Roche Suffers Cancer Treatment Setback
Basel-based Roche said a phase III study of onartuzumab, a drug developed to control certain types of non-small cell lung cancer, lacked "clinically meaningful efficacy." The study was designed to measure whether onartuzumab, used with the oral drug …
Read more on Wall Street Journal

Brentiximab Vedotin removes cancer patient's 70 lethal tumours in 12 weeks
Scans of Mr Brook's body before and after treatment. The left shows him riddled with 60-70 tumours from Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. The right scan is 12 weeks after he became the first person outside the U.S. to have a pioneering cancer drug. The black …
Read more on Daily Mail

Fresh Start Private Management, Inc. Announces Letter of Understanding to …
LOS ANGELES, CA–(Marketwired – Jan 6, 2014) – Fresh Start Private Management, Inc. (OTCQB: CEYY), a leader in alcohol treatment and rehabilitation programs, announces the execution of a letter of understanding to acquire Trinity Rx Solutions and all …
Read more on Wall Street Journal

Avon's Zion House offers homeless women veterans a new start
The Canandaigua VA has four beds in its Domiciliary Residential Rehabilitation Program for female vets who are stable yet struggle with chronic problems related homelessness or substance abuse. The length of stay is … The federal definition includes …
Read more on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

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.

Answer by vinnydamedic
The so called “holy bible” of the world of Psychology and Psychaitry classifies Alcoholism as an addiction, and a psychological disorder (call it illness, disease, whatnot). With it’s classification in the DSM-IVTR, it is now possible to use this disorder as reason for non-competence for crimes, permanent psychiatric disability and other medical claims.

Anoka Co. Drug and Alcohol Treatment Program Gets High Honors
An Anoka County drug and alcohol treatment program was recently honored for its work to help local women get their lives back on track. The county's Enhanced Treatment Program earned both the Achievement Award from the Association of Minnesota …
Read more on KSTP.com

Rock Doc: Old drug offers new hope for quitting alcohol
But there is still a long road to travel before gabapentin is considered by the Food and Drug Administration as a possible treatment for alcoholism. And even if the FDA took action today to approve gabapentin for such use, people who suffer from …
Read more on The Spokesman Review

A Pill to Cure Addiction?
In 2011, more than 21 million Americans needed treatment for a problem related to alcohol or drugs, according to the federal government's most recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Many try to quit, but studies show 60% or more of alcoholics …
Read more on Wall Street Journal

Why Family Dinners Won't Stop Drug Abuse
The surveys' consistent finding, that the most frequent family diners are the least frequent drug abusers, has been trumpeted in many news articles touting the benefits of family meals. The finding was satisfying to family-values advocates and, in the …
Read more on Wall Street Journal

Browner's predicament possibly arises from unfair implementation of substance …
… use of performance enhancing drugs, the suspension arises from the substance-abuse policy. But a one-year suspension — technically, a permanent banishment with the ability to apply for reinstatement after one year — applies only to players who …
Read more on NBCSports.com

Sad statistics on teen drug abuse of Ecstasy
Ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine) is a stimulant and a hallucinogen; it produces feelings of increased energy and euphoria among users. Abuse of the drug can result in a number of health effects, ranging from undesirable to extremely serious.
Read more on Examiner.com

Question by slykitty: Why do people change personality wise after gastric bypass?
Most of them say im still the same person just 100,200 lbs less…I say BS. I know a few people who now can never make to for their friends and family because they are all caught up into theirselves. Why is this? And giving the benefit of the doubt if there are still the same person is it me a friend that has changed. I personally don’t feel I have. Please feedback from others who have gone through the same situation. THANKS
mae to=time sorry
darn i can’t type tonight
make to=time

Best answer:

Answer by Iwillliftmyeyes
probably because they are less heavier, and they can see themselves different. They see that they weigh less, and can be more social. They are more accepting of themselves, and how they see themselves.

Answer by Flowers
There are a few things that happen to people after gastric bypass surgery (GBS). Within a few days or weeks after surgery, a lot of hormones are released that have been stored in their fat. This can cause moodiness and depression.

Also, people who are obese have a food “addiction”. This can’t be maintained after the surgery and many people become addicted to something else…sex, drugs, games, whatever. If a GBS patient does his/her research, they should know this and begin a new healthy habit before surgery.

As their weight decreases, generally their self-esteem increases. They have suffered greatly with this surgery and have reached a major accomplishment which has not happened for them before. Before the surgery they have struggled with diets, exercise, and just the yoyo fads they have been through, but never were able to accomplish their goal. Now they have actually accomplished this huge goal and they are proud of themselves. Like a person who runs a marathon and makes it through the whole race without falling flat on their faces.

Finally, sometimes they see that their “friends” aren’t really friends at all. Some friends have spent years criticising them, and now the GBS patient just realises that they don’t have to deal with such “friends” any more. I am not saying that you were that kind of friend. But that obese person, a lot of times, has thick skin or a great sense of humor as defense for the constant comments they receive concerning their weight.

Yes, your friend has changed, and you are a good friend to notice. Maybe you should talk to these friends of yours and find out what the problem is. They will probably be very grateful that you are interested enough to be interested. I hope this helps.

I had the surgery 3 months ago. I belong to a great Yahoo group called Weight Loss Surgery Friendship & Support. I see the changes, some of which are just wonderful. Try to be happy for your friends, and look to see if any of these items may relate to the problem.

Drug court: a road to remaking addict's life
“Drug court was created in recognition of the fact that most people who end up in court are there as a result of substance abuse or addiction,” said Lucinda Brown, director of Reinventing Justice. “It uses the authority of the court to push people …
Read more on The Recorder

As Syrian Chemical Attack Loomed, Missteps Doomed Civilians
Calls came in to the presidential palace from Syrian allies Russia and Iran, as well as from Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group whose fighters were inadvertently caught up in the gassing, according to previously undisclosed intelligence gathered by …
Read more on Wall Street Journal

Support groups
Alzheimer's/other dementias support group, 6:30 p.m. third Thursdays, Horizon Bay Assisted Living of Concord, 1501 Zion Church Road East, Concord, for families dealing with Alzheimer's or other dementias. … Celebrate Recovery, a Christ-centered 12 …
Read more on Salisbury Post

Drugs policy: face the facts
And now that Sally Davies has joined the Commons home affairs committee, the UK Drug Policy Commission, the Global Commission on Drug Policy and more than half of all British voters in support of treating drug abuse as a medical rather than a criminal …
Read more on The Guardian

'Circuit' Judges UK Justice
Arrested immediately and with little explanation is Farroukh Erdogan (Denis Moschitto), a Turkish national who had spent time in Germany and who, despite a drug bust, was allowed into Britain. … The film's usually first-rate screenwriter, Steven …
Read more on Wall Street Journal