--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People who are dependent are merely using…" description: "\"“People who are dependent are merely using alcohol as a crutch to get through the day. Yet doctors and scientists are still treating \"alcoholism\" as if..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/897/chris-prentiss-3634_addiction_people-who-are-dependent-are-merely-usin_2550962.jpg" --- # People who are dependent are merely using alcohol as a… ![“People who are dependent are merely using alcohol as a crutch to get through the day. Yet doctors and scientists are still treating "alcoholism" as if it is the problem, when it has nothing to do with the problem. They might as well be studying "scratchism" for people who have a chronic itch.” quote by Chris Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/897/chris-prentiss-3634_addiction_people-who-are-dependent-are-merely-usin_2550962.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/897/chris-prentiss-3634_addiction_people-who-are-dependent-are-merely-usin_2550962.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/897/chris-prentiss-3634_addiction_people-who-are-dependent-are-merely-usin_2550962.jpg) > ““People who are dependent are merely using alcohol as a crutch to get through the day. Yet doctors and scientists are still treating "alcoholism" as if it is the problem, when it has nothing to do with the problem. They might as well be studying "scratchism" for people who have a chronic itch.”” [Chris Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-prentiss/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. It argues that treating alcoholism as a problem ignores the underlying issue of dependency, likening it to treating an itch as a disease. **In simple terms:** Treating symptoms, not root causes, misses the real issue. Key Takeaway Address underlying dependencies, not just symptoms. Themes addiction healthcare misdiagnosis Mood critical thought‑provoking Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - clinical practice - public health policy - patient counseling - research focus Key Concepts dependency theory medical sociology Questions to Reflect On - What alternative frameworks better address dependency? - How can treatment shift from symptom to cause? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex medical conditions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Addiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/addiction/) [Alcoholism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alcoholism/) [Alcoholism Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alcoholism-problem-1521590/) [Alcoholism-addiction-recovery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alcoholism-addiction-recovery-5708/) [Chris-prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chris-prentiss/) [Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) [Holistic-treatment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holistic-treatment-83529/) [Passages-malibu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passages-malibu/) [Passages-ventura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passages-ventura/) [Pax-prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pax-prentiss/) [People Dependent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-dependent-745971/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Scratchism People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scratchism-people-1521592/) [Studying Scratchism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/studying-scratchism-1521593/) [Treating Alcoholism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treating-alcoholism-1521591/) ## Related quotes > [“AA purports to be open to anyone, as it is stated in Tradition Tree, "The only requirement for AA membership is a desire to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-prentiss/aa-purports-to-be-open-to-anyone-as-it-is-stated-in-tradition-tree/) [Chris Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-prentiss/) > [“It was finally the obese, inescapable burden of sadness—such a simple word—that finally led to acknowledging and treating my alcoholism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/it-was-finally-the-obese-inescapable-burden-of-sadness-such-a-simple/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [“Whether the underlying cause of your dependency is a chemical imbalance, unresolved events from the past, beliefs you hold that are inconsistent with what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-prentiss/whether-the-underlying-cause-of-your-dependency-is-a-chemical/) [Chris Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-prentiss/) > [“One of the first actions we take at Passages is to ruthlessly scrutinize, always under a doctor's supervision and care, the specific necessity of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-prentiss/one-of-the-first-actions-we-take-at-passages-is-to-ruthlessly/) [Chris Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-prentiss/) > [To give up power to change for the better is inherently distasteful to everyone, and to force people to affirm that they are addicts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-prentiss/to-give-up-power-to-change-for-the-better-is-inherently-distasteful/) [Chris Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-prentiss/) > [“Believe that is cure is possible for you. Discover and heal the underlying causes with a holistic recovery program. Adopt a philosophy based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-prentiss/believe-that-is-cure-is-possible-for-you-discover-and-heal-the/) [Chris Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-prentiss/) > [“We wouldn't have much need of a war if people stopped using drugs. It's like taking up a fight against the use of headache…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-prentiss/we-wouldn-t-have-much-need-of-a-war-if-people-stopped-using-drugs-it/) [Chris Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-prentiss/) > [“It is ethanol that everyone is after when they drink alcoholic beverages. That is what gives us the euphoric feeling, and that is what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-prentiss/it-is-ethanol-that-everyone-is-after-when-they-drink-alcoholic/) [Chris Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-prentiss/) > [“We recognize that you've used substances to try to regain your lost balance, to try to feel the way you did before the need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-prentiss/we-recognize-that-you-ve-used-substances-to-try-to-regain-your-lost/) [Chris Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-prentiss/) > [“Alcohol is the fuel to your pains. Share you pains and you will see how easy it is to quit alcohol.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/srinivas-shenoy/alcohol-is-the-fuel-to-your-pains-share-you-pains-and-you-will-see/) [Srinivas Shenoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/srinivas-shenoy/) > [“I carried a bravado about my drinking like I was a hero of debauchery. But on that Christmas Day, I felt like shit. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadia-bolz-weber/i-carried-a-bravado-about-my-drinking-like-i-was-a-hero-of-debauchery/) [Nadia Bolz-Weber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadia-bolz-weber/) > [“Drinking is something people do; it's not what you are. But when it becomes what you are, you need to think about becoming something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cowlishaw/drinking-is-something-people-do-it-s-not-what-you-are-but-when-it/) [Tim Cowlishaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cowlishaw/) > [“Looking For Love and Looking In All The Wrong Places”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-rouston/looking-for-love-and-looking-in-all-the-wrong-places/) [Gordon Rouston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-rouston/) ## More by Chris Prentiss > [“Most centers offer a one-program-fits all type of service, which is rather like a department store that sells one-size fits all clothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-prentiss/most-centers-offer-a-one-program-fits-all-type-of-service-which-is/) [Chris Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-prentiss/) > [Your life today is the result of a series of decisions you made that have caused you to arrive where you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-prentiss/your-life-today-is-the-result-of-a-series-of-decisions-you-made-that/) [Chris Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-prentiss/) > [“If who you are and what you have is what you want, that's perfect. Keep doing what you've been doing and you'll get more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-prentiss/if-who-you-are-and-what-you-have-is-what-you-want-that-s-perfect-keep/) [Chris Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-prentiss/) > [When people who believe themselves to be addicts or alcoholics come under great stress or trauma, they mentally give themselves permission to drink or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-prentiss/when-people-who-believe-themselves-to-be-addicts-or-alcoholics-come/) [Chris Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-prentiss/) > [“The challenges and changes you meet are, in effect, hand delivered to you by a generous, loving Universe for the purpose of making you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-prentiss/the-challenges-and-changes-you-meet-are-in-effect-hand-delivered-to/) [Chris Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-prentiss/) > [Each river is different, but they all eventually lead to the ocean. No matter what we’re doing or when, or whether it brings us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-prentiss/each-river-is-different-but-they-all-eventually-lead-to-the-ocean-no/) [Chris Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-prentiss/) > [“Your perception of the world and the way you see yourself in it has created within your mind a concept, a philosophy, of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-prentiss/your-perception-of-the-world-and-the-way-you-see-yourself-in-it-has/) [Chris Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-prentiss/) > [“Alcohol is the drug ethanol. They are one and the same. Alcohol is also called ethyl alcohol or grain alcohol. It is a chemical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-prentiss/alcohol-is-the-drug-ethanol-they-are-one-and-the-same-alcohol-is-also/) [Chris Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-prentiss/) > [Whatever you are trying to achieve in life, it is essential that you surround yourself with people who believe that what you seek and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-prentiss/whatever-you-are-trying-to-achieve-in-life-it-is-essential-that-you/) [Chris Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-prentiss/) > [The moment you make the internal changes necessary to obtain your goal, the outside world changes instantly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-prentiss/the-moment-you-make-the-internal-changes-necessary-to-obtain-your/) [Chris Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-prentiss/) > [“Your actions create an "energy vortex" that draws in the necessary ingredients for your venture.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-prentiss/your-actions-create-an-energy-vortex-that-draws-in-the-necessary/) [Chris Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-prentiss/) > [“We like to take credit when we get a new idea, as if we originated the idea in our brain, but what we actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-prentiss/we-like-to-take-credit-when-we-get-a-new-idea-as-if-we-originated-the/) [Chris Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-prentiss/) > [You can be happy if you are willing to let go of your past and leave yourself unencumbered so you can fly freely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-prentiss/you-can-be-happy-if-you-are-willing-to-let-go-of-your-past-and-leave/) [Chris Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-prentiss/) > [“A strong personal philosophy does more than sustain us through the tragedies of life. It also stains us daily in everything we think and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-prentiss/a-strong-personal-philosophy-does-more-than-sustain-us-through-the/) [Chris Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-prentiss/) > [“When nothing else worked, we created a holistic, hand-tailored program that saved Pax's life. At Passages, he and I use what we learned in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-prentiss/when-nothing-else-worked-we-created-a-holistic-hand-tailored-program/) [Chris Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-prentiss/) [Explore all 125 Chris Prentiss quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-prentiss/) ## More Addiction quotes > [What has drug addiction done for me? It's cost me my career, my fortune and basically my sex life when I found out I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbin-crosby/what-has-drug-addiction-done-for-me-it-s-cost-me-my-career-my-fortune/) [Robbin Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbin-crosby/) > [“The idea that creative endeavor and mind-altering substances are entwined is one of the great pop-intellectual myths of our time... Creative people probably do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-idea-that-creative-endeavor-and-mind-altering-substances-are/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [I really think the disease aspect gets lost when you're talking about alcoholism and addiction; it's not like you're battling leukemia or a heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-irsay/i-really-think-the-disease-aspect-gets-lost-when-you-re-talking-about/) [Jim Irsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-irsay/) > [I had an addiction to artificial points of success. Like being able to run for this or run for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-gallego/i-had-an-addiction-to-artificial-points-of-success-like-being-able-to/) [Ruben Gallego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-gallego/) > [“Addictions are just symptoms of underlying issues, and in my view Nikki self-medicated the emotional pain of his childhood, and being away from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-sixx/addictions-are-just-symptoms-of-underlying-issues-and-in-my-view/) [Nikki Sixx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-sixx/) > [“Oil. The great addiction of the civilized world”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-warren/oil-the-great-addiction-of-the-civilized-world/) [Andrew Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-warren/) > [“They say when you fall in love in love with someone that person becomes like a drug,an addiction you don't want to live without.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/they-say-when-you-fall-in-love-in-love-with-someone-that-person/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Addictions - Run to Jesus instead of running to your addiction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/addictions-run-to-jesus-instead-of-running-to-your-addiction/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [Music is my personal addiction. So much of everything I've done has only been to open more doors for the music itself. It all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/music-is-my-personal-addiction-so-much-of-everything-i-ve-done-has/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [“I am made of a thousand ghosts. Only you can shoot me down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-james/i-am-made-of-a-thousand-ghosts-only-you-can-shoot-me-down/) [Bella James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-james/) > [Religious work is one of the best ways to keep from facing your reality if you are Christian, if you are using it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-miller/religious-work-is-one-of-the-best-ways-to-keep-from-facing-your/) [Keith Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-miller/) > [Cold sweats, hallucinations I wanna speed to stop. The hell I'm going through The addiction's taking you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bullet-for-my-valentine/cold-sweats-hallucinations-i-wanna-speed-to-stop-the-hell-i-m-going/) [Bullet For My Valentine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bullet-for-my-valentine/) > [As addictions go, reading is among the cleanest, easiest to feed, happiest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/as-addictions-go-reading-is-among-the-cleanest-easiest-to-feed/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [“Alcoholism is a choice... not a life sentence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-norman/alcoholism-is-a-choice-not-a-life-sentence/) [David Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-norman/) > [“Suckers think that you cure greed with money, addiction with substances, expert problems with experts, banking with bankers, economics with economists, and debt crises…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/suckers-think-that-you-cure-greed-with-money-addiction-with/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) [Browse all 2,134 Addiction quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/addiction/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“People who are dependent are merely using alcohol as a crutch to get through the day. Yet doctors and scientists are still treating \"alcoholism\" as if it is the problem, when it has nothing to do with the problem. They might as well be studying \"scratchism\" for people who have a chronic itch.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Chris Prentiss" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-prentiss/people-who-are-dependent-are-merely-using-alcohol-as-a-crutch-to-get/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Addiction" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-prentiss/people-who-are-dependent-are-merely-using-alcohol-as-a-crutch-to-get/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/897/chris-prentiss-3634_addiction_people-who-are-dependent-are-merely-usin_2550962.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/897/chris-prentiss-3634_addiction_people-who-are-dependent-are-merely-usin_2550962.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/897/chris-prentiss-3634_addiction_people-who-are-dependent-are-merely-usin_2550962.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“People who are dependent are merely using alcohol as a crutch to get through the day. Yet doctors and…” — Chris Prentiss", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Chris Prentiss", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-prentiss/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“People who are dependent are merely...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-prentiss/people-who-are-dependent-are-merely-using-alcohol-as-a-crutch-to-get/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-prentiss/people-who-are-dependent-are-merely-using-alcohol-as-a-crutch-to-get/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```