Is alcoholism a disease? Is pedophilia?

liblady said:

baloney. bologna. alcoholism is not a "weakness".

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Yeah. It is. And a particularly damaging one.

Your brain controls your hand; you control your brain; make it not lift a glass of alcohol to your lips.

All addiction is weakness, a failure of will. I see no reason to make excuses for it. It only makes it harder to get control of yourself.

I do not care in the slightest if you find that point of view objectionable.

Harshaw said:

Yeah. It is. And a particularly damaging one.

Your brain controls your hand; you control your brain; make it not lift a glass of alcohol to your lips.

All addiction is weakness, a failure of will. I see no reason to make excuses for it. It only makes it harder to get control of yourself.

I do not care in the slightest if you find that point of view objectionable.

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not objectionable, just wrong.

liblady said:

not objectionable, just wrong.

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OK. Then we have it on record that liblady doesn't consider alcoholism a weakness. Filed away for future reference.

As far as alcoholism...I think the issue isn't being "addicted" to alcohol or some other stimulant. I do think some peopple are more dependent than others. It could stem from depression or any other psychological issue.

As far as pedophilia...the fact pedophilias are not "curable" kind of means it's not a choice as much as a predesposition.

Harshaw said:

OK. Then we have it on record that liblady doesn't consider alcoholism a weakness. Filed away for future reference.

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not that easy, and who are talking to, anyway? alcoholism is a disease, and there is no cure. it's not just a moral failing as you seem to think. the only way to manage the disease is not to drink.

Alcohol is a drug in liquid form and alcoholism is a form of addiction. There is a lot of scientific evidence that addiction is a disease. Addicts bodies do not metabolize drugs in the same way that non-addicts bodies do. A physiological abnormally that results in behavioral changes is a disease - not a weakness.

It's a matter of will.

I don't blame my body for my addiction to caffeine. I could stop if I really wanted to, but I don't really want to. Nicotine; alcohol; it's all the same.

Making excuses makes it harder to correct behavior. "This isn't really my fault." Take responsibility.

Harshaw said:

It's a matter of will.

I don't blame my body for my addiction to caffeine. I could stop if I really wanted to, but I don't really want to. Nicotine; alcohol; it's all the same.

Making excuses makes it harder to correct behavior. "This isn't really my fault." Take responsibility.

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you have me wrong. it doesn't matter if it's a disease, the person still has the repsonsbility to try to manage that disease. no excuses, just recognizing the facts. nicotine and alcohol and caffeine are not the same, btw.

liblady said:

you have me wrong. it doesn't matter if it's a disease, the person still has the repsonsbility to try to manage that disease. no excuses, just recognizing the facts. nicotine and alcohol and caffeine are not the same, btw.

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They're all physical addictions. The only difference is one of choosing to look at them differently.

liblady said:

not that easy, and who are talking to, anyway? alcoholism is a disease, and there is no cure. it's not just a moral failing as you seem to think. the only way to manage the disease is not to drink.

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As I said we know that some are more predisposed and that it becomes a kind of prison that is hard to escape, but it is also about character and choice. It is not simply something you are a victim of, it is a moral issue and moral weakness.

Alcoholism s a disease, but so is drug addiction. People are still responsible for getting treatment. If they don't get treatment, and then commit a crime, they are still responsible for their actions. In the case of pedophilia, nobody put a gun to their head and forced them to molest a child. Whether or not alcohol played a role is immaterial. The sentence should be just as severe in both cases. Alcoholism is no excuse to deny anybody else their Constitutional rights. You are still a criminal and a scumbag who deserves to be separated from the rest of society, and sent to prison.

Pedophilia can also be considered a disease, but if you are just a child molester and not an alcoholic, then you need to seek treatment BEFORE you molest a child. If you don't, then again, you should be sent to prison for your crime.

It's all about responsibility, folks. We are ALL responsible for our own actions.