[quote=zk]Sure, except I don’t think anyone is saying that it’s strictly genetic. The other side of the coin is that if we say there’s no genetic component, we’re also doing a disservice. [/quote]
Yes. Same here. I’m not saying it is soley the gene that’s the problem. But I am saying it compounds the situation. It is just one more thing an alcoholic needs to contend w/rather than someone else who has this liver enzyme that metabolizes it. And that’s also why I say it is a disease.
If I remember right, everyone is susceptible to cancer; everyone does have cancer and how the body deals w/it dictates whether you will fall prey to the illness.
You wouldn’t go up to a cancer patient and say, “I have cancer and I’m not sick, so why are you?”
Will power plays a part in any addiction and certainly some people have developed a stronger will power than others. But when you add the genetic predisposition factor, it’s just one more thing. I’m not trying to make excuses or justify it. I’m explaining the difficulty. That doesn’t mean alcoholics are free and clear to indulge in their sickness. There are plenty of recovering alcoholics who don’t drink. They have found a way around their impediment.
