Oh Jesus, lets not hear what doctors say! That is the whole point of this conversation. I do not buy into the medical model of addiction,. Your like a Christian arguing in a circle. Let’s see what the bible says.
We are not arguing ADDICTION is not a thing AUD is addiction not Alcoholism. Alcoholism is an umbrella term encompassing drinking behavior. You need to read the article.
“AUD is not due to an individual’s lack of self-discipline or resolve. Rather, it is a brain disease that can be inherited. Long-term alcohol use can produce changes in the brain that can cause people to crave alcohol, lose control of their drinking and require greater quantities of alcohol to achieve its desired effects.” (This is Addiction.)
Again AUD. This is a long-term result of drinking behavior. This is addiction,
“What Is the Difference Between Alcoholism and Alcohol Use Disorder? Alcohol use disorder is a diagnosis used by medical professionals to describe someone with an alcohol problem to varying degrees. Alcoholism is a non-medical term used most often in everyday language and within the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous.”
Alcoholism is not a disease. AUD is a physical condition that is the direct result of drinking and diagnosed by a doctor. Healt problems directly related to drinking behavior.
There are some key differences between the DSM-5 criteria for alcohol use disorder and AA’s view of alcoholism:
DSM-5 defines alcohol use disorder as a clinically significant pattern of alcohol use that leads to impairment or distress. It views alcoholism as a spectrum from mild to severe based on the number of diagnostic criteria met (out of 11). AA views alcoholism as an all-or-nothing disease that is progressive and fatal if left untreated. You’re either alcoholic or you’re not. You’re not a 5/10 in AA. And the treatment is the same for every alcoholic. Trust God, clean house and help others.
DSM-5 criteria focus on behavioral signs like inability to cut down drinking, tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, etc. AA includes the spiritual/emotional aspects like loss of control, unmanageability of life, and defects of character like dishonesty and selfishness as key parts of the illness.
DSM-5 has gradations of remission from early to sustained, based on how long the criteria have not been met. AA sees recovery as an ongoing process with complete abstinence as the goal, not just reduction in harmful drinking. On top of that our success metrics are things like “are you happy, have you made amends, are you helping others,” not “Did you cut down on your clinically harmful drinking?”
DSM-5 provides clinical diagnostic criteria that are statistically measurable, whereas in AA we’re alcoholics if we relate to the stories of the other people in the room. No one can diagnose you with alcoholism but you.
None of the clinical treatments for AUD include finding a higher power. There’s no medical treatment for dishonesty and selfishness.
The disease model is not needed for treatment of alcoholism. AUD is not the same thing.