by Craig J Davenport

Created on: December 08, 2008   Last Updated: March 27, 2010

You should be or have been an ardent user of these substances to write about, whether it's a disease or not. First of all having been a user of both alcohol or addicted to drugs I do think they both are diseases. I have known people who were binge drinkers who did not have a disease, and casual users of drugs who did not have the disease. The disease comes when, in your mind, all you think about is when you can get your next drink or hit of the drug of choice. From here on I will refer to alcoholism and drug addiction as the same, which they are in the sense of addiction and disease. One thing that is usually referred to by non drinkers and users is permanent damage to the brain. There is no proof that either causes brain damage, permanently. I have known many addicts that didn't have the disease, but I've known many, on the other hand that did have the dreaded disease. It should be treated as a disease and is very hard to cure. I do believe that it's one of the only diseases that have to be cured by the one with the disease. We all know who we are.

We people who know we are addicted, readily admit it. I'm referring to the diseased ones. The addicts who aren't diseased have a problem admitting their problems. I know that sounds odd, but true. The ones who have the problem as a disease have been through it all and decided that the addiction, now being a disease, are searching for help within themselves, and sometimes elsewhere. I totally believe that drug and alcohol addictions are just as much a disease as Tuberculosis. We treat Tuberculosis as best we can, but the addict is treated as if they have no understanding, or intelligence of the problem. The ideal situation for treating the disease is for the sick person to seek out help themselves, and have wide open doors so they can leave anytime. All the treatment in the world will not cure the disease without the complete cooperation of the Patient. If the Patient can stay in the facility without bars and locks on the doors he is ready to cure himself. I have had so many addictions in my life, believe me, I know a simple addiction from the full blown disease, and I had the full blown disease. I know i had the diseases, since I couldn't go one day without the substances, first alcohol, then after alcohol, I had A hip replacement and knee replacement and got really addicted to Loritab. I'm still battling the Loritab addiction.

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