I believe that the disease theory used by 12 step programs hurts more people than it helps. By being told they have a disease, XA members are given an excuse for their bad behavior. The afflicted is now no longer responsible for his or her actions. They can blame their disease. Also, XA gives them a handy label that they can cart around: alcoholic, codependent, adult child, etc... I believe this does not translate well in the real world. By the "real world" I mean in regards to employers, the legal system, families, spouses, children and the billions of people who live life without the 12 steps. In society, missing work, getting a DUI, ignoring your family, abandoning your wife and neglecting your children is not acceptable just because you "have a disease." Nobody believes the "disease excuse." Nobody except the doctors who created the theory and the Big Book and its followers.

I think these ideas about diseases and alcoholism and other labels come out of the universal fact: human beings do not like to admit when they make a mistake. And they absolutely do not want to take responsibility for their actions. If you ask someone if they did something wrong, they may admit it. However, your next question will probably be "why?" Example, "Why did you get drunk and stay out till 6am?" Now, no one wants to say, "I wanted to do it. I was fully aware it was wrong, but it was fun, so I did it anyway." No, a lot of times the person will try to find a justification. And this is where the disease theory comes in handy. "It wasn't me, it was my disease that made me drink 20 beers and not go home until dawn."

Also, the disease excuse is an easy out because if a person relapses and has a raging out of control binge they can easily find solace in the fact that, "They couldn't help it. One drink leads to who knows how many. I'm an alcoholic, I can only control myself by not drinking the first one." How convenient is that? It's as if the doctors and support groups give substance abusers a license to go out and have horrible relapses.

What XA and the Big Book won't tell you is that in the eyes of the law, society and nature, you are normal. No one will take pity on you because you have a substance abuse problem. XA members somehow pick up on an air of invincibility, thinking that their support group will somehow protect them from everything and everyone, including real illnesses such as cancer or even death. Members come to think that they are special or unique and deserve a break from everyone else. No one buys this except other XA members.

In my opinion, people who abuse alcohol, drugs or any other "addictive" entity are normal human beings. They simply make bad decisions. And overreact to life's problems. I believe every living being on this planet struggles and makes mistakes. Only XA members believe it is not their fault and that an invisible disease, not detectable by x-rays, made them do it. I think this makes the rest of society mad -- that alcoholics somehow get special treatment or are seen as tragic victims.

In the end, the person that the disease theory hurts most is the individual who believes it's true. The person now has a huge misunderstanding about how the world works. He thinks he's gonna be ok no matter what, all he has to do is concentrate on himself. This sells that person way short. A human being deserves a lot better.