O'HOLLAREN P, WELLMAN W M
Calif Med. 1958 Aug;89(2):129-31.
"Hidden alcoholics"-those who drink surreptitiously to keep their addiction secret-far out-number the overt habitues of skid rows. The former rather than the latter should be considered "typical" alcoholics. Even though they have severe problems, they maintain fairly good employment stability and stability in marriage. Yet they steadily deteriorate. Often "hidden" alcoholics go to physicians because of symptoms referable to alcoholism but contrive to conceal their addiction and so make diagnosis difficult. Hence, physicians observing certain kinds of symptoms that cannot be attributed to a readily observable or demonstrable pathologic change should make searching inquiry as to the patient's drinking habits. For not until the proper diagnosis is made in such cases can there be hope of effective treatment.
“隐性酗酒者”——那些偷偷饮酒以隐瞒其成瘾情况的人——在数量上远远超过贫民窟里那些公开酗酒的常客。应该把前者而非后者视为“典型的”酗酒者。尽管他们有严重问题，但他们在就业和婚姻方面保持着相当好的稳定性。然而，他们的情况却在不断恶化。“隐性”酗酒者常常因与酗酒相关的症状而去看医生，但却设法隐瞒自己的成瘾情况，因此很难做出诊断。因此，医生在观察到某些无法归因于明显可见或可证实的病理变化的症状时，应该仔细询问患者的饮酒习惯。因为只有在这些情况下做出正确诊断，才有可能进行有效治疗。
