Alcoholism and Self-Responsibility: The Gestalt Approach

Abstract

A Gestalt therapist views alcoholic behavior as one outgrowth of an unwillingness to accept self-responsibility. Some of the major theories on the etiology of alcoholism are reviewed from the perspective of self-responsibility. This reveals a range of from 100 per cent ascribed self-responsibility in the Gestalt view to 0 per cent self-responsibility in the disease theory of alcoholism. The Gestalt concept of self-responsibility is the acknowledgement by the individual that he/she is the author of all thoughts, feelings, and behavior. The behavior of the alcoholic is contrasted with the self-responsible individual and seen to be a polar opposite. The clinical application of Gestalt therapy techniques to alcoholism is demonstrated and discussed with several case illustrations.