4 ms·
Sorry for going on a rant here, but I dislike the framing implicit in "spontaneous remission". Addiction does vanish spontaneously with a wave of a wand. These
by im3w1l 7y ago
Sorry for going on a rant here, but I dislike the framing implicit in "spontaneous remission".
Addiction does vanish spontaneously with a wave of a wand. These are people of flesh and blood and free will that managed to overcome their addiction. They are making attempts at treating themselves. They might be reading blog posts with advice. They may avoid buying alcohol for fear they'll drink it all. They be taking detours around bars. They may be meditating or even self-administering cbt.
So calling it spontaneous seems a misnomer.
- lazyasciiart 7y agoIt's spontaneous because it is not caused by the external treatment. It's not a misnomer so much as a difference in usage. When you say a person did something spontaneously, it means it was impulsive, not caused by anything, and has connotations of being a sudden or easy action. When you say an event was spontaneous, there is no reference to meaning or intensity of the event - it simply means that there was no external cause.
- michaelt 7y agoStill, if my physiotherapist tells me to strengthen my core muscles with daily bodyweight exercises and I instead strengthen my core muscles with weekly free weights exercises, if I am cured it would seem odd to call it spontaneous.
- jdietrich 7y agoThe statistical question is whether you would have done those exercises regardless of whether you consulted a physiotherapist. If you would have done those free weights exercises anyway, then it's unreasonable to credit the physio with your recovery; if you wouldn't have done them of your own accord, then it's reasonable to credit the physio even though the precise causal mechanism wasn't what we would expect. We're not trying to address philosophical questions, but find out whether particular treatments have a meaningful effect.
- emmelaich 7y agodoes not vanish?