[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by Zippy

No it is not. You're being simplistic as usual.

A disease requires medical intervention.

Millions of addicts have weened themselves off smoking, drinking, drugs etc without any help from doctors, counsellors or outside intervention. They do so by altering their own psychology and applying self discipline. You don't cure diseases like this. Addiction is often a habit gotten out of control. Its a psychological behavioural pattern that can certainly lead to medical diseases. But in itself it is not a disease.

I think addicts like to call it a disease to somehow make themselves look less responsible for their actions. It becomes less of a stigma. Truth is, many addicts just do not have the willpower or determination to end their addiction. This is where calling it a disease comes in very handy...

I go with you near all the way Zippy, however I don't know, lostalex is in the States, maybe addictions are seen as diseases there.

Also in the UK many addictions as to drugs and drinking are dealt with medically,even with no serious illness problems to treat the addiction and minimise it and then get them off it.
Of course as you say, the addictions do most often lead to serious health matters and then it is an alcohol or drug related medically recognised disease.

I help out,only an hour a week at an addictions centre and no 2 people are the same, you can have 8 people with the same addiction but will often need to apply totally different plans for each of them.

Getting people to admit they have a problem whether that's drugs, drinking or any eating disorders is the real hardest part.