Disease?

[knucklehead]

Why does the church and the medical profession have such a hard time recognizing alcoholism and addiction as a disease?

The church seems to believe that if it is a disease, somehow that will make the alcoholic/addict try to dodge the blame for their actions while drinking/using. Being diseased dosen't absolve us from our actions/ sins. A sin is a sin against God first and foremost. Some take pleasure at seeing the sinner brought down. Repentance is necessary, before God, and forgiveness is complete and not held against that person. Washed as white as snow. Some would have us feel indebeted for being a drunk/ junkie. If I were a diabetic and ate too much sugar and went into diabetic shock, would that mean that I do not have the disease of diabetes? That I'm just a willfull sinner that should know better?

The medical profession is a little easier to understand. They are healers and alcoholism/addiction is notoriously hard to treat. It makes them feel helpless when they can do little more than treat the symptoms. The only hope for the worst cases is Divine intervention and, as a profession with more than their share of athiests, it forces them to look more closly at how these lost causes are still alive.

Whats your thoughts on this? I know this has probably been discussed here before.
As for me, I know that I have the disease of alcoholism/addiction. That knowledge has made all the difference. Jesus met me at the level of my need and there is no condemnation with Christ.

 

[AngelDove1]

Hi there knuclehead,
And a warm welcome to you...I hope to fellowship with you and issuse like this one.For I hve been there.You are telling my story.

How long have you been clean and sober,may I ask?

 

[AngelDove1]

Hi there,

I too am a recovering AA & NA.

Liked what you had to say.

Keeping in mind God help's those that help themselve.

I reached my bottem 25 yrs ago.

Slipped 1 time, I did the 12 step program,that thought me bout me disease,and sick people.
Did not even know it was a disease till AA.

I am so full of greatfulness to my Lord for AA,and bring me to church at the same time.

God is AWESOME.

He is using me today to minister to addicts. He has given me the chance to be an example of His miracle.

There is not a day that goes by that I don't thank HIM for my sobrity.

I enjoyed your post ..."keep on keeping on"

"One day at a time" " K.I.S.S"

Shalom

 

[jerry ralph]

I tell fellow Christians the reason Alcoholism and drug addiction are considered a disease. It is not because of some virus or other source, but because the disease of addiction follows a pattern just like all diseases.There is a beginning, it is progressive, and unless it is arrested, the end result is death.

I hope I have helped you in some way.......EZ DZ IT

 

[AngelDove1]

I tell fellow Christians the reason Alcoholism and drug addiction are considered a disease. It is not because of some virus or other source, but because the disease of addiction follows a pattern just like all diseases.There is a beginning, it is progressive, and unless it is arrested, the end result is death.

I hope I have helped you in some way.......EZ DZ IT

Hi jerry.......

liked what you had to say jerry...

I know for a fact that alcoholizum,drugs,ETC.
Is a Curse,and it has to be broken.

Jesus died on that cross to free us from that.For those that believe.

I have seen the results of this CURSE in my family been broken. And continues to be broken.

There is power in prayer and having faith,hope,(deturmination,like Jacob),in our Lord.

"Through Christ Jesus all things are possible"

"Greater is He that is in me,than he that is in the world"

"I can do ALL things through Christ Jesus who strenghtens me"

"But for the Grace of God....there go I"

 

[LoG]

Physicians News[/url]
During the past 35 years, numerous studies by behavioral and social scientists have supported Jellinek’s contentions about alcoholism as a disease. The American Medical Association endorsed the concept in 1957. The American Psychiatric Association, the American Hospital Association, the American Public Health Association, the National Association of Social Workers, the World Health Organization and the American College of Physicians have also classified alcoholism as a disease. In addition, the findings of investigators in the late 1970s led to explicit criteria for an "alcohol dependence syndrome" which are now listed in the DSM IIR, DSM IV, and the ICD manual. In a 1992 JAMA article, the Joint Committee of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence and the American Society of Addiction Medicine published this definition for alcoholism: "Alcoholism is a primary chronic disease with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations. The disease is often progressive and fatal. It is characterized by impaired control over drinking, preoccupation with the drug alcohol, use of alcohol despite adverse consequences, and distortions in thinking, mostly denial. Each of these symptoms may be continuous or periodic."

I agree with you Knucklehead about the general view that it is a sin/willpower issue within the churches especially. That attitude came close to killing me as I tried in vain for many years to slow down on my own accord and praying for God to give me the willpower to resist the temptation to overindulge. When AA told me it was a disease that would only be arrested by complete abstinence and the compulsion to drink or drug could only be removed by God, the way became clear.
I still find I have to be on guard for well-meaning Christians trying to tell me it would be ok to have a couple now that God has freed me from the obsession.

 

[BigChrisfilm]

Drug addiction and alcohol addiction is also a dieses because it is a sin. I used NA to get off drugs, and by the grace of god, I have been let go of my obligation to drugs and alcohol. Keep in mind that ONLY god/jesus can releave your mind of the desire to use. It is a dieses, just as sin is a dieses, just as lieng, stealing, killing, ect... The only thing that can cure the dieses of addtion is god. He is the answer to all, and I would say that the reason hospitals can't look at is as a dieses is because Addiction isn't something they can put their finger on. Some churchs can't because they don't understand it, and seperate it for whatever reason from all other sins, Addiction is a sin, not any better or worse than all sin. That means that addiction is on par with lies. Addiction is on par with murder. But thank god that he can bring us out of this, and I pray that everyone will one day be free from the horrors of addiction, and brought into the light of Jesus.