Almost eight million people in Germany drink too much alcohol. psychiatrist dr Andreas Jähne works with people whose penchant for intoxication has turned into an addiction. A conversation about the dark side of our social lubricant.
On average, every German drinks almost ten liters of pure alcohol per year. From a social point of view, we drink often and like it. So, in the end, are we all alcoholics, Mr. Jähne?
Dr. Andreas Jähne: There are actually very few people in Germany who do not consume any alcohol at all. However, it is important for me to emphasize that not everyone who regularly consumes alcohol is also an alcoholic. Nowadays we use the term somewhat casually and label people quickly. There are clear criteria that must be met for this disease.
What are these criteria?