*before I go on with writing this piece. I’m fully aware that it might cause some controversy. I just want to say that EVERYONE is entitled to their own opinions and beliefs that you might not agree with. *
This was brought on after I finally finished A Million Little Pieces written by James Frey. Now this wasn’t an easy book to read. First it took me almost a month to read, I never take that long reading a book. It wasn’t an easy read because it was full of emotion, exhausting to think about, heart wrenching, and not glamourous at all. In a way, I felt that author, James Frey, was true to himself more than any other author who has written about this kind of thing.
Here’s an excerpt from his essay about his book —
“I have never seen about addiction or alcoholism that I felt was true to the experience that I had lived. Books always glamorize it or romanticize or make it seem cool. It is not glamorous. It is not romantic. It is not cool or even close, it is just fucking awful.”
It is more true than anything.
The part that grappled me the most about this entire book was when he had a conversation with his counselor while he was in treatment. The counselor was insistent that alcoholism and addicition is a disease. He said he just wanted to scream at them and say it is not a disease. It’s a choice to be addicted to drugs and alcohol. It goes on and on, but he never says anything to them. He really wants to tell them, it’s not god or a 12-step program that will help you cure your disease. It is your will.
Here’s my point of view, I think any sort of addiction is in your head. It all has to do with whether you say yes I will do it or no I do not want to do it. It has to do with your will. The will of whether or not you want to take a drink, shoot up or do some blow with a hooker. No one is holding a gun to your head and saying, here, you absolutely have to do this. Maybe a tiny part of it has to do with genetics. But if you have a strong will and do not want to fall prey to alcohol or drugs or even sex addition, then it’s all up to you.
Granted I’m not saying that it is an easy thing to do, it really isn’t. Especially when you are in high school or college where there is peer pressure. Come on, it feels really good. it tastes good, it’s a great high. and so forth. It’s so easy to fall prey to do any of those things. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t do it or that you should do it. It’s a matter of will, do I want to do it or not?
This book was HONEST. This is how he saw his life, this is how he thought it happened, this is how it affected him, this is how he chose to deal with it, this is how he told his parents, this is how he survived.
I did not enjoy this book because it was almost too real. There were parts in there I would rather choose to believe do not exist. I’m not naive. I know these things happen, but I would like to believe that they shouldn’t happen.
another point of this book that Frey really made the most sense to me was when he doesn’t believe in god. he finds it hard to believe in something that doesn’t exist or there is no proof. He much rather believe in himself and have the will to say look I’m gonna have a drink, or not? He uses his will to make himself better to stop his addiction. and for him, he was successful. Now it might not work for everyone, but for him, it worked.
I don’t think alcoholism is a disease. I don’t think addiction is a disease. I think it has a lot to do with whether or not you want to have a drink, or you want to take a hit. it’s all you and no one else.
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There was a little issue on Oprah and on other news that Frey lied about most of the information in the book. It may be a good read but it was touted as a wonderful book based on a true story but it wasn’t. It was just a peice of creative writing and Oprah got miffed because the information wasn’t true and she was made to think it was so and added it to her book club and encouraged her entourage to buy the book. There was a bit of controversy going on.
Yeah. There was a later interview where he admitted he made up stuff and had lied during his initial interview on Oprah. And it was pointed out that it was being sold as fiction. I believe Oprah withdrew her endorsement of the book.
Regardless of whether it’s fiction or not, I thought it was a spectacular read. There aren’t very many books that can elicit true emotion on the part of the reader. For me, this was one of them.
Alot of fiction can be spectacular. But you have to remember, it’s the figment of someone’s imagination.
i know all about the publicity that it caused. But it was a read that elicted so many emotions that not many books can do that. I don’t care about the controversy it caused on the Oprah show, that’s what it was.
I’m speaking of the controversy between whether being addicted to drugs and alcohol is a disease or just what it is.. an addiction.
On whether to call alcoholism a disease. From a public health perspective, a researcher could say, “Look, there are all these people who show a very similar pattern of using alcohol, and have predictable symptoms like blackouts or cirrhosis.” So, from a public health standpoint, it makes sense to define it as a disease, because the information about the usual course, or what medications or other treatments (like AA or an intervention) might help, could be useful to a given “patient.”
On the other hand, as you say, there is obviously some element of free will involved. Maybe a good way to think of it would be that there are different parts of the brain at war with one another. Your frontal cortex might be telling you, “Don’t take that drink. Your whole family is full of alcoholics, and you are likely to get addicted if you start to drink.” But other parts of your brain–either social memories of how alcohol was used in your family, or physical craving based on a genetic predisposition–might be like the little devil on the shoulder, saying “take that drink…”
Sanjay (I’m a deaf physician from Boston, and have many alcoholic patients)
I have alcoholics in my family. While there may be free will in the beginning, after a certain point I think the free will is lost and dependency kicks in. I also think the abuser has to have a reason to quit - more than just “it’ll be good for you.” They probably know that it would be “good for them”, but that isn’t enough of a reason, especially if the booze or drugs are being used to avoid reality or some past event.
My two cents..
While the book was indeed compelling, the fact that it was fiction really pissed me off because the whole time he claimed it as his own story to tell to other addicts. It kind of defeated the whole damn purpose. The convos with his counselor, the wrenching dentist episodes were all made uP!!
As per it being a disease, I think in the beginning addiction can be controlled since it is basically your choice. But as the addiction continues, I think you get to a point where you have very little control over you willpower, becoming a disease..
I would refer this discussion to people who are alcoholics themselves, recovering alcoholics, people who quit alcohol cold turkey and inquire whether they think alcoholism is a disease or not. It’s like people who do not have drinking problems lecturing or telling people who are alcoholics that it’s not a disease and it is all about the willpower. Quite frankly, I think that would incredibly piss off alcoholics out there as they would claim that you are not in their positions and do not completely understand what it is like and so forth.
So, this is a very, very fine line. I would be more cautious and sensitive with this approach.
Thanks and much appreciation to Dan, the only person here who seems to have any sense other than Sanjay. I am a drug addict. I was predisposed to addiction via family (genetics) and the strong proven link between ADHD (which i have and which was undiagnosed until college… making the chances of addiction that much higher). While I can see where some of you get your ideas from about it being a choice in the beginning, you still have to keep in mind that some people can take pills and be able to stop whenever they want. Some people have no clue how the vicious cycle began and when they really lost their own control. Some people are just more susceptible to being an addict than others and there is plenty of scientifically proven research out there that will tell you just that. Addicts choose their poison as a means to suppress feelings of real life. It could be ADD, post traumatic stress, trauma, loss of a loved one, or whatever… and then some spend years chasing this initial high that once let them feel free of feeling pain, free of compulsive thoughts and depression. When the high becomes one’s “normalcy” and you are chasing the high simply to avoid withdrawal, then you can come and talk to me about your idiotic ideas. Addiction is one the most serious and prevalent problems in American culture and it is surprisingly very problematic among white, middle and upper-class individuals, where people would never think their spouse or child had a problem to even identify. I’m going to give up here… if you want to learn about what you are attempting to preach, I suggest you do research on it. Thanks. (PS- if it was all in my head, I would not be paying the thousands and thousands of dollars to be in the residential rehab program i am in right now. addiction is not something u can kick yourself.)
I am only 22 years old. I have spent the past 6 years of my life hooked on prescription medications and eventually heroin. it sucks. it is exactly as james frey describes it. he wrote the experience better than anyone i’ve ever read before. i could give two you-know-whats if he embellished his story so people who dont get it (you folks) would buy and read it. all the same, he is being real. and addiction is not only a disease, it is a disease you are stuck with your whole life.
yeah we need to distinguish the difference between psychological and physical dependency. if u’re physically addicted to something, ur brain/body chemistry has been altered to the point u need that substance just to function normally.
here’s an interesting brief account of what it’s like to quit heroin cold turkey: http://men.msn.com/articlees.a.....tid=760919
Ben,
Remember… the times I’d borrow your bicycle, read your comic books at your home, or futilely defend against the pass when Ricky was QB and he’d connect to you on your precision five-yard breakout routes, hauling in a TD pass just beyond the mailpost. Remember.
Ben…
I don’t know how to quit you.
-Your Palamar
My entire family is made up of drug and alcohol abusers and I wont use the word addict because while free will plays a large role in this we have to understand that both are classified as a disease for a very good reason.
I hate science and biology but even I can understand the chemical dependency on those substance that causes the body to react the way it does.
Let me ask you this, Is lung cancer a disease? And how does one get it? Think about it!
As for the book, I have not read it but let me make clear a few points, the book is a autobiography not a novel (work of fiction), yes many parts of the book were made up or added to in order to make the story more exciting and interesting but the fact remains that its a story of the authors life.
So instead of judging people and trying to decide if the person is just weak willed and a lazy bum who escapes through drugs and alcohol lets consider the fact that these people need our support and help not our judgements.
I agree with several comments about the dependency the body develops with drugs and alcohol.
programs for treating those with addictions used to be called “Substance Abuse Program” and as of two years ago, once the professional terminolgy came into use, the name changed to “Chemical Dependency Program”.
Family genes are prediposed and there’s battles with depression and self-esteem. Not to mention socio-economy and the cost of living. I’ve gotten tastes of this and that here and there. Alcohol is the legit thing to abuse.
>I don’t think alcoholism is a disease. I don’t think addiction is a disease.
here’s defination:
alcoholism:
Noun
A disorder characterized by the excessive consumption of and dependence on alcoholic beverages, leading to physical and psychological harm and impaired social and vocational functioning. Also called alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence.
simply put: you can say “my name is erin himmelman im not alcoholic…” not “alcohol is not an addiction”. its the same as bob dole (politic!) saying “i dont think smoking is an addiction”. its a bull. smoking, drinking, smoking, being in outer space with no law….. spacing the addiction with 100% health well being.
anyway how are you? i remember yaSS back in MSD. your english is cool and u look like office millionaire.
tell sarah i say hi again.
Brian Class of 96