About Alcoholism - Alcoholism Information, Research and Treatment

Dr. Jack Mendelson, psychiatrist and chief of the National Center for Prevention and Control of Alcoholism at the National Institute of Mental Health, said that a number of myths must be dispelled to assure proper treatment of alcoholism. One such myth, he said, is that the typical alcoholic looks like a skid-row bum. "This is true of only about 5 percent of problem drinkers. Most of them ride the commuter trains five days a week."