The alcoholic's family is increasingly involved in modern treatment programs for alcolics. The author presents a study of the available literature concerning the alcoholic's family. This overview is illustrated bij some results of a recent personal study at the University of Geneva.
The author emphasizes the importante of considering not only the individual dimension of the alcoholic but also the individual dimension of all other members of the family, the relationship dimension and the group dimension of the alcoholic's family.
This makes it clear why group therapy, con joint family therapy en family therapy in the home setting, opens hopeful perspectives for the treatment of the alcoholic. However, this makes high demands upon the specialized teams working in the field of alcoholism, but it brings about a more optimal use of all therapeutic possibilities.