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Are You an Alcoholic?
Wall Street Journal ^ | 8 January 2008 | MELINDA BECK

Posted on 01/08/2008 7:59:30 AM PST by shrinkermd

More than 30% of Americans engage in risky drinking at some point in their lives...

...Researchers have made up dozens of screening tests over the years. According to one developed for Johns Hopkins University Hospital years ago that still pops up on the Web, I'm "definitely an alcoholic" because I answered yes to at least three of 20 questions...

But Alcoholscreening.org3 says I'm "below the range usually associated with harmful drinking or alcoholism" since I have only a glass or two of wine when I drink.

The authoritative American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM-IV, separates alcohol abuse from alcohol dependence, based partly on the problems the drinking causes. You qualify for a diagnosis of "abuse" if you've done any one of these in the past year: drunk alcohol in hazardous situations, like driving; kept drinking despite social or interpersonal problems; had legal problems related to alcohol or failed to fulfill major obligations at work, school or home because of drinking.

You've moved on to "dependence" if you've done any three of these seven: drunk more or longer than you intended; been unable to cut down or stop; needed more alcohol to get the same effect; had withdrawal symptoms without it; spent more time drinking or recovering; neglected other activities or continued to drink despite psychological or physical problems.

...Too much, too fast means consuming more than four drinks in two hours for men, and more than three in two hours for women. That's a level that, on average, makes people legally drunk and impairs brain function. (A standard U.S. drink, by the way, is 12 oz. of beer, 5 oz. of wine or a 1.5 oz. shot of 80 proof spirits, according to government agencies.)

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine; Society
KEYWORDS: 2buckchuck; alcoholism; brainondrugs; libertarian; livingindenial; usa
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To: shrinkermd
Difficulty walking, blurred vision, slurred speech, slowed reaction times, impaired memory:

A fellow veteran who sometimes exhibits these symptoms was not only “diagnosed” as being an alcoholic, he had both his VA “primary care provider” and another VA specialist try to coerce him into confessing that he is such. As it happens, I know, as a point of absolute certainty, that he is actually a life-long NON drinker.

These experts have thus executed a perfect Catch-22:

Having generated a faux “diagnosis,” they now no longer need to actually determine what is wrong with him. But... since he refuses to confess his (imaginary) alcoholism, he can be branded as recalcitrant, in denial, delusional, and/or a liar. Since he refuses to be “treated” for a condition he could not possibly have, they can merely sit back (metaphorically) and watch him slowly turn into a vegetable (or corpse). But, it is worse than that. His Primary Care Provider is now free to carp at him because he cannot do things which she pretends he CAN do, after all, he isn't really sick, just an alcoholic. Further, She is free to ignore anything he tries to say, since he is a “known” liar.

I believe that the vast majority of the people who work for the VA Medical system are good, kind hearted people, who try to do the best they are allowed to do for veterans. Nevertheless, there are far too many who are like the above Primary Care Provider; those for whom veterans are not fully human persons, who have anything of value to say, except to provide (under interrogation) fodder for another carping session. ...Not fully human. More like no-longer-useful draft animals, cluttering up her examining room, and sucking up resources which should be used on humans.

Little wonder some call it “Veteran-arian's Hospital.”*

DG

p.s. *with apologies to the Muppet Show, especially Doctor Bob.

101 posted on 01/09/2008 4:41:48 PM PST by DoorGunner ( ...and so, all Israel will be saved.)
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Misadventure
Misadventure

102 posted on 01/19/2008 1:16:59 AM PST by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/__________________Profile updated Wednesday, January 16, 2008)
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