[Glenn]

What medical pathology is involved in the "disease" of alcoholism?

Use google to look it up. It's been recognized as a disease since 1956. Now maybe you know something several generations of experts have missed. I'd be interested to read it.

[Alberta's Child]

The American Psychiatric Association used to consider homosexuality a mental disorder. In 1973 they removed it from their official list of psychiatric disorders -- not because of any new research or advances in medical science on the subject, but in response to political pressure. Cases like this are a classic example of why "the medical profession" (as opposed to "medical professionals") is often one of the least reliable sources of information for someone who is seeking an objective assessment on a subject.

A lot of folks here probably remember the infamous incident that occurred at a NY Jets football game back in January of 2004. A visibly-intoxicated Joe Namath made a public disgrace of himself during a televised interview on ESPN, answering several questions from reporter Suzy Kolber by saying: "I want to kiss you!"

What people may not have seen, though, is an interview Namath gave to Bryant Gumbel on HBO's Real Sports show late in 2004 after Namath had been through an alcohol rehabilitation program that he had checked into almost immediately after the on-air incident. That was one of the most frank, blunt interviews I've ever seen, and Namath was very clear about what his treatment involved.

"I learned that I didn't have a drinking problem," he said, "I learned that I have a Joe Namath problem, and that I would always be a drunk until I addressed that problem."

Alcoholism isn't a "disease" in the classic sense of the term at all -- it's a symptom of other disorders that could include depression or other psychological conditions.