Abstract
SUMMARY My survey research entitled `Alcoholism and the Relationships With The Social Milieu` has been realized in AMATEM which has been constituted as an integral part of the Bakırköy Hospital for Mental Diseases. In our days, alcoholism has been accepted as a disease. Nevertheless, this view has not been accepted yet by the majority of the social structure. It is assumed that alcohol will continue to be an integral part of life as long as the human race exists. Due to this fact, the evaluation of alcohol as a disease with which people of different social strata and age groups have some relation in some way surprises everybody who does not have a detailed knowledge about the issue. However, alcohol which is generally accepted as the old friend becomes a diseaese if it is used periodically and if the user needs to increase its quantity. According to my opinion alcoholism distinguishes itself from other diseases in that its complete treatment is unfortunately very difficult. In the case of other diseases, for example cancer, early diagnosis helps the disease to be controlled by performing an operation on the cancerous cells. It is observed that even cancer which is accepted as the most merciless disease can be treated actually. The alcoholic can also be treated and the disease can also be controlled. But the peculiarity of this insidious disease is that it can re-appear in a more advanced stage upon drinking a little quantity.Therefore, my purpose in studying such an important social problem is to elabora te on the social dimensions of alcoholism. The information contained in this survey research entitled `Alcoholism - Relationships With The Social Milieu` have been summed up in five main parts. In the first main part under the heading of the concept of alcoholism, firstly the problem of alcoholism, its types and the basic concepts and terms related with the subject are explained. The second part is related with the factors which can cause alcoholism. The subject being envisaged according to the individual and the social factors separately has been studied by making classifications due to the variability of social factors. In this part, the effects of the individual's close milieu, that is his/her family, of the city in which he/she lives and the urbanization have been studied.VI - The results which have been caused by Alcoholism in the social structure have been studied in the third part. Alcoholism has bad effects on the individual who drinks alcohol as well as on the society in which he/she lives. That's why this problem has been studied in detail under the headings of Individual and Social Damages. The Fourth Part is related with the treatment of the disease. In this Part, after so me information has been given about the field of this survey-research, namely AMATEM, the methods of Medical and Psychological treatment have been explained. However, for the alcoholic, having being treated does not constitute the final solution. What is important are the difficulties that the treated Alcoholic will face after the completion of his/her treatment. Because of this reason, the group called `Alcoholic without names`, which we can characterize as a solidarity group, and its activities have been examined under a different heading. In the last Part, after the results of the interviews made with 40 people in AMATEM (The center of Treatment of Alcoholic) have been stated, a general evaluation of the subject is also given. I thank Prof. Dr. Esin KÜNTAY who is my Professor and who has always encouraged and supported me in this survey research which 1 initiated about two years ago and completed under difficult conditions. I also thank Doç. Dr. İlkay KASATURA who has never refused to give her support and all my alcoholic friends who have helped me with intimacy and who attempt to return to their usual way of life by struggling against the disease of alcoholism. June, 1995 Aylin SUCU
