Alcoholism and the Family: A Guide to Treatment and Prevention (Lawson Library (Paperback))

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Summary: Family therapists tackle alcoholism
Review: In the past, the problem drinker goes off for treatment, and the rest of the family was a secondary consideration. The authors propose a different perspective. Instead of just treating one member, treat the entire alcoholic family as the client. Each individual within the family structure should be an integral part of treatment, not just the drinking member. The author's treatment approach attempts to trace alcoholism back to it's root origins and describes how the problem is passed from generation to generation. The book describes many ways people perpetuate alcoholism, both consciously and unconsciously, and how it can be identified and treated. Specific procedures were included for prevention and for the diagnosis and treatment of the alcoholic family. The book was clearly written, and each chapter built upon the previous chapter, providing a lucid, sequential, and understandable text. The book was divided into four parts: (1) background; (2) etiology; (3) treatment; and (4) prevention. Part one is a review of alcoholism treatment and etiological theories. The controversial disease concept of alcohol was discussed first, followed by the physiological, psychological and sociocultural theories, respectively. The point was made that no one theory is correct, but rather, that all these factors contribute to the problem depending on individual circumstances. The Alcoholics Anonymous Model, Transactional Analysis Model and Behavioral Model of treatment were discussed, exclusive of other theories, and the authors ultimately suggest an eclectic approach. Treatment should fit the needs of the client and should be individualized. Part two dealt with etiology and proposed looking at the problem from the perspective of alcoholism as a family problem. Family therapy philosophy was reviewed, and the authors discussed the Communications Model, Systems Model, Structural Model and Social Learning Model. The importance of dynamics within the family of origin and the nuclear family was emphasized. Physiological, sociocultural and psychological theories of etiology were discussed, as well as the relevance of etiology for treatment and prevention. Part three dealt with treatment of the alcoholic family. It presented family therapy techniques that may be unfamiliar to the alcohol counselor and included techniques for family therapists who are inexperienced in working with alcoholic families. The authors present the view that the focus of treatment should be on the aspect of the family system that perpetuates the drinking behavior. This factor is unique in each family and should be evaluated without any preconceived notion about typical behavior patterns. Some of the topics discussed were family reports and therapist assessment of family structure; family therapy and A.A.; marital therapy; adolescent alcoholism; family violence; sexual dysfunction; children of alcoholics; art therapy; treatment of the alcoholic's spouse; and evaluation of family treatment. Lastly, Part four discussed the important issue of prevention. Primary, secondary and tertiary levels of prevention were explained and discussed. Alcoholism is a widespread problem that has been very resistant to treatment efforts. Many gains have been made by practitioners and researchers, but in many ways, the effective treatment and prevention of alcoholism are yet to be discovered. The textbook attempted to put the treatment and prevention of alcoholism into a family perspective. I found this book to be extremely informative and useful, and was written in a very readable and comprehensive manner.