Consumer Forum
Alcoholism Recovery Lifelong Process
The article in FDA Consumer/May 1996, "Medications Can Aid Recovery from Alcoholism" was well done. The topic is appropriate for your publication since it affects so many Americans of all age, ethnic and socioeconomic groups. ... Both the title and the caption to the right of Floyd McCrory's picture on page 23 indicate that the disease of alcoholism is something that folks "recover" from. The uninformed or casual reader may conclude that alcoholism is a medical condition similar to a broken arm; i.e., following treatment and a given period of time, one is "recovered." In all my exposure to the disease of alcoholism, I have understood that recovery is a lifelong process.
Admittedly this could be viewed as a trivial observation, yet the chronic nature of the disease and the commitment to "recovery" seems to be critical to success. The closing paragraph of the article appropriately emphasizes that fact. Knowing that some readers will only read the title and the photo captions and then draw a conclusion prompts this observation.
L.A. Lloyd
Executive Director
Arizona State Board of Pharmacy
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