TEXT C Despite its many useful
properties, the use of alcohol has produced some difficult personal and social
problems. In fact, alcoholism is one of our most troublesome public health
situations. It has been estimated that six of every ten adults in the United
States use alcoholic beverages, and that one of every fifteen persons who drink
becomes an alcoholic. What is it that impels some individuals to drink
excessively to become an alcoholic The term "alcoholism" is not
easy to define. It is generally used to cover a whole range of individual and
social problems connected with the use of alcoholic beverages. People whose
drinking causes them to become enmeshed in these problems are called
"alcoholics". Modern psychiatric opinion suggests a significant
reason for the use and misuse of alcohol. Man has often used alcohol to help him
cope with the problems and crises growing out of his continuing struggle to
adjust to the demands of his environment. Wherever man lives he is subject to
stresses from his physical and social surroundings. He must adjust to changes
within himself--growing up, getting old, the effects of disease. He must adjust
to changes in his living pattern--to moves from one locality to another, to job
changes, to marriage, to the death of loved ones. He must adjust to his social
surroundings, to other people--his family, friends, business associates, and
neighbors. When he finds himself confronted with overwhelming difficulty in
adjusting, he may take to drinking as a way out of his problems.
Some scientists have tried to define the "alcoholic personality"--to
discover, if possible, what characteristics are common to alcoholics. This might
help to identify people who are likely to become alcoholics. So far, no accurate
description of a "typical alcoholic" has emerged. The people who are studied are
found to have some traits in common--e, g. , emotional immaturity, preoccupation
with self, insecurity, and guilt--but whether these traits existed before they
became alcoholics is not known. Moreover, it is possible for people to have any
or all of these traits and still not be alcoholics. Some scientists believe that
alcoholism may have a physical or biological cause--a defect in the body
chemistry or some nutritional deficiency. Another theory is that the craving for
alcohol is brought on by its effect on the adrenal glands, which regulate the
production of chemical energy in the body. Studies of drinking
and attitudes toward drinking in various cultures indicate that there are
significant social factors involved in alcoholism. Some studies suggest that the
rate of alcoholism is likely to be low in any group in which customs and
attitudes toward drinking are well established. In summary, no
conclusive evidence is yet available on the causes of alcoholism. This is a
medical-social problem far too complicated for simple answers. No one area of
research can be expected to yield complete information. It will take the
combined efforts of physical, psychological, and social scientists to develop
the knowledge necessary to deal with this problem. Which of the following causes of alcoholism are not discussed in the passage