Known for offering an alternative perspective on alcohol addiction, the speaker helped catalyze the birth of a new medical field called clinical addiction science. The central question is how this approach frames alcoholism today in North America and beyond.
In contemporary psychiatry and narcology, alcoholism is often described as both a physical and mental health disorder rooted in alcohol use. This framing tends to present a rigid clinical narrative in which the cause and effect are clear: a person becomes ill because they drink. The rewrite here suggests that such a stance reduces intricate human experiences to a single trigger. It mirrors the idea that a cough can signal a health issue separate from its origin, yet both cough and alcoholism can mask deeper processes. In this view, alcohol-related illness is better understood as a reflection of an underlying condition rather than the sole disease itself.
What is this underlying pathology then? The answer centers on a predisposition toward certain ideas or stimuli. Psychiatry uses two concepts to help define the pathology of thinking: ideational supervalue or supergoal, and the dominant idea. These ideas illuminate how thinking can be overwhelmed by one guiding thought.
Imagine a conversation in progress. A person fixes on a dominant thought and works to stay attentive without distraction. When the moment passes, another idea may surface. This absence of intrusive obsession is not the case here. The modern term supergoal describes a thought that dominates consciousness unconditionally and continuously, regardless of external conditions. It is sometimes described as an obsession difficult to correct psychologically, and clinicians call it a supervalue. Motivations behind this supervalue can vary, including the pursuit of leadership, fame, or winning results in sports and business. The context shifts when examining addiction to psychoactive substances, including alcohol.
Has alcohol consumption become overvalued for someone developing an addiction? The answer is yes. Alcohol overvaluation appears as an early sign of incipient mental pathology. Clinically, the onset is marked by the formation of an addictive supervalue. In individuals actively developing addiction pathology, alcohol as the supergoal quickly overshadows reality. Meaning becomes distorted, elevating alcohol-related concerns above family, work, and friendships. Society and daily life can become hard to navigate as a result.
How does the supervalue arise? There is always a meaning behind action. Picture a person at a party where alcohol flows and the mood is festive. The person may align with a drinking companion as an unconditional authority and begin to revel in the artificial positivity of the moment. The association between intoxication and a good life forms the groundwork for future drug domination. The meanings attached to happiness can become fixed and simplistic, paving the way for addiction where happiness seems to reside in drug use.
How does this infectious process occur? The mechanism is described as induced psychosis. This mental disturbance emerges from delusional content shared by someone with whom the patient stays in close contact. Family members living in social isolation can be particularly prone to such dynamics, where shared beliefs become a route to a shared false reality. In clinical practice there have been cases of induced schizophrenia linked to these patterns. A couple seeking help reported a shared delusion about belongings being stolen. After treatment and separation, one partner’s delusional pattern persisted while the other improved.
In clinics addressing medication problems, the claim is that the alcoholic environment contains an inducing factor at the outset of alcoholic behavior. The same logic extends to other drug addictions. The conclusion is that alcohol addiction behaves like a psycho contagious disease in the sense that contact with others who find happiness through drinking can spread the idea that alcohol equals happiness.
What happens after such an infection? It is unlikely that a person becomes an alcoholic overnight. It takes time. The sequence begins with the onset of an addictive disease. If intoxication strengthens through psychophysical sensations, the next stage follows. Anosognosia, or a failure to recognize illness, and justification of addiction often appear. A pattern emerges where the person convinces themselves that drinking is a response to life’s hardships and that relief is deserved. This marks the start of active disease. The individual then defends the habit and attacks those who oppose it, often claiming flawless control and the ability to stop anytime. This marks the point of active disease.
The patient may try to shield themselves from doctors, relatives, and others who they believe prevent peaceful drinking. They may have seemed normal before, but progressive disease has made alcohol a central obsession. When groups drink together and the cultural message ties alcohol to happiness, questions arise about why some become alcohol dependent while others do not. A useful analogy is offered. If someone sneezes on a subway, immunity may protect one person but not another, a way to speak about mental immunity in the context of addiction.
How does this cognitive immunity work? The beginning of alcoholism carries a subjective meaning. When a trusted person drinks with gusto, surrounded by candles, music, and aroma, a powerful image forms. The observer may think, what a handsome person, and the immune system responds with a warning: enough is enough, the person is drinking too much. This immune response helps prevent the leap to absolute happiness from alcohol. In reality, the dynamics are more complex, but the essential meaning remains clear. Traditional views hold that immunity can be congenital or acquired. The described experience falls into the congenital category. Acquired immunity develops differently, and in some cases the disease fades as the dominant meanings lose traction. Yet at times a cruel irony occurs.
What about reverse paranoia? This term describes the shift from drug addiction paranoia to drug addiction struggle paranoia. It is not inherently harmful, but it signals that some patients remain unwell in meaningful ways. These remain research ideas for now. Ordinary immunity is formed in childhood, a point known to infectious disease experts. Immunity of the soul grows from childhood experiences, including family structure, positive social norms, high motivation, and a supportive microenvironment.
What should be done when alcoholism infection has occurred? Traditional narcology aims to curb drinking, but this is often only a corrective measure rather than a cure. Modern clinical addiction science argues that intoxication is a symptom of a deeper disease. In other words, a person does not become ill because they drink; they drink because they are ill.
How should alcoholics be treated? The proposed approach includes several stages. First, induce clinical remission. Then provide supportive and anti-relapse care by building a protective framework with pharmacology and psychotherapy. The third stage focuses on reparative treatment to facilitate psychological rehabilitation and social reintegration. The authors note challenges due to some patients showing clinical negligence, which undermines comprehensive study. A serious scientific and practical effort is required, including the opening of a Clinical Institute of Addiction to advance innovative practice and establish clinical addiction science as a crucial social field. Today some experts resist this perspective.
Why are only advanced cases treated? In many cases patients do not present for care unless ordered by authorities, or until extreme symptoms emerge. The patient who explicitly asks for treatment often signals that disease activity has entered an extinction phase. In many instances what appears to be recovery is really healing; those not seeking treatment may need active intervention. A true patient in the active stage would resist treatment, making early engagement essential.
How should work proceed with alcoholics who do not acknowledge illness or want treatment? There is a need for research into early diagnosis and active professional engagement in addiction pathology. Early prevention can identify a pathogenic microcommunity where infection occurs and where removal is prudent. New technologies will help with early detection and problem solving. This remains the responsible frontier for the future of pathological addiction medicine, requiring a broad scientific and methodological infrastructure. The problem is complex and ongoing. A serious, qualified solution involving relevant experts is urgently needed.
The current state of affairs calls for a coordinated effort to build robust research material and rigorous supervision. Opening a dedicated Clinical Institute of Addiction is viewed as a foundational step toward a comprehensive and innovative system. An approach that recognizes clinical addiction science as essential to society is advocated, even as some experts resist this shift.
The conclusion remains clear: many patients still lack access to care. The path forward requires serious and qualified action, driven by serious and relevant experts who can expand the evidence base and improve outcomes for those affected by addiction.