Glossary entry

German term or phrase:

Alkoholkranker

English translation:

person with an alcohol disorder

Added to glossary by Ian M-H (X)
May 24, 2006 08:42
18 yrs ago
German term

Alkoholkranker

German to English Medical Medical: Pharmaceuticals
Gegenanzeigen: xx (Name des Medikaments) ist bei Alkoholkranken nicht anzuwenden.

Kennt jemand die entsprechende Floskel auf engl. Beipackzetteln? DANKE

Proposed translations

+7
40 mins
Selected

person with an alcohol-related disorder

"person with an alcohol-related disorder" covers everything from 'problem drinking' through to heavy addiction;

"person suffering from alcohol dependence" would be more specific and might be the level your text is aiming at. But if you're translating for a drug company then maybe *they* can tell you exactly what they mean...

http://cadca.org/coalitionsonline/files/lg41204.doc

http://www.suboxone.com/patients/opioiddependence/language.a...

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Note added at 1 hr (2006-05-24 09:45:52 GMT)
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A couple of answerers have suggested "abuse" and there has also been mention of "political correctness". Choosing an answer here isn't about being 'PC' or not, it's about deciding what term a native speaker working for a pharmaceutical company and writing for health professionals would be likely to use.

I believe that s/he would reject "abuse". There's some guidance on this in the first of the texts I've linked to above, a "Guide to the Use of Language" for people dealing with substance use disorders produced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.

"Abuse
Problem with the term: Although this is a clinical diagnosis in the DSM-IV and ICD-10, this is a stigmatizing word because (1) it negates the fact that substance use disorders are a medical condition; (2) it blames the illness solely on the individual with the illness, ignoring environmental and genetic factors, as well as the drugs’ abilities to change brain chemistry; (3) it absolves those selling and promoting addictive substances of any wrongdoing; and (4) it feeds into the stigma experienced not only by individuals with substance use disorders, by also by family members and the treatment/recovery field. [...]
Preferred terminology: Misuse, harmful use, inappropriate use, hazardous use, problem use, risky use, substance use disorder"



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Note added at 1 hr (2006-05-24 10:01:40 GMT)
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(One could of course argue that these explanations/opinions are part of the process of looking at language use that some people regard as "political correctness". I wouldn't dispute that - but I was citing it as evidence of current usage among healthcare professionals, not taking a position on the arguments set out. That we do not need to do.
Peer comment(s):

agree Orla Ryan
23 mins
agree Steffen Walter : Thank you for citing this thorough source - now that I've read it, I realise that "abuse" might indeed be too specific/stigmatising.
29 mins
agree MMUlr : ... person with (chronic) alcohol disease - IMO this is different from alcohol-related disorders (90% sure)//see also: http://www.sh.lsuhsc.edu/fammed/OutpatientManual/Alcoholism....
50 mins
Thanks. You're right about "related" being too much: "alcohol disorder" is all that's needed.
agree Christian
1 hr
agree Cetacea : with "alcohol disorder".
4 hrs
agree Dr Sue Levy (X) : alcohol disorder or alcohol use disorder
6 hrs
agree Julia Lipeles
8 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Danke. Auch für die vielen anderen nützlichen Hinweise. "
+1
17 mins

There are different ways of saying this, see examples

AN or BE?


There is a chance you could get addicted to the ... patch. The chance is higher if you are or have been addicted to or abused other medicines, street drugs, or alcohol, or if you have a history of mental problems.
http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/InfoSheets/patient/FentanylPIS....

tell your doctor if you use or have ever used street drugs or large amounts of alcohol and if you have or have
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/medmaster/a69401...

Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of: kidney disease, liver disease, mental/mood problems (e.g., depression), personal or family history of regular use/abuse of drugs/alcohol/other substances, lung/breathing problems (e.g., chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-COPD, sleep apnea).

Peer comment(s):

agree Nicole Wulf : I like the "personal history of abuse of alcohol" !
10 mins
neutral Ian M-H (X) : I agree that there are several options, but "abuse" is a problematic term and the source talks about present illness, not "history" or "ever used"
49 mins
Something went wrong...
28 mins

pathological alcohol abuse / alcohol addiction

If pathological alcohol abuse / alcohol addiction exists.

Peer comment(s):

neutral Ian M-H (X) : the term "abuse" is problematic, at least, and there are alcohol disorders that would not be classified as "addictions" but would probably be included in "alkoholkrank" //
40 mins
Thanks for mentioning this, Ian. It is extremely US. Abuse is one of the most fashionable words in 2006, indicating that side effects might be self-inflicted. Too many adventurous law suits here.
Something went wrong...
-1
23 mins

alcoholic

"X must not be used to treat alcoholics" sollte passen. "must not be used to treat" ist sehr häufig - siehe Beispiele:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/uspdi/203365.htm...
"Acitretin ***must not be used to treat*** women who are able to bear children unless other forms of treatment have been tried first and failed."

http://emc.medicines.org.uk/emc/assets/c/html/displaydoc.asp...
"Zovirax Cold Sore Cream should only be used on cold sores on the lips and face. It is not recommended for application to mucous membranes, such as in the mouth or eye and ***must not be used to treat*** genital herpes. Particular care should be taken to avoid contact with the eye. People with particularly severe Herpes labialis should be encouraged to seek medical advice."

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Note added at 52 mins (2006-05-24 09:35:13 GMT)
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Natürlich kann man die Aussage auch um den Teil in hirselinas Quelle erweitern:

"must not be used to treat patients with a history of alcohol abuse"
Peer comment(s):

agree Natalie Aron
2 mins
disagree Ian M-H (X) : I don't think you'll find the noun "alcoholic" being used by health care professionals or drug companies these days // your alternative is an improvement but doesn't remove the problem IMO - and "history of" is going beyond the source
12 mins
I've just provided another option taking care of this.
neutral Armorel Young : with Ian - "alcoholic" is a colloquial/disparaging term; drug packaging would use a more neutral word
17 mins
I've just provided another option taking care of this - wasn't fully aware of the "political incorrectness" issue.
disagree HarryHedgehog : That would be "Alkoholiker", which is exactly the non-PC term that must be avoided here
28 mins
See my added variant above.
Something went wrong...
-2
1 hr

alcohol addict

I think the expression is politically correct and has not necessarily a negative connotation.
Peer comment(s):

disagree Ian M-H (X) : Widely regarded as demeaning, failing to distinguish between person and disease and therefore negative. Also, "alkoholkrank" and "addiction" aren't the same thing. / Whether the difference is "big" isn't the point: not all alcohol disorders are addictions
13 mins
To be honest, I don't see a big difference between the two words you've mentioned. An alcohol addict is ill because - under normal circumstances - he can no longer get rid of his addiction without medical help.
disagree Cetacea : To paraphrase Ian: An addiction may be a disorder, but not every disorder is an addiction. And "addict" is hardly a medical term to begin with.
2 hrs
Actually, I did not say that every disorder is an addiction. But, any way, I give it up...
Something went wrong...
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