Hostname: page-component-84b7d79bbc-c654p Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-31T22:03:23.318Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Alcohol and Sedative Drug use in Neurotic Outpatients

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

D. S. Samarasinghe ,
S. Tilley  and
I. M. Marks
D. S. Samarasinghe
Affiliation:
The Maudsley Hospital. Now at Department of Psychiatry, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka
S. Tilley
Affiliation:
The Maudsley Hospital, London SE5 8AZ
I. M. Marks*
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF
*
∗ Correspondence.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

One hundred and six adult neurotic patients attending a behavioural psychotherapy unit were asked about their use of alcohol and other drugs and the perceived anxiolytic effect of these substances. Their drinking behaviour was not significantly different from that of the general population. Alcohol and other drugs were not perceived as reliable anxiolytics and not regularly used as such. Where alcohol or drug abuse coexist with anxiety-related problems, it is helpful to ask the patient to withdraw from these substances prior to starting behavioural therapy of the latter. We ask patients having behavioural therapy to refrain from alcohol or drug use prior to therapy or homework tasks.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 145 , Issue 1 , July 1984 , pp. 45 - 48
Copyright
Copyright © 1984 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Armor, D. J., Stambul, J. M. & Polich, H. B. (1976) Alcoholism and Treatment. Santa Monica, California: Rand Corporation.Google Scholar
Cappell, H. & Herman, C. P. (1972) Alcohol and tension reduction: a review, Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 33, 33–64.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hodgson, R. J., Stockwell, T. R. & Rankin, H. J. (1979) Can alcohol reduce tension? Behaviour Research and Therapy, 17, 459–66.Google Scholar
Marks, I. M. Birley, J. L. T. & Gelder, M. G. (1966) Modified leucotomy in severe agoraphobia: a controlled serial inquiry. British Journal of Psychiatry, 112, 757–69.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mullaney, J. A. & Trippett, C. J. (1979) Alcohol dependence and phobias—clinical description and relevance. British Journal of Psychiatry, 135, 565–73.Google Scholar
Quitkin, F. M., Rifkin, A., Kaplan, J. & Klein, D. F. (1972) Phobic anxiety complicated by drug dependence and addiction—a treatable form of drug abuse. Archives of General Psychiatry, 27, 159–62.Google Scholar
Russell, J. A. & Mehrabian, A. (1975) The mediating role of emotions in alcohol use. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 36, 1508–36.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sim, M. & Houghton, H. (1966) Phobic anxiety and its treatment. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 143, 484–91.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sobell, L. C. & Sobell, M. B. (1975) Outpatient alcoholics give valid self-reports. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 161, 32–42.Google Scholar
Smail, P., Stockwell, T., Cantor, S. & Hodgson, R. (1984) Alcohol dependence and phobic states. British Journal of Psychiatry, 144, 53–7.Google Scholar
Stockwell, T. (1980) Alcohol dependence and phobic states. MSc. Dissertion, University of Surrey, Guildford.Google Scholar
Stockwell, T., Hodgson, R. & Rankin, H. (1982) Tension reduction and the effects of prolonged alcohol consumption. British Journal of Addiction, 77, 65–73.Google Scholar
Summers, T. (1970) Validity of alcoholics' self-reported drinking history. Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 31, 972–4.Google Scholar
Terhune, W. (1949) The phobic syndrome: a study of 86 patients with phobic reactions. Archives of Neurology and Psychiatry, 62, 162–72.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tuck, M. (1980) Alcohol and Social Policy: are we on the right track? London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Williams, A. F. (1966) Social drinking, anxiety and depression. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 3, 689–93.Google Scholar
Wilson, G. T., Abrams, D. B. & Lipscomb, T. R. (1980) Effects of intoxication levels and drinking pattern on social anxiety in men. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 41, 250–64.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.