e. unbiased -- in its reach. They are very careful to examine the ramifications and implications of each facet of their conclusions. As an example, they note that the shift to outpatient treatment has been generally more effective for many patients with alcoholism, but at the same time this has reduced the number of beds available (and institutions, though the authors do not come to this direct conclusion) for inpatient treatment, which is still necessary and/or recommended in some cases. This ability and willingness to examine all sides of the issue is the greatest proof of the logic of these author's conclusions. The findings presented in this article also have a high degree of utility for social workers and social work in general. Alcoholism has been and largely still is considered a life sentence. It has been viewed as a disease that the patient must spend the rest of their life combating, often in very difficult circumstances. While the struggle to resist over-indulgence is certainly still very real for some patients, at some times more than others, this study shows that there is still a great deal of hope for those struggling against the disorder(s)....

Rather than viewing the problem as an all-or-none issue with abstention as the only positive outcome, the spectrum view of both alcoholic disorders and its treatments and possible "cured" outcomes allows the patient to find a level of comfort with alcohol; when an patient in treatment for alcoholism has one drink, they will not see it as a failure that allows them to have as much alcohol as they want and thus suffer a full relapse, but instead an be seen as a normative behavior rather than a relapse of their condition at all.
The authors also note, however, that mandated treatment or attendance at AA meetings still shows little degree of efficacy, and there is the essential need for the patient to desire treatment. In this regard, the disorder has not changed, but is the same as it has been for millennia. Though there is a medical and social basis for the disorder, alcoholism is a disease that can only be overcome by one individual at a time, and each in their own way. It would be interesting to discover if the same were true for individuals addicted to other substances, and if the same type of treatment methods would be applicable in other situations.