A History of Alcohol Abuse and Dependence
Similarly, views of society toward the alcoholic’s family members (particularly the spouse) have varied as well. For example, at different points in history, the spouses of drunken men have been viewed as tragic victims, as people who are part of the problem, or even as individuals who somehow “drove” the alcoholic person to drink. Attitudes have generally been even more unfavorable toward women alcoholics, who have been viewed as weak, sluttish, evil, bad mothers, or, much less frequently, as simply individuals who need help from their addiction. This introduction provides a discussion of varying attitudes toward female alcohol abusers and alcoholics through time.
In looking at times past, it is important to consider societal views toward alcohol at the time in question rather than to overlay modern views on the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth Rock, Victorian men and women, and other historical cultures or groups. When the views of the people at the time and the reasons behind them are known, their behavior is often much more understandable.
Finally, the introduction has a separate section on treatment of alcoholic abusers through the ages, which has ranged from bleeding the alcoholic (a treatment for many ailments in the 18th century) to spiking his drink with ipecac syrup or other noxious substances that induced extreme vomiting to counseling and social support and other measures.
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Mark S. Gold, M.D. and Christine Adamec
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REFERENCES
- Amethyst Initiative. Statement. Available online. Accessed March 1, 2009.
- Beirness, Douglas J., and Erin E. Beasley. Alcohol and Drug Use Among Drivers: British Columbia Roadside Survey, 2008. Ottawa, Ontario: Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, 2009.
- Berridge, Virginia, and Sarah Mars. “History of Addictions.” Journal of Epidemiology and Public Health 58 (2003): 747–750.
- Blanco, Carlos, M.D., et al. “Mental Health of College Students and Their Non-College-Attending Peers: Results from the National Epidemiologic Study on Alcohol and Related Conditions.” Archives of General Psychiatry 65, no. 12 (2008): 1,429–1,437.
- Blocker, Jack S., Jr. “Did Prohibition Really Work: Alcohol Prohibition as a Public Health Innovation.” American Journal of Public Health 96, no. 2 (2006): 233–243.