Help please! is alcoholism a disease?

Yes: The diagnostic and statistical manual for mental disorders fourth addition text revision or dsm-iv tr codes both alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence as mental diseases. Twelve step programs such as alcoholics anonymous also embrace the disease model. There are many effective programs and therapies to help people recover from alcoholism.

Yes : As i understand it, the brains of alcoholics process alcohol differently than the brains of those that are not alcoholics. Therefore, they become addicted more quickly and easily and have much more difficulty stopping drinking than others. This is only part of the explanation of alcoholism as there are psychological components, as well. Both md and addictions specialist need to treat together.

Fascinating history: In us, the concept of alcoholism as disease can be traced to 1784 essay by philadelphia physician & signator of the us declaration of independence, benjamin rush. Rush asserted that certain individuals are biologically/genetically predisposed 2 illness of alcoholism. Though widely accepted by the us public, disease concept has/has had its critics. A popular history/critique: http://amzn.To/13gcwi1.