Is Alcohol Truly the Best Medicine? ◆ A Body Consumed by Addiction

The Chunichi Shimbun Morning Edition – May 5, 2006

A student named Mr. A joined a university sports club. What awaited him at the welcome party was the notorious "ikkinomi"—a form of binge drinking. Senior students kept forcing beer and shochu down his throat. Eventually, Mr. A collapsed and passed out.

One of the seniors noticed that his breathing was shallow and he was unconscious. In a panic, they called an ambulance. Fortunately, Mr. A’s life was saved.

Alcohol, in large quantities, is a substance that can lead to death. And even when not acute, it gradually corrodes the body—leading to death through alcoholism. If you watch The Lost Weekend (1945, USA), directed by Billy Wilder, you'll grasp the terrifying nature of alcohol dependence.

The protagonist, a writer, pawns his typewriter to buy alcohol and even tries to exchange his girlfriend’s coat for cash. Alcoholics tend to prioritize drinking above all else—losing jobs, ruining relationships, and destroying their lives. Their minds and bodies become dependent on alcohol, and to make matters worse, they build tolerance, requiring increasingly larger amounts to feel the same effect.

When he starts to go without alcohol, he begins to see small animals in his room—hallucinations that reflect a state of delirium. Broken and hopeless, the protagonist decides to end his life. Sadly, this is not fiction—it’s a very real issue for many.

Even so, the film ends on a hopeful note, as he resolves to quit drinking with the support of his devoted girlfriend and brother. Sixty years later, treatment for alcoholism has advanced considerably. Many people are able to recover in just over a month by undergoing inpatient detoxification programs. Yet, there are still patients who die in their thirties or forties. I’ve met several who had lost both their jobs and families. Many of them express a despairing resignation—“I don't care if I die,” “Even if I quit drinking, my family won’t come back.” Their way of thinking has not changed since the days of The Lost Weekend.

And still, will you continue to drink as if trying to drown yourself in alcohol?