AlcoholAbuseDetox.org Website Launches to Help Alcoholics Safely Detox and …
AlcoholAbuseDetox.org Website Launches to Help Alcoholics Safely Detox and Recover from Alcoholism. AlcoholAbuseDetox.org recently was launched with the goal to help raise awareness of alcoholism, and help people get on a safe path to recovery.
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If They Try to Make You Go to Rehab, Say No, No, No
Among other things, NIAAA noted that most people do overcome alcohol dependency, and that “about 75 percent of [those] who recover from alcohol dependence do so without seeking any kind of help, including specialty alcohol (rehab) programs and AA.”.
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Question by denveryay: How is it possible to absolutely categorize Alcoholim as a disease and not an illness?
“Disease” is a very loosely defined term in many respects. There are multiple disorders, infenctions, and symptoms that can be typical of a definable disease. Also, a disease must have specific and constant cause(s), which in the case of Alcoholism is the CHOICE to drink ethyl-alcohol. The cause of the “disease” is the recurring and disregarding CHOICE to drink. A choice, however pathological or illogical, doesn’t seem to be appropriate as a cause or a condition of any disease. Despite the negative psychological, physiological, and other results of long-term alcohol abuse, it seems that it shouldn’t be classified as anything more than a treatable mental disorder.

“Illness, although often used to mean disease, can also refer to a person’s perception of their health, regardless of whether they in fact have a disease. A person without any disease may feel unhealthy and believe he has an illness. Another person may feel healthy and believe he does not have an illness even though he may have a disease” – Wikipedia on ‘Disease’

It is true that if some Alcoholics didn’t have a disease to blame for their disorder, they would not be able to stop drinking. It is also true that because of Alcholism-as-a-disease, many people who ABUSE alcohol are led into misperceptions about their drinking habits. In fact, it is only alcohol DEPENDENCE that could possibly even begin to be categorized as a disease.

An individual who is alcohol-dependent exhibits behavior indicitive of addiction. Drink-seeking, withdrawal and tolerance, and psychological malfunction among others are the results and symptoms of addiction. My father and friends have struggled with alchohol and drug addictions and I have seen the both successful and unsuccessful treatments implemented in their lives.

It seems that Alcoholism and drug addictions are psychological disorders that in a vast majority of instances could be cured by a conscious choice (however difficult) to STOP using the cause of the addiction. It has been proven in many instances that an addict can stop using the object of their addiction without any complications, as long as they are commited to quitting.

It seems that diseases should only be those such as Cancer, Diabetes, Hepatitis and the like. People who have these diseases cannot make a choice to simply stop a behavior to ease their pains. Whereas, although undoubtedly difficult, an addict can ease his or her addiction by making a powerful choice to stop using.

By allowing alcoholism to be categorized as a disease, it seems that negative stigma is removed from addicts’ behaviors and people who drink are given an excuse to justify their behavior. Instead of feeling like they’ve let themselves and their families down, they are able to blam their behavior on a cause outside of their control, which is simply not true.

“Neither the U.S. Veterans Administration nor the Social Security Administration makes payments to individuals, whose disabilities stem from substance abuse, including alcoholism.” – From Shoutwire

I am NOT pro- or anti- any of this I am looking for factual objective evidence and ideas that could lead to helping me understand why Alchoholism is given reprieve by its disease classification.

Best answer:

Answer by kentuckyredhead5353
Well about half way through I had a problem and I developed this question. What is the difference with what you were saying in comparison to a cigarette smoker for some it’s the habit and the motion and some get physically sick for the lack of nicotine is it not similar. emotional vs physical and different for different personality types? 🙂 Guess I could read on have a good one:-)
OK I’m finally done now i get it, it’s all in there head so all they have to do is get it out of their head and it will all go away. They just will it away. Take 2 aspirins have a sucker and call me in the morning:-)
oh excuse me revision: update-read the last part. it was taken out as a disease because social security was being drained by leagal alcoholics that the government makes good taxes off of. The only help and recourse for a recovering alcoholic, drug user, vet, is a mental health clinic because why did they drink in the first place. Now uncle sam pays for their drugs and kills them off with a lousy health plan. looks who is on all the class action suits that will never collect anything. Trust me I have done my homework on this subject. I know many vets and low income disabled people. Nothing has changed but the name of the disease.

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Question by Angie: Will medicaid pay for alcohol rehab in Utah?
If you had a brother, sister, son, or daughter that needs help. Would you do anything you could to help them? This is a disease!

Best answer:

Answer by raysny
No. Although alcoholism is considered a disease by some, it is treated as a behavior by the government.

http://askjan.org/media/alcohol.html#ADA

Most rehabs are 12step-based, based on AA. Rehabs have a slightly better success rate than Alcoholics Anonymous which is estimated to be about 5%, the same as no treatment at all. People who fail in AA and 12step facilitation tend to fall harder than those who were not exposed to 12step treatment, which teaches people they are powerless to do anything about their addiction, that even God cannot cure alcoholism, only grant a daily reprieve from the desire to drink.

Dr. Brandsma found that A.A. increased the rate of binge drinking, and
Dr. Ditman found that A.A. increased the rate of rearrests for public drunkenness, and
Dr. Walsh found that “free A.A.” made later hospitalization more expensive, and
Doctors Orford and Edwards found that having a doctor talk to the patient for just one hour was just as effective as a whole year of A.A.-based treatment.
Dr. George E. Vaillant, the A.A. Trustee, found that A.A. treatment was completely ineffective, and raised the death rate in alcoholics. No other way of treating alcoholics produced such a high death rate as did Alcoholics Anonymous.
http://www.orange-papers.org/orange-letters85.html

What works? A summary of alcohol treatment research:
http://www.behaviortherapy.com/whatworks.htm

“About 75 percent of persons who recover from alcohol dependence do so without seeking any kind of help, including specialty alcohol (rehab) programs and AA. Only 13 percent of people with alcohol dependence ever receive specialty alcohol treatment.”
Alcoholism Isn’t What It Used To Be:
http://www.spectrum.niaaa.nih.gov/features/alcoholism.aspx

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If They Try to Make You Go to Rehab, Say No, No, No
Among other things, NIAAA noted that most people do overcome alcohol dependency, and that “about 75 percent of [those] who recover from alcohol dependence do so without seeking any kind of help, including specialty alcohol (rehab) programs and AA.” …
Read more on TakePart

Health Happenings
Register with cardiac rehab office, 678-854-2970. • Scleroderma Support Group … Alcoholics Anonymous – Meetings at Newnan Presbyterian, St. Paul's, Ramah Baptist, Turin UMC, Senoia UMC, Grantville Baptist, and at 9 Perry St. in Newnan. For details …
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The European Alcohol Addiction Market is Poised For a Treatment Paradigm …
The DecisionBase 2013 report entitled Alcohol Addiction: How Would a Harm Reduction Treatment Paradigm Be Received by Physicians? also finds that surveyed U.S. psychiatrists indicated that they would prescribe Alkermes' samidophan to 25 percent of …
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DSM-5: The End of One-Size-Fits-All Addiction Treatment?
This may come as a surprise to people working in the treatment industry because legal problems are the most common reason people seek treatment in rehab. But only about 12 percent of people with DSM-IV alcohol dependence ever seek specialty …
Read more on Pacific Standard

State senators urged to provide funds for alcohol, drug treatment
In 2001, the Legislature established the Alcohol Abuse Prevention and Treatment Fund, which was meant to steadily fund alcohol and drug prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery services. Administered by the Governor's Commission on Alcohol and …
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Question by Curtis: Do I qualify for Cal-SDI with these ICD-9 codes as my diagnosis?
My doctor took me out of work after i went to him to seek treatment for severe stress and crippling anxiety related to that stress. After a short talk about my daily life and what was going on he put me on a short grocery list of medications and took me out of work for 8 weeks.
The primary diagnosis listed on the application was 300.02 (generalized anxiety disorder).
The secondary diagnosis was 291.81(alcohol with-drawl syndrome).
The notation for the diagnosis was “generalized anxiety disorder, depression, alcohol dependence and alcohol with-drawl.
The findings were “patient is undergoing severe anxiety and depression related to detoxing from alcohol”
My medications are Naltrexone, Gabapentin, Gydroxyzine,and Remeron. Some pretty heavy stuff.
It’s important to note that I did not go to my doctor because i felt i have a drinking problem. i drank nightly, but not heavily (1-4 beers a night after work). my doctor is a never-drink-again guru and that’s the path he decided to take, I have followed it to the letter.
My question is, with that primary and secondary diagnosis (not living in a treatment facility) do I qualify for California state disability. I’m obviously very concerned.
Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I appreciate any help or advice you can give me. I’m most interested in the recent law applied to my situation.

Best answer:

Answer by TheRavenAZ
Since the first diagnosis is caused by the secondary diagnosis, I don’t believe it’s a qualifying condition because it is a choice to drink. Not to mention, it’s temporary. Alcohol withdrawal will only last so long. You should be through it within the 8 weeks you have and the second condition should disappear.

They can’t allow people on disability for self inflicted abuse or any pertain who doesn’t want to work could go, abuse alcohol or drugs, then get on disability.

As for your medications:

Naltrexone: Helps patients with alcohol problems by keeping the body from wanting alcohol. 

Gabapentin: Treats certain types of seizures (which can happen during detox)

Gydroxyzine: (Hydroxyzine) is an antihistamine with anticholinergic (drying) and sedative properties that is used to treat allergic reactions. It is used primarily for the symptomatic relief of anxiety and tension associated with psychoneurosis and as an adjunct in organic disease states in which anxiety is manifested. It is also used as a anti-nausea, sedative and tranquilizer.

Remeron: Used to treat major depressive disorder.

All of these are appropriate drugs to get you through detox without so much pain and anxiety. You shouldn’t have to continue taking them forever.

BTW – If you’re drinking even 3 – 4 beers every single night after work, that is a lot of alcohol. 1-2 a night maybe not. If it wasn’t excessive, your body wouldn’t be going through withdrawals.

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