"Alcoholism is the only disease that tries to…

“Alcoholism is the only disease that tries to convince you that you don’t have it” is an alcoholism saying that has been printed on several images. The saying was printed in the book Denial Is Not a River in Egypt (1998) by Sandi Bachom.

“Addiction is the only disease that tries to convince you that you don’t have it” was printed in the book Walking Like a Duck: The True Story of a Nurse Walking from Addiction to Recovery (2005) by Patricia Holloran. The “addiction” (instead of “alcoholism”) version is less frequently cited.

Google Books
Denial Is Not a River in Egypt
Written and edited by Sandi Bachom
Design and illustrated by Don Ross
Center City, MN: Hazelden
1998
Pg. 13:
DENIAL
Alcoholism is the only disease that tries to convince you that you don’t have it.

Google Books
A Nation Under the Influence:
America’s Addiction to Alcohol
By J. Vincent Peterson, Bernard Nisenholz and Gary Robinson
Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon
2003
Pg. 93:
Alcoholism is the only disease that tries to convince you that you don ‘t have it. —Bachom, I998

Google Books
Walking Like a Duck:
The True Story of a Nurse Walking from Addiction to Recovery
By Patricia Holloran
Lincoln, NE: iUniverse
2005
Pg. 3:
“Addiction is the only disease that tries to convince you that you don’t have it.”

Google Books
5,000 Great One Liners
Compiled by Grant Tucker
London, UK: Biteback Publishing
2012
Pg. ?:
Alcoholism is the only disease that tries to convince you that you don’t have it.

Twitter
Quotes ❤️
@wordstionary
Alcoholism is the only disease that tries to convince you that you don’t have it.
12:47 PM - 9 Feb 2012

Twitter
Naara Jasiel ♡
@Naara_Jasiel
“Addiction is the only disease that tries to convince you that you don’t have it.”
— Impaired - Patricia Holloran
11:27 PM - 30 Oct 2012

Twitter
Addiction Counselor
@timrobertoaddi1
What Can I Say?
Alcoholism is the only disease that tries to convince you that you don’t have it ~
5:41 PM - 30 Apr 2018