> In https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26763944 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26763944 you used the exact words "meant the same". That's right. I as

> In https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26763944 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26763944 you used the exact words "meant the same". That's right. I assert that the term "alcoholism" is most widely and commonly used to denote "alcohol abuse". That's what I said before and that's what I'm saying now. I'll say it again if you'd like :) And again, I have never in my life heard a pattern of harmless and controlled consumption of alcohol referred to as "alcoholism". Regarding the notion of dependence, I assert that (1) there is such a thing as alcohol dependency that does not result in or qualify as alcohol abuse, and (2) that in practice all alcohol abuse involves some degree of chemical or psychological dependence. I understand there is semantic debate about this, especially among cognitive scientists, and I'm comfortable taking a side. In DSM-IV, dependence and abuse are diagnosed by completely separate criteria. In DSM-V the criteria are merged under the diagnosis of "Alcohol Use Disorder". Regarding binge drinking, I'll argue that all regular binge drinking should be considered disordered or abusive. Both DSM-IV and DSM-V guidelines appear to allow some amount of binge drinking to escape a clinical diagnosis, but in my experience regular binge drinking is always abusive in the ways that matter. I bet you every addiction counsellor you'll ever meet will agree with me on that. > Don't throw around terms like "pathology" then. Like I said, the word pathology is widely used with a broader meaning outside of hospitals and doctor's offices. But if you're really intent on policing that particular word, I invite you to take up the debate up with a clinical psychologist. Tell them that they're using that word all wrong, and they should use it only the way MD's do. Let me know how that goes. > If you have moral opinions about other people's drinking, just say so. No, I have no problem with alcohol, and I'm regularly around quite a bit of drinking. I have no problem making a run to the liquor store for dinner or a party, and I'm always glad to be the designated driver. My experience leads me to believe that addiction is a disease, not a moral failure. I have the disease of alcoholism, a disease that is diagnosed clinically on the basis of my behavior. Not on my genes or brain structure, but on my behavior. I will never be "cured" of this disease. The best I can hope for is remission, and that's why I can never touch alcohol again, not even a single drink. But that's just my approach. I know there are others, and I don't judge them.