Abstract
Until recently, few would have questioned the accuracy of Mr. Robards’ opinion regarding the origins of alcoholism. The common wisdom held that this disorder afflicted mainly the disadvantaged or those subsisting at marginal levels of existence (Berglas, 1985/86; Tucker, Vuchinich, & Sobell, 1981). Success, on the other hand, was generally thought to be a panacea which, at a minimum, could arrest the symptomatic components of diseases such as alcoholism and inoculate otherwise vulnerable people against a variety of stress-induced disorders. In fact, the derivatives of success, such as power and prestige, purportedly combat psychiatric disorders such as depression, in addition to prolonging life and functioning like aphrodisiacs for those who succeed (Berglas, 1986b; Nelson, 1982).
“I’m alcoholic… I thought only losers became alcoholics.” Jason Robards (from a National Council on Alcoholism advertising campaign).
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Berglas, S. (1987). Self-Handicapping and Psychopathology: An Integration of Social and Clinical Perspectives. In: Maddux, J.E., Stoltenberg, C.D., Rosenwein, R. (eds) Social Processes in Clinical and Counseling Psychology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-8728-2_9
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