The classical definition of disease is dis-ease, i.e. when a body is not at ease. If we go by this definition alone, it is sufficient to classify any kind of substance abuse as a disease. Substance abuse, including alcohol abuse and drug cause, causes an incessant craving in the person for that substance. The person cannot stay without it for long periods of time, and most of his or her life will be spent in procuring that substance during the addicted phase of life. It is not just that though. The addictive substance will take a severe toll on the person’s body. There will be a lot of health repercussions to face. With all these points, is it not justified to term alcohol abuse and drug abuse as diseases?

If you are to see the condition of any person with an alcohol addiction who has been kept away from the substance of addiction for a considerable length of time, say two days, then you must see the effects that happen on the person to understand the gravity of the situation. In medical parlance, these effects are called as withdrawal symptoms. They can manifest themselves in tons of ways including headaches, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, hallucinations, breathlessness, coldness and clamminess of the skin, dilated pupils and many more. Anything that causes such a string of effects on the body is definitely a disease.

Today, drug and alcohol abuse treatment centers are looking upon these vices as diseases and are treating them as such. They are providing medicinal therapies and counseling in order to help people get cured from these diseases.