The Psychodynamics of Chronic Inebriation: Observations of Alcoholics During the Process of Drinking in an Experimental Group Setting

Four male volunteer alcoholic subjects were studied prior to, during, and following a period of experimentally induced intoxication. The anxiety reduction model was found inadequate to explain their motivation for alcohol use. Euphoria was manifest only during the initial phase of intoxication; prolonged drinking was characterized by progressive depression, guilt, and psychic pain. However, termination of a drinking episode appeared to be associated with states of physical discomfort rather than with specific psychological determinants.