Elizabeth Vargas checks herself back into rehab

Deb1010again · ‎05-28-2013

According to People magazine, Elizabeth Vargas checked herself back into rehab while on vacation. I wish her good luck and good health.

I was reading some of the comments and the great debate over whether or not it's a disease was ongoing. What do you think? Is alcoholism a disease?

I believe it is, as does the American Medical Association.

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ABC News reporter Elizabeth Vargas has returned to a recovery center to be treated for alcohol dependency, she and the network said Sunday.

The 20/20 co-anchor said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE that she checked into a treatment facility this weekend while on vacation.

"As so many other recovering alcoholics know, overcoming the disease can be a long and incredibly difficult process," Vargas said. "I feel I have let myself, my co-workers and most importantly my family down and for that I am ashamed and sorry."

Vargas, who's married to Marc Cohn and has two children with the singer-songwriter, said she was "committed to battling and addressing this debilitating disease" and expressed thanks for the support she has received.

The network said in a statement that it stands "squarely behind her" and was focused on Vargas's health.

"We look forward to having her back at ABC News when she feels ready to return," ABC News said.

Vargas, 51, spent several weeks in a treatment facility last fall. She acknowledged in an interview that aired in January on Good Morning America that she was an alcoholic and that it took years for her to admit it.

She said she had suffered panic attacks since she was a child.

"I dealt with that anxiety, and with the stress that the anxiety brought, by starting to drink," she said in the interview.

Vargas has worked in network news since 1993, first with NBC and then ABC, which she joined in 1996.

LizAnne_1 · ‎04-29-2013

Of course it's a disease.

It's certainly not a choice.

dooBdoo · ‎06-27-2010

Thanks for sharing the article, Deb. I like Elizabeth Vargas and hope she does well. Yes, it's a disease. It's a disorder of the brain. I realize the research is ongoing, but I hope to see the day when this is no more a matter of opinion than any of the other diseases which once were thought to be "moral weaknesses" or "personal choices." ${#emotions_dlg.unsure}$

Few things reveal your intellect and your generosity of spirit—the parallel powers of your heart and mind—better than how you give feedback.~Maria Popova

Luv2Decorate · ‎03-12-2010

I think the way alcohol effects some body's is different than how it effects others, Just like how some food effects people differently.

I wish her success and peace.

brii · ‎06-20-2010

I hope she can overcome this.

Free2be · ‎03-10-2010

I wish there were no need to quibble about the label. The reality is it is a mind/body issue that requires daily/hourly diligence to become and stay free of it.

Most have compassion and understanding of alcoholism's constancy and the strength required to not give in. For some, the label "disease" isn't enough to not condemn.

IMO any craving that will kill if left untreated is fair to be labeled a disease.

I wish everyone who needed it could and would check in to regain their grip on their craving. Vargas is fortunate in so many ways and how she has handled her disease surely gives reinforcement of mind to others.

faeriemoon · ‎03-14-2010

I think it's an addiction.

However, I don't think an addiction implies that it is less serious or more shameful than a disease.

sidsmom · ‎11-25-2011

When it's labelled as a 'disease', the person can easily throw their hands up in the air & say it's not their fault....whereas 'addiction', the person takes ownership of their problem.

Any substance can be an addiction for many, many years...which can physically alter your body, ie. disease, but that addiction will always be there. Don't let the addiction BECOME a disease.

ROMARY · ‎04-28-2010

I don't know much/anything about it, but I'm thinking that perhaps certain/some people's systems can turn, say, one or two occasional glasses of wine, into an addiction. And, also, just maybe, some depressed folks drink to take away/smooth over their depression/stressful lifestyle/etc., drinking more and more, and then it eventually it turns into an addiction.

'More or less', 'Right or wrong', 'In general', and 'Just thinking out loud ' (as usual).

NoelSeven · ‎03-09-2010

Of course it's a disease and credible medical associations will tell you that.

"The modern disease theory of alcoholism states that problem drinking is sometimes caused by a disease of the brain, characterized by altered brain structure and function. The American Medical Association (AMA) had declared that alcoholism was an illness in 1956. In 1991, The AMA further endorsed the dual classification of alcoholism by the International Classification of Diseases under both psychiatric and medical sections."

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