> Why assume alcoholics and alcoholism are any different than most people and most habits
I think it'd be a mistake to think there's no difference between physiological addiction and "most bad habits" since most bad habit's don't have a risk of killing you when you simply stop doing them (https://www.psychreg.org/cold-turkey-alcohol-dangerous/). I think looking at addiction in medical terms is far more appropriate than looking at it as a moral failing or as a lack of desire to change or an unwillingness to "endure suffering" (many addicts I've known were certainly no stranger to suffering and sacrifice).
Treating addictions like a medical problem makes it harder for non-addicts to look down on people afflicted with them so a lot of people will resist the idea and continue to think that it's nothing more than a personal shortcoming and that dealing with the problem should be no harder than avoiding any other undesirable behavior. I really don't think telling people that if only they were more orderly and had a stronger character that they wouldn't have an addiction is true or helpful.
I think it'd be a mistake to think there's no difference between physiological addiction and "most bad habits" since most bad habit's don't have a risk of killing you when you simply stop doing them (https://www.psychreg.org/cold-turkey-alcohol-dangerous/). I think looking at addiction in medical terms is far more appropriate than looking at it as a moral failing or as a lack of desire to change or an unwillingness to "endure suffering" (many addicts I've known were certainly no stranger to suffering and sacrifice).
Treating addictions like a medical problem makes it harder for non-addicts to look down on people afflicted with them so a lot of people will resist the idea and continue to think that it's nothing more than a personal shortcoming and that dealing with the problem should be no harder than avoiding any other undesirable behavior. I really don't think telling people that if only they were more orderly and had a stronger character that they wouldn't have an addiction is true or helpful.