Alcoholism: Mimicking Psychopathology?
Abstract
J Psychiatry137:10,of ClinicalWork toâ â âto Psychiatriststab states1 yearSIR: This is in response Endangered Species?âBirds,Werkman,Ducks,sobriety. It is our assessment, field of alcoholism, that themimic drinking severe psychopathology episodes or duringas well as that of others in the alcoholic disease process canduring alcohol the primary intervals toxicity between itself. WeâFactorsStudentsâof Psychiatry,âF. Eagle,in MedicalSchool,âR. Marcos,Arthur C.M.D.,EduM.D.psychiatric has beendisorders arrested.no alcoholicbe treatedâChoosingPsychiatry:of PsychiatricNielsen,(April 1980 issue). Another possibleates entering dine beganmental health intofor the declinein medicalgradu-A.MONTGOMERY,psychiatry is suggested by the fact that this dein 1965, about the same time that communitymovement ideals began patients to influence psychia-Yaki,na,Wash.try.The communitymodel,in additionunable toto discare forDr.themselves,practice.see theirby aand a supervisingor back-upof psy-SIR: We thank Dr. Montgomery for his thoughtful letter and would certainly agree that acute alcohol toxicity can mimic a variety of other psychiatric disorders. However,teachers supervising teming hospital andnonpsychiatric clinicians and adminisacademic departments rather than treat-ing patients.also see the resultinga doctorâsjob is to treatto patients.rather thanthis does not detract from our finding that some, but certainly not all, alcoholics do have other psychiatric disorders that are evident before the alcoholism and that seem to persist afterward. A follow-up study using precise research diagnostic cri-solely to instruct others, they will be forced to look to