title: What if alcoholism had not been invented? The dynamics of American alcohol mythology.
abstract: This essay speculates on what might have been had alcoholism not been invented. The invention is viewed as a product of the ongoing myth-making process whereby society continuously defines and redefines alcohol, seeking to integrate it into the culture in ways that allow enjoyment of its pleasures with minimum pain. Had alcoholism not been invented, (a) the myth-making process might have yielded another simplistic explanation of drunkenness, but more likely alcohol would have remained the supposed cause; (b) the per capita alcohol consumption uptrend of some 50 years standing might not have reversed as it did in 1982; (c) chronic drunkards might still be denied life-saving hospitalization which gains them more time for the natural reform process to work for them; and (d) local communities nationwide might have taken common-sense actions to facilitate the natural rehabilitation process and provided more benefit to more alcoholics for less cost than treating alcoholism. It is expected that Americans will continue to drink and will continue to seek a more harmonious relationship with alcohol. The informal social controls will continue to largely constrain individual appetites for alcohol's pleasures, and most alcoholics will continue to gain control of their excessive drinking in the natural course of events with or without exposure to alcoholism treatment.
authors.affiliation: University of Iowa, Department of Psychiatry, Iowa City 52242.
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Mulford
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000639:trends*; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D011639:Public Opinion; D012927:Social Control, Informal; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology