by Tessa Garcia

Created on: May 08, 2008

This makes me wonder, since when did addiction to alcohol and drugs became a disease? If you were to define the meaning of disease, it is a condition in humans that results in pathological symptoms and is not the direct result of physical injury. For me a disease is something you acquired that is not intentional. A disease can also be a person in specific disorder often having a known cause, let's say getting exposed to harmful bacteria. Then you develop a disease associated with the harmful bacteria. Take note that it was not self inflicted.

Addiction is a dependence, a habit, an obsession and a craving. The people who got addicted to alcohol and drugs ruined themselves. Then they will claim it as an excuse that it's a disease?

If we learned that a person got addicted to alcohol and drugs are we suppose to pity them because they got a disease? These people drink alcohol or take drugs since they wanted to become merry, feel drunk and high on drugs. They got addicted to this bad habit and it's their choice. For this reason, I don't consider addiction to alcohol and drugs as a disease.

Of course, they will blame their addiction on depression due to whatever they can blame (except themselves) because they want to find an excuse to what they're doing. They also have a weak mind. Some or probably most of them let themselves became an addicted due to peer pressure who introduced them to these vices. Is this right?

Again, I couldn't get it that when people became addicted to alcohol and drugs, people would say, the poor man is sick. Sick of what, hang-over or sick of not having his next doze? Addicts abuse the people around them by claiming they're sick. Yes, people need understanding. How, by giving them the money they need for their addiction?

I have epilepsy and I'm taking Phenobarbital as a maintenance medicine since 1988. The generic of Phenobarbital is Barbiturates and the said drug that acts as central nervous system depressants, and by virtue of this they produce a wide spectrum of effects, from mild sedation to anesthesia. Phenobarbital is a restricted drug, in my case it was prescribed as an anti-convulsant.

It's has been twenty long years after I started taking Phenobarbital and I was never addicted to it. My doctor checks my Phenobarbital level every six months and it's within therapeutic level. Of course, if I go beyond the therapeutic level, then I am an addict. However, I am always on the therapeutic level since I chose to remain that way.

Epilepsy is

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