The view that alcoholism is a __________ dates back to 200 years ago.

• A. sign of wickedness
• B. Weak ego
• C. Mental condition
• D. Sickness

Answer: (D)

Historically, alcoholism has been described as a sickness rather than merely a moral failing. Around two centuries ago, some medical writers began framing chronic drunkenness as a disease of the body, suggesting it could be diagnosed, treated, and managed like other illnesses. This medical framing—that alcoholism is a sickness—reflects the era’s move toward viewing substance problems as health issues with physical or physiological underpinnings. The other ideas (wickedness, weak ego, or a mental condition) either rely on moral judgment or later psychological explanations, which were less consistently used in that historical period. So labeling alcoholism as a sickness best matches how people were conceptualizing it about 200 years ago.