Alcoholism as a Medical Disorder: A Call to Arms

By Betsy Atkins, Ivanhoe Health Correspondent

ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Roughly 30 percent of Americans will suffer from alcohol dependence or alcohol abuse at some point in their lives -- two serious conditions that can be mentally and physically debilitating if left untreated. Although alcoholism is prevalent in the United States, a recent study reveals many alcoholics aren't getting the treatment they need until several years after the condition develops.

"It's very unfortunate that so many of the patients who suffer from this disorder do not get adequate treatment," Peter R. Martin, M.D., professor of psychiatry and pharmacology at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, told Ivanhoe. "I think people are still having a hard time viewing addictive disorders as real medical disorders."

The new study conducted by researchers at Columbia University in New York supported Dr. Martin's views by showing alcoholism is a growing problem in the United States. After analyzing data from 43,093 face-to-face interviews with adults selected to represent the national population, researchers found 4.7 percent of participants reported having an alcohol abuse disorder, and 3.8 percent were deemed alcohol-dependent a year before the study began. Of the participants who were alcohol-dependent, only 24.1 percent received treatment, and when these participants did receive treatment, it was an average of eight years after their condition began.

"I think our society should take a much more holistic view of health than it currently does," said Dr. Martin, who pointed out the economic advantages of treating patients with alcoholism before they develop expensive medical complications like cirrhosis as a result of their addiction. Based on data in the study that showed physicians see a large number of people with alcohol problems, Dr. Martin urged doctors to take a more active role in diagnosing and treating patients with addictions.

"Treatment for alcoholism still continues to be significantly done by the medical system," he said. "I think a person should be treated for addiction with much the same intent and with the same determination that we treat them for diabetes, or hypertension or other things."

This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, which offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, click on: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.

SOURCE: Ivanhoe interview with Peter R. Martin, M.D.; Archives of General Psychiatry, 2007;64:830-842