In 1956, the American Medical Association declared alcoholism a “disease.” More than half a century later, the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) has proclaimed addiction, including alcoholism and “process” addictions …
alcoholism
The Detox Amy Winehouse Should Have Done
It appears that we won’t know what caused Amy Winehouse’s death for several months, but if the singer did die from alcohol withdrawal, as has been speculated, the tragedy of her loss will be compounded by the fact that such …
In the Wake of Amy Winehouse’s Death, a Spotlight on the Deadliness of Alcohol
While rumors continue to fly about what killed Amy Winehouse — the latest suggest that crack and heroin may have been involved — the singer’s parents continue to maintain that she was sober when she died, and that in fact, …
Q&A: The Author of Unwasted Talks About Socializing Sober
Writer Sacha Z. Scoblic spent years reveling in her life as the party girl, always quick with a laugh and up for another drink—or five. But when she gave up alcohol in 2005, Scoblic found she wasn’t interested in chronicling …
How Repetitive Foods Can Mean Weight Loss
Want to lose weight? How about trying to bore yourself thin? According to a study that will be published in the August issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, monotony at mealtime might be a clever — if …
How to Cut Crime, Alcoholism and Addiction? It’s Not Elementary, But Preschool
To cut crime, raise education and income levels, and reduce addiction rates among the poor, no program offers more bang for the buck than preschool, as a new study published in Science demonstrates.
Bypassing Obesity for Alcoholism: Why Some Weight-Loss Surgeries Increase Alcohol Risk
People who undergo gastric bypass surgery for weight loss have more than twice the risk of developing alcoholism, compared with those who have gastric banding surgery, preliminary research finds. This line of inquiry could shed …
Perspective: The Debate Over Anonymity in Addiction Recovery
Should addicts and alcoholics remain anonymous about their recovery? Eighteen years ago this month, I wrote my first op-ed for the Washington Post‘s Sunday Outlook section, arguing against that idea. It was headlined “Addicted to …
Happy Hour? ‘Wet Houses’ Allow Alcoholics to Drink, With Surprising Results
It sounds like an alcoholic’s vision of heaven: a free place to live, paid expenses (mostly), and an ample supply of booze. But the reality of “wet houses” for homeless alcoholics looks more like hell, even as these programs — …
Is Teen Binge-Drinking Really a Harbinger of Alcoholism?
Is teen binge-drinking “just a phase?” Or do most teens who drink heavily become alcoholics?
Should Parents Let Kids Drink at Home? New Data Show Many Do
Among American teens aged 12 to 14 who report drinking alcohol, nearly 30% were given the booze by their parents or other adult relatives, according to new statistics released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
The Growing Link Between Alcoholism and Obesity
Can salty, fatty, sugary foods be addictive? Recent neurological research has shown that overeating lights up the same brain pathways as drug use, so it’s not surprising that new research from the Washington University School of …
