The Biology of Alcoholism

of Volume 6.- 1 Types of Alcohol Dependence.- Factors of Change.- Consumption.- Interactions of Alcohol with Other Chemicals.- The Functions and Liabilities of Alcohol.- Knowledge about Alcohol and Human Beings.- The Need for a Unifying Concept.- Individual Variability.- The Problems of Alcohol.- Intoxication.- Diseases of Alcohol.- Dependence.- Withdrawal.- Types of Alcohol Dependence.- Physical Dependence.- Psychological Dependence.- The Concept of Social Dependence.- Summary and Some Implications for Research, Prevention, and Treatment.- 2 The Natural History of Alcoholism.- Historical Aspects.- Natural History Studies.- Comparisons with Jellinek's Phases.- Studies on Minimally Treated or Untreated Alcoholics.- The Influence of Age on Natural History.- Alcoholism in Females.- Spontaneous Remission.- Social Drinking in Ex-Alcoholics.- Abstinence.- Morbidity.- Mortality.- Conclusions.- References.- 3 Psychiatric Characteristics of Alcoholics.- Acute Alcohol Psychoses: Intoxication and Withdrawal.- Acute Alcohol Intoxication.- Idiosyncratic or Pathological Intoxication.- Alcohol Withdrawal Syndromes.- Alcohol Hallucinosis.- Alcohol Amnestic Disorder.- Alcoholic Dementia.- Alcoholism and Affective Disorders.- Alcoholism and Suicide.- Alcoholism as a Cause of Suicide.- Alcoholism as a Form of Suicide.- Alcoholism and Suicide as Manifestations of a Common.- Etiology.- Alcoholism and Schizophrenia.- Alcoholism and Sociopathy.- Alcoholism and Neurosis.- Treatment Implications.- Summary.- References.- 4 Clinical and Prealcoholic Personality Characteristics.- History of the Alcoholic Personality Concept.- Methodological Problems in Alcoholic Personality Research.- Strategy Used in the Preparation of This Chapter.- Objective Personality Batteries.- Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory.- Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire.- Eysenck Personality Inventory.- Edwards Personal Preference Schedule.- Jackson Personality Research Form.- Internal-External Locus of Control.- Projective Personality Tests.- The Rorschach.- The Thematic Apperception Test.- Drawing Tasks.- Perceptual Tests.- Field Dependence-Independence.- Stimulus-Intensity Modulation.- A Clinical Alcoholic Personality Model.- Neuroticism.- Weak Ego.- Field Dependence.- Stimulus-Intensity Modulation.- Dynamics.- Prealcoholic Personality.- Conclusions.- References.- 5 Why Do Alcoholics Drink?.- The Evolution of "Addictive" Drinking Behavior.- The Opponent Process.- Craving.- Modifiers of Alcohol Consumption.- Predictors of Alcohol Acquisition and Consumption.- The First Drink.- The Issue of Loss of Control.- Individual Drinking Patterns.- Summary.- References.- 6 Alcoholism in Women.- Some General Comments.- Important Methodological Elements in Etiological Studies.- Interpretation of Results.- The Causative Theories.- Genetics.- The Relationship between Alcoholism and Other Psychiatric Disorders.- Hormonal Influences.- Feelings of Femininity.- Sexuality.- Sex Roles.- Family and Spouse.- Personality Characteristics.- Tension and Anxiety.- Social Factors.- General Conclusions.- References.- 7 The Alcoholic Family.- Family Assessment and Measurement Techniques.- Family Assessment.- Family Measurement Techniques.- Family Environment and the Development of Alcoholism.- The Family Structure Studies.- Studies of the Cross-Generational Transmission of Alcoholism.- Family Determinants of the Course of Alcoholism.- Naturalistic Studies of the Alcoholic Family.- Laboratory Studies of Alcoholic Families.- Family Factors as They Influence the Course of.- Treatment.- The Impact of Alcoholism on the Family: Family Violence.- A General Overview of the Alcoholism and Family Violence Literature.- Representative Studies Relating Alcohol Use and Abuse to Family Violence.- Conclusions.- References.- 8 Ethnicity and Nationality in Alcoholism.- Drinking Subcultures.- Grandparents.- Parents.- Adolescents.- A Socialization Model of Drinking.- The Dynamics of Drinking Socialization.- The Effects of Assimilation on Ethnic Drinking Patterns.- Conclusion.- References.- 9 Religion and Alcoholism.- Theories of the Moral and Symbolic Dimensions of Drinking.- Religion and Drunkenness in Primitive and Traditional Societies.- Religion and Alcoholism in Modern Societies.- Rates of Drinking Problems by Religion.- Jewish American versus Irish-American Drinking Patterns.- The Temperance Movements.- Anomie, Ambivalence, and Structural Contradictions.- Private Secular Religion and Alcoholism.- References.- 10 Social-Class Factors in Alcoholism.- Historical Background.- Institutional Rates.- Statistics of Troubles.- Drunkenness Arrests.- Traffic Violations.- Direct Measures of Drinking.- Measures of Drinking Problems.- Summary, Discussion, and Conclusion.- References.- 11 Occupational Factors in Alcoholism.- Review of the Literature.- Differences across Occupations.- Clinical Populations.- Data on Mortality.- Household Surveys.- Studies within Occupations.- Population Surveys.- Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Designs.- Structural Characteristics of Occupations.- Methodology.- Results.- Discussion and Conclusions.- References.- 12 Region and Urbanization as Factors in Drinking Practices and Problems.- Geography and Drinking.- Alcohol Measures and Geographic Variables.- Geographic Units and Alcohol Studies.- Cities.- Counties.- States.- Census Tracts.- U.S. Census Regions.- Urbanicity or Urbanization.- Variation by Region and Urbanicity in Drinking Practices and Problems in the United States.- New Data on Drinking Patterns.- Alcohol-Related Problems.- Regional Differences in an International Perspective.- Urban-Rural Differences in an International Perspective.- Alcohol and the Process of Urbanization.- References.- 13 A Comprehensive Theory of the Pathogenesis of Alcoholism.- A Case History.- Traditional Tools of Inquiry.- Partial Solutions.- System Dynamics.- A Theory of Alcoholism.- Overview.- Scope of the Study.- Reference Modes of Drinking Behavior.- Dynamics Hypothesis.- Major Feedback Loops.- Model Summary.- Investigating Ways to Deal with Alcoholism.- Prevention.- Treatment.- Conclusion.- References.