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In response to William F. Wall’s Sept. 10 letter, I would like to address the idea that alcoholism is a choice, a common misnomer among many, including physicians.
Alcoholism is an addiction that is both primary, meaning that it is not the result of a prior cause, i.e. behavior, and chronic, meaning that it does not go away.
The most recent research on alcoholism has found that alcoholism is a disease of the brain, which has, among others, neurotransmission and behavioral consequences. The reason it is so predominately misunderstood is because it looks so much like a behavior and because it can be treated behaviorally.
