Myths, Labels of Alcoholism

I am not surprised that associate professors of rhetoric and legal studies came together to contrive such a conundrum of rhetorical rationalism in their misbegotten example of “me-generation” rubbish. These uninformed writers have decided to demonstrate by “sleight of word” how much more they know about medical and mental health than the professionals in the field, most of whom subscribe to the disease model of alcoholism/addiction.

Fortunately for those suffering from addiction/alcoholism, the disease model has finally overcome the moralistic judgmentalism that doomed most addicts/alcoholics to death or institutionalism in the past. Vatz and Weinberg cannot make a reasonable case for us to revert to the bad old days of regarding alcoholics/addicts as “bad” rather than sick because there is no reasonable case to be made.

They use the usual trick of patronizing and insulting groups that subscribe to the disease model, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, which happens to be more successful than any other organization in the world in providing recovery to alcoholics.

JAMES L. SANDEL

Los Angeles