The American Medical Association identified addiction to alcohol as a disease. This is from one of the AMA’s publications:

“H-95.983 Drug Dependencies as Diseases

The AMA
1. endorses the proposition that drug dependencies, including alcoholism, are diseases and that their treatment is a legitimate part of medical practice, and
2. encourages physicians, other health professionals, medical and other health related organizations, and government and other policymakers to become more well informed about drug dependencies, and to base their policies and activities on the recognition that drug dependencies are, in fact, diseases. (Res. 113, A-87)”

Forget the definition of “disease” in the sense that you can take a pill or shot to “cure” it. The effects of addictions are physical, mental and spiritual and require treatment of all three areas.

The “drug of choice,” alcohol, chemical drugs or sex, doesn’t seem to matter. The stories of addicts usually have commonalities.