia might come the closest... Brief adjustment disorder might not come anywhere near so close...
> Guess what? According to this dictionary definition, both mental illness and addiction would qualify as disease. I think this definition serves as an interesting guideline to further this discussion.
I would say that a medical dictionary would be one better. Though the fact that psychiatry (as a branch of medicine) is based (fairly much) on the ASSUMPTION that the disease model of mental illness is true there would be bias there.I would say a biology dictionary would be one better again. Though of course the very point is that this is a controversial topic. If I ask you to write an essay on what knowledge is you can't just have a look at Mirriam Webster and go with what it says. Becuase the point is that it is controversial. If we are discussing whether addiction is a disease you similarly can't just say 'the dictionary says it is so that is that'. The very problem is... Is the dictionary right?
> Q: Why is the rate of alcoholism so high in native american populations?
> A: Genetics. Chromosomes 4 and 12 coding for alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase respectively.
> Now what do we say?What I say is.... How about social factors. Do you think they are completely irrelevant? You dont' think history of oppression, current discriminations, current standards of living etc etc play a significant role as well?????
Lets take a person with whatever genetic thingie you think determines whether someone is an addict or not. Lets put them in an environment where there simply isn't any alchohol or whatever. They never use in their whole life. Are they still an addict??????
Sorry but... It just ain't that simple...
> I have seen people who have invested over twenty years of sobriety sacrafice it all for the taking of a single drink.
Yeah. Same with gambelling... I have seen the same with gambelling. Is that genetic too do you think???
>That one drink, often taken recreationally as opposed to as an attempt to self-medicate, led to benders and the destruction of the life they worked so hard to build. What do you think is going on here?
They had a period of prioritising long term goals... Then they prioritised short term over long term and the consequences of that were pretty bad as you noted.
> It is a horrific thing to witness.Yeah.
But I don't see how considering it a 'disease' helps.
Actually, I don't care one way or the other.
But it is an interesting exercise to consider the controversy because it brings us close to understanding just what is going onWhatever you decide to label that....
poster:alexandra_k
thread:575263
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/subs/20050914/msgs/575727.html