Includes bibliographical references (pages 239-259) and index

Prologue--the dysfunctional society : can a nation be addicted to alcohol? -- A brief history of alcohol in the United States -- The nature of alcohol -- Alcohol use, alcohol abuse, and health -- Alcohol abuse -- America's greatest illegal drug problem : alcohol abuse by young people -- Alcoholism : a mysterious syndrome -- The diagnosis of alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence -- The family disease : theory and treatment -- Treatment of alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence (alcoholism) -- Alcohol use among special populations -- Social and economic costs of alcohol abuse and alcoholism -- Alcohol marketing/advertising -- Ways of addressing alcohol problems -- Epilogue

1. Prologue, the dysfunctional society : can a nation be addicted to alcohol? -- Pushers -- Enablers -- The state of denial -- Co-dependents -- Terminology -- Summary -- Questions and exercises -- Recommended -- 2. A brief history of alcohol in the United States -- The first European explorers and settlers -- Before prohibition -- The whiskey rebellion -- The moral model of alcohol abuse -- Prohibition -- After prohibition -- The current situation -- Summary -- Questions and exercises -- Recommended -- 3. The nature of alcohol -- Alcohol as a beverage -- The metabolism of alcohol -- The body's processes for the removal of alcohol -- The effects of too much alcohol -- Tolerance -- Alcohol as a drug -- Government regulation of alcohol -- Alcohol as a chemical -- Other properties of alcohol -- Alcohol as a food -- Summary -- Questions and exercises -- Recommended -- 4. Alcohol use, alcohol abuse, and health -- Basic concepts -- Abstinence -- Alcohol use : toward a definition of responsible drinking -- Alcohol abuse -- Alcohol dependence -- Alcohol use and health -- General health problems directly connected with alcohol abuse -- The effects of long-term heavy drinking -- The brain -- Gastrointestinal system -- Cardiovascular system -- Musculoskeletal system -- Blood and immune system -- Hormonal system -- Dermatological system -- Nutritional problems -- Cancer -- Diabetes -- Sleep disorders -- HIV infections and alcohol -- Interactivity with other drugs -- Mental health -- Positive effects of alcohol -- Negative effects of alcohol -- Stress -- Suicide -- Sex -- Alcohol in men and women -- Liver damage -- Brain damage -- Heart disease -- Breast cancer -- Men and birth defects -- Fetal alcohol syndrome and alcohol-related neurological deficits -- Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) -- Alcohol-related neurological deficits (ARND) -- Summary -- Questions and exercises -- Recommended

5. Alcohol abuse -- Some types of alcohol abuse -- The "law of unintended consequences" -- Drinking and driving -- Alcohol and violence -- Domestic violence -- Violence and women -- Rape -- Alcohol and child abuse -- Other types of abuse -- Other crimes, including homicide -- Fires and burns -- Business and industry losses -- Factors contributing to employee drinking -- Education -- Further secondhand effects of drinking -- Summary -- Questions and exercises -- Recommended -- 6. America's greatest illegal drug problem : alcohol abuse by young people -- A new era : prevalence of children's drinking -- Children's alcohol abuse -- Gender "equality" -- Adolescent drinking -- Adolescent patterns of drinking -- Youth drinking : risk factors and consequences -- Adolescent development and alcohol -- Cognitive and emotional development -- Risk factors for adolescent abuse and dependence -- Genetic risk factors -- Early childhood behavior -- Psychiatric disorders -- Suicidal behavior -- Psychosocial risk factors -- Parenting, family environment, and peers -- Expectancies -- Trauma -- Consequences of adolescent alcohol abuse -- Drinking and driving -- Sexual behavior -- Risky behavior and victimization -- Adolescent alcoholics -- Late adolescence -- Treatment for adolescent drinkers -- College students -- Underage drinking in college -- A second Harvard study of college drinking -- Summary -- Questions and exercises -- Recommended -- 7. Alcoholism : a mysterious syndrome? -- Statistics -- Different conceptual approaches to alcoholism -- The moral model -- The temperance model -- The spiritual model -- The disease (medical) model -- Characterological model -- Cognitive-behavioral (learning) model -- Sociocultural model -- Systems model -- Public health model -- Biopsychosocial model -- An unmentionable disease -- Alcohol dependence as a mental disorder -- Alcoholism as a choice -- The family disease -- The national disease -- Summary -- Questions and exercises -- Recommended

8. The diagnosis of alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence -- Diagnostic aids -- Signs of a problem (CAGE) -- Michigan Alcohol Screening Test (MAST) -- Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory (SASSI) -- Dynamics of alcohol dependence -- Denial -- Increasing tolerance -- Craving -- Withdrawal -- Alcohol addiction as a brain disease -- Diagnosis : DSM-IV classification system -- Early criteria -- DSM-III and DSM-IIIR -- DSM-IV -- Specific diagnostic criteria -- Beyond alcohol dependency -- Alcohol-induced disorders -- Alcohol-induced neurological disorders -- Summary -- Questions and exercises -- Recommended -- 9. The family disease : theory and treatment -- The addiction affects more than the addict -- A systems perspective, the ripple effect -- Alcoholism in the family -- Causes -- Family environment -- Impact of alcoholism on the family -- Children in alcoholic families -- Family roles in family systems of alcoholics -- The alcohol dependent -- The baby -- The co-dependent -- Chief enabler -- The family hero -- The scapegoat -- The mascot -- The lost child -- Children of alcoholics (COAs) -- Adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs) -- Phases of development in alcoholic families -- Reactive phase -- The alcoholic's behavior -- Active phase -- Alternative phase -- Optional directions for alcoholic families -- Family treatment -- Effects of alcoholism on the family -- Benefits of family involvement in treatment -- Goals of family therapy -- Resistance -- Al-Anon and Alateen -- Summary -- Questions and exercises -- Recommended

10. Treatment of alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence (alcoholism) -- Patient versus client -- Entering mainstream treatment -- DSM-IV criteria for alcohol abuse -- DSM-IV criteria for alcohol dependence -- Treatment settings -- Inpatient -- Day treatment -- Intensive outpatient -- Aftercare -- Treatment approaches -- Pharmacotherapy -- Urine drug screens -- Counseling/psychotherapy approaches -- Group therapy -- Individual therapy -- Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) -- What AA does not do -- What AA does -- The twelve steps -- Lifetime process -- Criticism of Alcoholics Anonymous -- Alternatives to Alcoholics Anonymous -- Other rehabilitation approaches -- Psychoeducation -- Spiritual development -- Nutrition and exercise activities -- Comorbidity -- Dual diagnosis -- Cross-addiction -- The counselor -- Counselor methods -- Counselor effectiveness -- Joe : a cast study -- Issues in treatment -- Effects of managed care -- Criteria to consider in selecting a treatment center -- Abstinence versus moderate drinking -- Evaluation and effectiveness of treatment outcomes -- Cost effectiveness -- Factors affecting treatment outcomes -- Evaluation of various treatment approaches -- Summary -- Questions and exercises -- Recommended -- 11. Alcohol use among special populations, I -- Alcohol and women -- Prevalence of women's drinking -- Growing problem -- Women are more vulnerable to alcohol's effects -- Other risk factors -- Consequences of alcohol use -- Therapy -- Alcohol and aging -- Drinking prevalence and patterns among the elderly -- Combined effects of alcohol and aging -- Aging may increase sensitivity to alcohol -- Aging, alcohol, and the brain -- Treatment of alcoholism in the elderly -- Alcohol and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals -- Alcohol and the disabled -- Alcohol and prison populations -- Treatment within the criminal justice system -- Forced rehabilitation -- Summary -- Questions and exercises -- Recommended

12. Alcohol use among special populations, II -- What's in a name? -- Fundamental themes -- Drinking patterns and problems among Native Americans -- The contemporary pattern of alcohol use -- Consequences of alcohol use and abuse -- Prevention and treatment -- Drinking patterns and problems among African Americans -- Demographic factors -- Drinking patterns and problems among Latinos -- Drinking patterns and problems among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (API) -- Drinking practices of Southeast Asians -- Drinking practices of Pacific Islanders -- Drinking patterns of adult Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Filipino Americans -- Summary -- Questions and exercises -- 13. Social and economic costs of alcohol abuse and alcoholism -- Estimated economic impact of alcohol abuse and alcoholism -- Positive effects -- Negative effects -- Total estimated economic costs -- Alcohol in the workplace -- Alcohol availability -- Supervision -- Effects of employee drinking -- Employee assistance plans, business and industry -- Healthcare costs -- Crime -- Motor vehicle crashes -- Social services -- Social welfare -- Social services, state level -- Costs of underage drinking -- Who bears the cost? -- Taxes -- Analysis -- Summary -- Questions and exercises -- Recommended

14. Alcohol marketing/advertising -- Marketing -- Marketing strategies -- Advertising -- Purposes of advertising -- Advertising strategies -- Types of advertising -- Alcohol advertising and consumption -- Alcohol marketing and advertising, children and minorities -- Targeting children and adolescents -- Targeting minorities -- Summary -- Questions and exercises -- Recommended -- 15. Ways of addressing alcohol problems -- Prevention of alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence -- Types of prevention -- Education is not enough -- Primary prevention -- Legal issues -- Prevention programs -- Generally effective programs -- Less effective programs -- Secondary prevention -- Zero-tolerance laws -- Other BAC laws -- Administrative License Revocation (ALR) laws -- Sever training -- Server liability -- Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) -- Student Assistance Service (SAS) programs -- Reduced college drinking -- Tertiary prevention -- Prevention in an addicted society -- Summary -- Questions and exercises -- 16. Epilogue -- Under the influence of alcohol -- Under the influence of the alcohol industry -- Responsible versus irresponsible drinking -- Your role as mental health professionals -- Appendix 1. Internet sites -- Appendix 2. Diagnostic instruments -- Glossary