I read a post this morning from a woman who was struggling with the concept that Alcoholism is a disease, when it "can be willed away".  

An exert from her post states; "The patients that bother me the most are the ones with liver disease: either failure or hepatic encephalopathy. Their mental status has regressed to that of a 12 yr old and they are often no longer continent although they are only 50 something yrs old."

This struck me because just day before yesterday I had posted on my facebook wall:

"This morning I visited a man in the hospital who has not shown any sign of mental cognoscense for 3 days, with tubes in every orifice of his body, ... esophagus collapsed and broke in 6 places (almost bled out), liver not functioning at all,... had to find and contact his family with this information. Tonight, another man, is celebrating 1 year sobriety and going to a meeting in a limo .... I have experienced a whole spectrum of feelings today."

Both these men live in one of the Miracles In Progress Recovery Homes.  The man in the hospital is 46 years old.  He has required blood transfusions due to the toxicity levels in his blood, his colon is so infected that they are going to have to remove 4 ft of it (if he lives), and when they band one part of his esophagus to stop the bleeding another part cracks out and they are having to do it again.  He has not responded in any manner to sound or touch since Saturday night.  I spent time with his mother, sister and estranged wife last night at the hospital.  The wife had to sign a document stating that no heroics would be performed if he stops breathing, he is to be allowed to pass without any other resisitation efforts.  He had been to 11 detox centers in the past 15 years, and completed six 28 day treatment programs and had obtained various lengths of sobriety over the years including a 2 year period.

The man celebrating one year is 30 years old.  This is his second attempt to find freedom and recover from his alcoholism.

The American Medical Association has 3 primary tenents by which a "disease" is defined

1. It's Chronic - It cannot be wished away, willed away, ignored away, and it is inclined to periodically come out of remission (rare its ugly head again) even with the best known treatments being undertaken and all indicators of a full remission in place.

2. It's Progressive - In the absince of agressive and effective treatment it always gets worse, never better.   

3. It's Potentially Fatal - There are no guarantees. Even though the sufferer's illness has been in remission for a substantial period of time, and their health relatively restored, should they be inflicted with another bout it could result ulitimately in their death.

To understand alcoholism or addiction a person needs to grasp and understand the pathology of the brain that is effected by it.  This is where the disease we are addressing is centered.  It is more operative as a neurological malfunction, that as a by product has physological and behavorial symtoms.  

That being the case, if a person has a neurological disorder/malfunction, how can we expect that brain to make good, healthy, wholesome decisions?  Isn't that the same as expecting the abnormal to act normal?  

I often have to work with the family of alcoholics and addicts that are coming into the homes in order that they might better understand some of the dynamics of this disease and how to better understand it as a neurological issue not a character issue.  To do this, I have a animated illistration that I use that comes from Time magazine, and a video that I found on youtube.com.  I will provide this information below for you to view.

So many times I hear a parent, wife, husband, brother, sister or adult child say, "This is absolutely insane!  Why won't they stop??"  They just answered their own question.  The key word is "insane".  (neurology) Thus in step two this is what we are seeking to be restored, our sanity.  This takes time, effort, faith, and a great amount of environmental, and emotional support.

I hope this writing helps those with some questions better understand why alcoholism or addiction is defined as a disease and some of the internal dynamics of it that the eye can't see.

John

To view the animated illistraton go to:

http://www.time.com/time/interactive/0,31813,1640235,00.html

To view speaker on the Physiology/Pathology of Addiction go to 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CawzicB1bHM