When did Alcoholism become a disability?

[Alleya]

You're going to have to cite some sources. I am a Psych major with an emphasis on neuroscience going for my PhD and a lot of the research I have read on morbidly obese people has shown the same sort of neurological changes and endorphin producing/serotonin releasing effects as other more "traditional" drug addicts.

[Andarvi]

You're going to have to cite some sources. I am a Psych major with an emphasis on neuroscience going for my PhD and a lot of the research I have read on morbidly obese people has shown the same sort of neurological changes and endorphin producing/serotonin releasing effects as other more "traditional" drug addicts.

Perhaps my original statement wasnt clear enough. I would think it is largely psychological and not on the level of the chemical addiction of alcohol but not completely independent of some sort of chemical addiction. My fault for not making it clear.

[Charla]

Instead of "food addiction", let's just say eating disorders. That way we include this guy too.

[Exoduso]

lol...

[Howard Roark]

there are far fewer health risks involved than other mind-altering substances

was about to complain about this but now i see that you didnt say fewer than ANY other mind-altering substances

cuz bla bla no one died from weed etc


on a semi more serious note, yeah different people have different susceptibilities, more and more 'difficulties' are becoming medically recognized, people taking time off from work for depression related issues etc, obesity is becoming more and more understood

just because you may be able to have a few drinks and stop without any struggle doesnt mean the next person can, and similarly some may find comfort in food or another excess that may not appeal to others

i have the sneking suspicion that EVERYONE has some sort of vice, but i really hope this is not true

whether it's alcoholism, workaholism, television, their family, their dog, their lawn lol, whatever keeps them from paying enough attention to their own needs and bests interests/self improvement and consumes more time than would be ideal.. i think any of these can be an addiction of sorts

[Einherjar]

Not too mention that if it's a high stress job it can be argued that an alcoholic is not suited to the task, just like a paraplegic isn't suited to being a construction yard laborer. If he is unable to handle stress and reverts to the drink under such circumstances, then he cannot be relied on to complete the job and is unfit for it. If it's a low stress job, then he has more ground to stand on.

I'd also like to point out that probably 80% of the people still actively playing this game and camping kings and doing all the end game are addicts, so who better to judge other addicts?!

[Xavier]

You don't have tons of junk food to develop type 2 diabetes, someone who gets little exercise, but eats a high carbohydrate/high sugar diet, even in the form of pasta/grain/cereals and fruits can still develop diabetes. I understand there are plenty of people that just don't give a shit about what they eat or what the consequences are to their body, but that is not always the case. In fact eating a high carb/sugar diet in the USA is the norm, and not just because of foods that people perceive as bad for them. Even things like granola bars or fruit juices that parents think are good for their kids, are typically loaded with unnecessary sugar.

For some, all it takes is a single beer to become an alcoholic. I understand there are plenty of people that just don't give a shit about what they drink or what the consequences are to their body, but that is not always the case. In fact, drinking alcohol in the USA is the norm, not just because of its accessibility, but because from a very young age kids are flooded with marketing that suggest drinking is cool. They see their parents drink, they see people on TV drink, and they assume that even when their told its bad, it must not be that bad because so many people do it, and have fun doing it.

When people drink alcohol, they know they're drinking something bad for them. It's not hiding in regular foods like high fructose corn syrup is. People grow up eating bad diets without knowing there's a problem, but how many people grow up alcoholics? It's not the same thing at all.

You've just acknowledged that people can grow up ignorant. So, if people can grow up ignorant of a poor diet, why can't they grow up ignorant of alcohol? Alcohol is so ingrained in our society that most impressionable children see it as a social vice, as what you do at parties, they see it on TV and they see it with their parents and ultimately some never bother to question the consequences until its too late.

I just think its dumb to give one group a pass for not knowing better and to wag the finger at the other and say "shame on you". Either everyone can be ignorant or nobody can, but you can't selectively give a group a pass because it helps your argument.

And comparing drinking alcohol to the necessity for water is completely inept and you know it. Plenty of people will be hungry and make a bad choice (that they may not understand to be a bad choice) to eat a sugar cereal or something, but no one in their right mind drinks alcohol just because they're thirsty.

Plenty of people will be thirsty and make a bad choice (that they may not understand to be a bad choice) to have a beer or something, just because they were thirsty. I've seen plenty of adults go for a beer on a hot day over something else.

Society itself floods children with images of drinking, its no less a social norm than fat food is in America. If someone has the choice between an apple and a snickers, and they choose the snickers, and someone has a choice between water or beer, and they choose beer, both groups are guilty of a "bad" choice, and that choice came about as a result of being hungry/thirsty. Its preposterous to say that the first group just made an uninformed decision while the latter group is guilty of making a mistake.

You have to either concede that either not everyone who drinks is a son of a bitch, or that people who eat unhealthy are just as guilty as alcoholics. Either way, I don't see how neglecting people suffering from addictions is a beneficial solution to society.

[archibaldcrane]

Society itself floods children with images of drinking, its no less a social norm than fat food is in America. If someone has the choice between an apple and a snickers, and they choose the snickers, and someone has a choice between water or beer, and they choose beer, both groups are guilty of a "bad" choice. Its preposterous to say that the first group just made an uninformed decision while the latter group is guilty of making a mistake.

I do agree with this mostly, but you can develop diabetes by having your diet be mainly "high glycemic index" carbohydrates, not just candy and sugar - most of which aren't really "bad" for you, just some people's bodies don't deal with with those types of carbs and start having insulin problems.

But yeah, fatties and cake is the majority.

[Xavier]

Like I said before, the people who develop disabilities beyond their initial control (as in, never had a choice) have my utmost sympathy, but I think everyone should be helped.

[Ushallbeasgods]

Like I said before, the people who develop disabilities beyond their initial control (as in, never had a choice) have my utmost sympathy, but I think everyone should be helped.

I completely agree with this stance. We all make mistakes. I challenge you to find someone who doesn't. We are above the state of nature, we should help others so that when we need help we get it.