Is Alcoholism a Sin or a Disease????

[Ken]

I’d suggest we let the recovering alcoholic, and the potentially recovering alcoholic, decide for themselves into which catagory their personal condition falls. If they can attain sobriety thinking it is a disease, that’s great. If they can do it thinking it is a sin, that’s great, too. If thinking it comes from crop circles best helps them get sober, then that’s their choice.

 

[AnnieD]

triciafrancess:

meanwhile, they are losing everything and risking the well-being (and sometimes the lives) of themselves and their children.
Tricia Frances

So True!! I feel compassion for the family’s of alcoholics. Their lives are absolutely ruined by alcoholics. I think it’s a crime.

Annie

 

[Cherubino]

Ken,

Agreed, and that’s a widely held consensus among us who’ve been in recovery for a while. The other thing we know for sure is that the disorder, regardless of its supposed etiology, has to be self-diagnosed. Regardless of what family members or the courts may say and regardless of what the alleged alcoholic may try to do to get people off his back, we are convinced that there is no hope of permanent abstinence until he concedes to his innermost self that he has no control whatsoever over the consequences once he picks up just one drink.

One of the most convincing speakers I’ve ever heard at an AA meeting was a lady who got sober when she was 25. After 20 years of raising a family and becoming a minor real estate mogul in the highly competitive southern Connecticut market, she said she figured she had it licked and started cutting back on meetings, etc.

Five years later, at the age of 50, she was at a reception, the kind she had been to dozens of times in sobriety, and she literally did not hear herself say to the bartender, “Bourbon and ginger, please” and didn’t even realize it was booze until she was asking for a refill. Over the next two years she drank herself to a bottom that neither she nor anyone who knew her could have dreamed possible, losing home, family, career and several teeth-- wife, mother, socialite, pillar of her church and entrepteneur to bag lady pushing a shopping cart in the streets and trash-picking-- all in two years flat. She had been sober a year and a half the second time around when I heard her speak, and the last thing she said that morning was, “…and I’m still very shaky.”

Her case is extraordinary only in that she regianed sobriety at all. Most who relapse after a long dry spell die within a few years after they resume drinking. As contrary as this stark fact may be to anyone’s philosophical or moral presuppositions, that has been our experience.

 

[rayne89]

I am the wife of a recovered alcoholic who has been sober now for 6 six years. I have mixed feelings on this issue. My husband tried desparately to stay sober for the 1st 7 years of our marriage. Sometimes his sobriety last weeks, sometimes months, sometimes years but his drinking problem always returned.

After a car accident he was forced into AA by the courts, and that was when he first began to develope faith in a “higher power.” As his recovery began our marriage was falling apart because he was finally having to face the sins of alcoholism.

I don’t believe being an alcoholic is a sin in itself. It the results of the drunkeness that cause sin, just as anyone who is not an alcoholic but gets drunk incurs sin. Such as lying, cheating, driving dangerously, ect.

My husband met a young women at AA that was convinced that I, his wife could never understand what it was like to be an alcoholic. She set her sights on him and after about 7 months he quit AA altogether. We did a retrouvaille weekend and slowly began to recover our marriage. He remained sober except for a couple isolated incidents. And then I could feel a downward spiral coming on.

I then discovered he had been smoking pot. And the struggles and frustration began again. Finally he came to me and said he needed to go to the Dr. because he had thoughts of suicide. He was diagnosed with chronic depression that he begun in his teens after suffering years of abuse from his father. He went to counceling and remained on anti-depressants for 4 years. Last year he took himself off them and has been doing very well.

Through all this time our faith had been growing and he converted to the Catholic Church. At this point we have a strong loving relationship and a deep faith in God we both share. My husband has finally made the decision that he can not drink because one drink always leads to more until its out of control. And he let’s people know he is an alcoholic something he would never admit to before.

I do believe my husband was using alcohol (&drugs) to self medicate for his depression but thare are also many many alcoholics on his fathers side of the family.

My best guess is it is probably a combination of genetic predisposition and the enviroment you live in. I believe the sins come from the consequences of being an active alcoholic. Lying is still lying whether your sober or drunk, and cheating is still cheating whether your sober or drunk.

I do cringe when people say alcoholics are just “weak people” because my husband tried so hard for so long. Ofcourse I’ve heard that said about people who suffer drom depression too (including from my husband’s father.) You don’t know until you’ve been there.

 

[rayne89]

triciafrancess:

.

Most alcoholics and addicts, as well as their family members, cling to the disease theory because it excuses reprehensible behavior and limits culpability. Most wives and girlfriends don’t want to leave their losers, and calling addiction a disease gives them an excuse to stay. Instead of feeling like losers themselves, they feel loving and forgiving – meanwhile, they are losing everything and risking the well-being (and sometimes the lives) of themselves and their children. And they are also interfering with the wake-up call.

Tricia Frances

What I would really like to say to you I will refrain from doing because it would not be a very christian response.

I stayed with my husband because I deeply love him with all my heart and soul. If you think I stayed with him simply to play the part of a martyr you are way out of line my friend. I married my best friend. I watched him suffer and stuggle and fight his addiction for years. I saw him nearly suffocate with guilt because of all the pain and heart ache he was putting me through. I take my marriage vows very seriously and I was not going to dump him when there was still hope, I would not give up on him.

He is a good person with a loving, generous soul who goes out of his way to be kind to be people. If he was physically violent to me or our daughter than without a doubt we would have seperated. But barring that we were in this for better or worse. We have such a beautiful relationship now and I feel incredibly blessed.

What a horribly uncharitable remark to call someone a loser. You ever hear the phrase “God doesn’t make junk.” Well he doesn’t make “losers” either.

 

[Cherubino]

Well, as we say in my club, any old drunken bum like me can get into AA. But to get into Al Anon, you’ve got to know someone.

 

[Prester_John]

NightRider:

I am an alcoholic in recovery, with sixteen continuous years of sobriety. It is definitely a disease. The majority of professionals in the alcohol treatment field also believe it is a disease.

One may sin greatly when one is an alcoholic; alcoholism causes terrible sin, but sin does not cause alcoholism. People do not become alcoholics merely by being sinful; if that were true most people would be alcoholics!

I quite agree; in my own experience, (as an example) alcohol is often abused as a self-medication to combat depression, by people under great stress, or suffering under-diagnosed stress from an historic personal trauma. In the military, this is quite common, as the lessons learned about combat stress and post-traumatic stress are too often forgotten in peacetime,sad to say, with the result that PTSD victims often go undiagnosed for prolonged periods of time, and can become fearful of asking for treatment, at the risk of appearing to be weak, or even “malingering”. They will often “self-medicate” by using alcohol both to suppress their symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress and their feelings of depression and fear, in the alcohol’s euphoric effects.
But the grief and guilt suffered by these types of individuals does not defacto make them alcoholics - that is illogical, as NightRider has rightly stated. I am of the school of thought that sin itself can be regarded as a disease of the spirit and mind, with direct and reciprocal effects upon the physical body. Treatment of the disease of sin by the tried and true methods provided to the Catholic Faith through the Mystical Body of Christ, His Church, result in repair, recovery and rehabilitation for the individual patient, provided of course that the “program of treatment” is adhered to correctly and with consistancy. Alcoholism, like sin, can be treated and put into remission. I would even venture my own opinion, that with aggressive treatment, BOTH can be cured by God’s Grace.[Though of course, this my opinion; since I cannot state that I am cured of sin, but only in (alas, another temporary) remission…]
So, alcoholism can be looked upon as a sin, and Sin can be regarded as a disease…
The important thing, I tell myself, is to remember that, though both are horrible states, God loves sinners and alcoholics, and does not leave us alone in the night to face our hurt and shame and fear all alone. Even when that “nasty little voice” inside starts asking how such a beautiful good God could ever love something so frail, weak, animal and ugly…whenever despair threatens to creep in from under a rock, or out of the shadows of the past; that this Promise of treatment(Redemption) from God is true and strong. God has has never broken His promises; and His treatment plans, like His diagnoses, are sound and worth sticking out, even despite the short-term discomfort.
I had a friend, an alcoholic. She passed away some five years ago due to liver and kidney failure as a result of prolonged alcohol abuse. She had been an Army Medical Corps nurse for 27 years of her life, bless her soul. The details of her suffereing do not need to be related here, but only her last words, shortly after receiving the Last Rites: " I want to go home". I mention them, because since her passing, every day I remind myself of my first thought after her exclamation:‘Me, too.’ I have every confidence, thanks to God’s Sacrifice for me and all of us, that “me, too” can happen, despite all that I have done. And unlike some of my peers at work, I just cannot see – no, forgive me, I WILL NOT SEE! - alcoholics as somehow morally weaker, nor cowardly, nor worse in any way than myself; God knows, ***I ***have done much worse …

Yours sincerely and respectfully,
Prester John

 

[patricius]

Alcoholism is a disease. Getting drunk is an intrinsic moral wrong, the sinfulness of which can be mitigated or eliminated by the presence of disease and other factors.

Just my two cents’ worth.

 

[StephiePea]

I think a person makes an active choice to become an alcoholic. You don’t just wake up one day one. It takes many poor choices and habits that land a person there. I don’t think someone is excused simply because they start out as a bad habit, but then develop an addiction. They are still accountable and should seek help.

 

[cleopa]

Alcoholism is a sin, not a disease. It was designated as a “disease” in order to make it easier to persuade insurance companies to pay for alcohol rehab.

I went through a rehab center for alcohol abuse back in 1998. Alcoholism is the result of a degenerate lifestyle. Pure and simple.

The only cure is repentance.

~cleopa

 

[rayne89]

cleopa:

Alcoholism is a sin, not a disease. It was designated as a “disease” in order to make it easier to persuade insurance companies to pay for alcohol rehab.

I went through a rehab center for alcohol abuse back in 1998. Alcoholism is the result of a degenerate lifestyle. Pure and simple.

The only cure is repentance.

~cleopa

Obviously you had been in a degenerate lifestyle. And I guess since that was your experience, it must be the experience of the rest of alcoholics in the world…

Ofcourse since my husband was is a (now recovered) alcoholic and he was (still is) a hard working and a loving father I guess that means all alcoholics are hard working and loving fathers.

What ever works for you my friend.

 

[Philthy]

WhiteDove:

Is Alcoholism a Sin or a Disease???

Both. Alcoholism is a disease which one may:

1. sinfully submit to by drinking excessively or
2. overcome by a grace, discipline and/or other factors and avoid drinking.

Same deal as our other sins, though the degree to which one experiences temptation in a “disease” process is greater and hence culpability is reduced, but not eliminated.

The initial question fails to disinguish between the act of drinking excessively (sin) and the strong (always genetic?) tendency to want to drink excessively (not sin). The options given in the poll also fail to address this and leave no truly valid response.

Phil

 

[Bob_Baran]

I believe that drinking alcohol affects some people more than others. With some, it becomes a physical and psychological dependence. The virtue of temperance helps overcome this dependence and should prayed for everyday.

 

[sarcophagus]

I’m a drug addict. Yes, I admit it. Quit once for 4 years, started again a year ago…yes I’m only 20.

I believe, with my experience that alcoholism and drug addiction start out as a sin, because you sin by introducing yourself to the substance. Something in the body triggers a dependency for it, thus the disease comes into effect.

My biological mother was addicted, I found this out very recently, to the same drugs as I am. She took them while she was pregnant with me. Since I know a lot of other people who take the same drugs as I do, and they are not so addicted as I am, I believe that somehow, my mother’s drug use triggered something in my genes as an embryo to become predisopsed to addiction to these drugs.

So in effect, it is a disease. It starts as a sin because one must take the first step.

 

[kjvail]

As a recovering addict (12 years) , a substance abuse professional (7 years) and Catholic I been wrestling with this very question for awhile.

Here is how I have come to understand it so far.
I know addiction fits the definition of a disease (a morbid process with a characteristic train of signs and symptoms) and I am aware of the research of well-known professionals such as Dr. Terrence Gorski which have demonstrated the biological - psychological - social nature of that disease.

However being true to my Catholic faith I must belief that man is an integrated whole - body *and *spirit, secularists and materialists like Gorski not only ignore the spirit but disparage the spiritual emphasis of the Alcoholics Anonymous program, the only program in man’s history that has had any level of success in treating Alcoholism

Therefore I have to integrate what science teaches and what faith teaches together will the demonstrable success of a spiritually based treatment method. I therefore conclude that is a grave error to dispense with the spiritual nature of the disease of Alcoholism.
Gluttony (newadvent.org/cathen/06590a.htm) is most assuredly a sin, usually venial in nature but " a person who, by excesses in eating and drinking, would have greatly impaired his health, or unfitted himself for duties for the performance of which he has a grave obligation, would be justly chargeable with mortal sin". This is not a bad description of alcohol abuse.
Christ himself tells us that “that whosoever committeth sin, is a slave to sin.” (John 8:34).
Any alcoholic will tell you that their lives when drinkining could easily be described as “slavery” to the drink.
If sin is the cause of evil in the world and alcholism can be called evil then sin is the cause of alcholism. That does not disparage it’s biological nature however, if sin is the cause of death itself (“Thus he expresses the horror that death represented for his human nature. Like ours, his human nature is destined for eternal life; but unlike ours, it is perfectly exempt from sin, the cause of death”; CCC, 612) in all it’s manifestations then it makes sense that sin can cause biological disease processes.
Finally the nature of recovery tells me a great deal about the nature of the disease.
Recovery from alcoholism is built on a *foundation *of complete abstinence however as the AA Big Book says clearly “abstinence does not equal recovery”. The goal of the 12-steps is spelled out quite clearly in the 12th Step itself

“Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps,…”

That’s my 2c

 

[SirShaun]

I try to have an unbiased view on this debate, unfortunately, I know my family history prevents it. I met my grandfather exactly twice, even though he lived less than a twenty minute drive from my house. My father and he argued over his alcoholism when my father was 18, and it almost turned violent, and that was the end of their relationship. More than half of what I know about my grandfather, I learned from the court apperances of the man who killed him.

My brother has a shirt that says, “And on the eight day, God created whiskey, to keep the Irish from taking over the world.” Every time he wears it, I joke, “And on the ninth day, an Irishman figured out the conspirisy. God had to kill all his children.” (My last name is Kennedy, so I’m allowed to make jokes in bad taste about those who are essentially just extended family, right?)

Both my brother and I (if you can’t tell from our clothing tastes and humor on the subject) have never had a drink, and plan never to, because we know what it does to people in our family. No one in our family has ever been able to quit after one drink. My wife, on the other hand, has a glass of wine now and then, and never thinks twice about it. I know I’m an alcoholic waiting to happen if I join her, but since I haven’t had any, I’m not tempted.

I’m not sure how to judge those who don’t know about their physical weakness, and try it thinking they can have a little just like everyone else, and give it up, and turn out to be wrong. But since my first priority is to worry about me, and sniffing communion cups at churches and making myself the designated driver every time leads to enough trouble for that to be a full time job, I figure God is big enough to figure out how to handle them.

Dan-Man916:

I believe that all physical malady’s are rooted in a spiritual malady first.

This doesn’t work for me. My eldest uncle was born very premature (before my grandfather started drinking, back when he used to make fun of people who drank) and as a result is very physically and mentally handicapped. He is a constant reminder to my family that even our mental powers (even so little as to be able to tie our shoes) and the most mild physical strength (even so much as lifting a pot off the stove) are a gift from God that he didn’t have to give us, and even when we seemingly pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, working overtime and working on our vacations, as my parents did, the tools to do those things are still a gift and without those we have nothing, and so we are nothing before God and have nothing to offer him that he didn’t first give us, and there’s nothing we can do he couldn’t do better himself.

 

[Traditional_Ang]

BayCityRickL:

(What’s your point? Perhaps that because it has aspects of disease that people have no responsibility for it? No sympathy for that here. Please! tell me if I’m wrong.)

I had a psychological personality test and the psychologist said that I had a stong tendency to become an alcoholic.

Rick:

I’m NO expert, but some of the stories of what these people had to go through to “Hit Bottom”, stop drinking/drugging. and “Get Sober” would cause your hairs to stand on end! I’m not just talking about the PHYSICAL symptoms - I’m also talking about the Moral DEGRADATION and utter HUMILIATION these people had to experience.

The Gospels say that when Our Lord saw the City of Jerusalem and and suffering its inhabitants were to undergo, he broke down and WEPT.

If the psychiatrist is right, yours might be a case of “but for the Grace of God”. In which case, it might be a good idea for you to follow Our Lord’s example and to pray for those caught in the grip of these horrible addictions. You might even want to cry a few tears for these people.

I know for I need to pray, and weep. Thanks for the reminder.

In him, Michael

 

[John6_54]

Alcholism is a disease. Drinking by an Alchoholic is a sin. I are one

Researchers have recently discvered a chemical they call THP that only the Alcoholic makes when he drinks. This chemical when injected in mice will drink themsevles to death.

In the study they place a bowl of water, food and vodka in their cage. They injected half the mice with THP (Spinal Column). The ones with the injection would drink the vodka until they couldn’t stand, then crawl and lay their head over the bowl and drown in it. the ones with out the injection wouldn’t touch the vodka.

 

[Toni]

Since I have dealt with this problem with family for many years I feel a little qualified to answer this. Alcoholism is a disease that can spread for many generations. I have always warned my sons of this and now am dealing with it again in my own family. There is no question and now going through this one more time and sitting in alanon and listening to the people I can verify for you this is a disease like diabetes or anything else that can pass from generation to generation.

 

[walter.gonzalez]

I have been in recovery since 1998. The main problem I had was not living a Christ centered life. This included ingesting alcohol and drugs as well as many other sins. A consequence of my sin was contracting a mental disorder we call addiction. To recover I returned to the Church, confessed my sins, repented. But it didn’t stop there. I recieved treatment as well. For me recovery wouldn’t have been possible without God and the help God provided me through treatment of my addiction. So I guess my answer to the question is: One of the consequences of Sin is a deterioration of the body and mind. This deterioration includes a mental disorder called addiction that is like a disease in that it requires treatment to recover.