How Alcoholism Is Different From Other "Diseases"

Why is alcoholism "the only disease you can get yelled at for having?"

Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

Mitch Hedberg had a great joke about alcoholism. The late comedian said, “Alcoholism is a disease, but it’s the only disease that you can get yelled at for having.”

He pointed out that we hear people say, “Damn it, you’re an alcoholic,” but never, “Damn it, you have lupus.” We talk about both alcoholism and lupus as diseases, but “One of those two doesn’t sound right.”

It’s a funny joke because it hits on an all-too-real phenomenon. I’d heard the joke before but came across it again last week, and it left me wondering why the reactions to alcoholism can be so incredibly angry and negative.

What makes alcoholism different from other diseases? Why do people react to alcoholics in ways that they would never react to those suffering from lupus, cancer, or a heart attack? Why is alcoholism “the only disease you can get yelled at for having?”

In today’s newsletter, I’m going to share three potential answers to these questions.