Reddit reviews Diseasing of America: How We Allowed Recovery Zealots and the Treatment Industry to Convince Us We Are Out of Control

"Please do not speak of things about which you are ignorant".... I would ask the same of you.

>It has measurable physical symptoms, and can often prove fatal.

No, alcoholism doesn't have measurable physical symptoms... if it did then it wouldn't be a disease theory and it would be a medical fact. The consumption and withdrawal from alcohol has measurable physical symptoms. These physical symptoms are the same in those being diagnosed as alcoholic and those who would not be diagnosed as alcoholic.

>The fact that one who suffers from alcoholism has the power to cure themselves does not mean it's not a disease.

Actually, that is exactly what is debated in the theory that alcoholism is a disease. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disease_theory_of_alcoholism#Criticism

I'll leave this here for you:
http://www.amazon.com/Diseasing-America-Recovery-Treatment-Industry/dp/0787946435

http://www.amazon.com/Diseasing-America-Recovery-Treatment-Industry/dp/0787946435
This is on my reading list. Maybe you would like to read it, at any rate it is something to do while not drinking;)

>Get the state out of our lives'. Legalize all drugs. The state doesn't and can never solve problems.

i think the issue with this is that it's not so much that drugs themselves are the problem, it's the peripheral issues that pop up; violence linked to drug abuse, theft to feed one's habit, etc. this isn't to say that everyone who does drugs is a violent thief. though i suppose decriminalizing it would probably ameliorate some of those problems, too.

>Increase funding to or increase public awareness about the roots of drug addiction and start a crusade against those roots

absolutely. in addition to this is keeping addicts out of prison and psychiatric facilities, two places they don't belong, and putting them into rehabilitation programs that work if all proactive preventative measures fail. addiction is mental illness, but it needs to be approached and treatedly very differently than schizophrenia, for example. i am also an advocate of removing the disease model from addiction. there needs to be a certain level of accountability because it is my opinion that addiction is often, but not always, a consequence of maladaptive behavior. for example, most people know things like heroin are addictive and use them anyway. however, being labeled as a criminal because of substance abuse is the absolute wrong way to go about helping someone.

>Cut or reject bills that are a strain on the taxpayer, such as public unions and other wastes of money, so these resources can be directed to problems that actually exist.

i'm pro union so i'll disagree with you here and save that for another time, but i know that just cutting down on people who have double state pensions could fund such programs.

>And most importantly, create a public database about harm reduction techniques in regards to drug use so that people can responsibly use and not hurt themselves. Let's remove the unnecessary taboo and shaming of drug users.

interesting point. i've skimmed over journal articles on harm reduction before, and it seems to be pretty effective. here is a google link for anyone curious.i really want to learn more about these programs, thanks for bringing it up. it goes back to my previous thoughts on addiction as not as much of a disease as it is a consequence of poor choices. we need to go about it without shaming addicts - that's the tough part. the best way to tackle that is preventative measures, but we need to have better options for people who want treatment. relevant-ish reading.

I recommend reading this

https://www.amazon.com/Diseasing-America-Recovery-Treatment-Industry/dp/0787946435/ref=mp_s_a_1_fkmrnull_1?crid=3EO1S03SJYFHH&keywords=diseasing+of+america&qid=1556814050&s=gateway&sprefix=diseasin&sr=8-1-fkmrnull