Treatments of Alcoholism

Alcoholism can destroy the life of an alcoholic and devastate the alcoholic's family. But it also has overwhelming consequences for society. Consider these statistics from the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence: *In 1988, alcoholism and problems related to it         cost the United States an estimated $85.8 billion in mortality and reduced productivity; *Fetal alcohol syndrome, caused by a woman's         drinking during pregnancy, afflicts five thousand infants a year; it costs about $1.4 billion annually to treat …

…and unless researchers find a specific biological cause and cure for alcoholism, treatments will continue to vary, depending upon the alcoholic and the therapist. References Ewing, J. (1978). Drinking. Chicago: Nelson Hall Institute of Medicine. (1989). Broadening the Base of Treatment for Alcoholic Problems. New York: Bergin Publishers Inc. Johnson, V. (1980). I'll Quit Tomorrow. New York: Harper & Row. Newman, S. (1987). It Won't Happen To Me. Toronto: General Publishing Co. Stepney, R. (1987) Alcohol. New York: Aladdin Books