| Abstract: | Recent criticism of the applicability of the disease concept, the medical model and “loss of control”, to alcoholism, all seem in part to be based on semantic “man-of-straw” arguments. If each of the terms “disease”, “medical”, “alcoholism”, “loss of control” is equated with organic physical changes only, such criticism might perhaps be justified—with the proviso that knowledge on alcoholism at present is still far from complete. These criticisms, however, lose much of their basis if the terms “disease”, “medical”, “alcoholism”, and “loss of control” are taken to include psychosomatic and psycho-social factors as well as physical ones. Medical men are concerned with psychological and social, as well as physical, conditions. If “loss of control” is viewed as a multi-factorial condition affected by psychological and social, as well as physico-chemical factors, the finding that under certain favourable psychological and social conditions some alcoholics can drink in moderation for shorter or longer periods, becomes easily understandable-this, however, by no means affects the basic applicability of the “loss of control” concept, the alcoholics' inability to drink safely in moderation for very long, and the advisability of adhering to the principle of total abstinence. |
