[Diagnosis and treatment of alcoholism]

Alcoholism is the single most important psychiatric and psychosocial disease in Switzerland. The average Swiss citizen consumes about 10 l alcohol/year, the equivalent of half a bottle of hard liquor/week. The expenses for alcoholic beverages exceed the expenses for mandatory school education. Alcoholism is a chronic disorder which in its course and approach to treatment can be compared with diabetes, hypertension, and asthma. Similar to other chronic diseases, therapy consists in counselling and medication. The relevant goal is improvement rather than cure.