Dependency on
alcohol and other drugs was once thought of as a moral problem. The addict was
looked upon as a weak-willed individual who did not care about other people or
even himself or herself. Today, of course, medical doctors, the clergy, and
other professionals realize that chemical dependency is a disease which responds
to treatment.
Addiction is a pathological relationship with a mood or mind-altering substance
or behavior which renders one powerless and produces harmful consequences. The
addicted person is often the last to accept the disease concept. But parents,
spouses, and other people close to the addict are slow in identifying the
disorder as an illness. This is because they, too, are simply too involved
emotionally with the disease process. Addictions do not exist in a vacuum.
The American Medical Association has given formal recognition to the disease
concept since 1956. Their recognizing alcoholism and other drug addiction as an
illness implies several things:
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The illness can be
described. |
| |
The course of the
illness is predictable and progressive. |
| |
The disease is
primary – that is, it is not just a symptom of some other underlying disorder. |
| |
It is permanent. |
| |
It is terminal. If
left untreated, it results in insanity or premature death. |
