Mr. A was exposed to alcohol as a young child, with his father having alcohol every meal. To the young Mr. A, beer was the soft drink. After being influenced for so many years, Mr. A became addicted to alcohol and, through referral by a doctor at one of the general hospitals, was contacted by the clinic for treatment. However, seeing the name “Castle Peak” on the envelope, Mr. A denied that he was suffering from the psychological dependence of alcohol, and ultimately, that he was addicted to alcohol. The first three letters received from the clinic were disposed of, and the fourth was placed at the back of a shelf. A few years on, Mr. A discovered the effect of his alcoholism on himself and the family, after suffering a divorce. While he was packing to leave his home, Mr. A rediscovered the letter from the clinic, and the problems prompted him to admit himself to the clinic for treatment. His treatment is ongoing, though he has already been admitted for ten years.

Mr. A’s case clearly illustrates the individual-imposed stigma on alcoholism, linked to the fact that alcoholism is both a physical, but more importantly, psychological dependence. This incident also shows how an alcoholic family member can affect the relationship between the patient and his/her family, and is therefore a serious social problem to be tackled.

The second patient, Mr. B, turned to alcohol as a teenager. After graduation, he was further exposed to chronic alcohol consumption as a businessman. Mr. B travelled to China and various parts of Asia on business trips, and was often offered alcohol during conferences and meetings. As a result, he eventually became addicted. Later, Mr. B was promoted to an office in Japan, where he continued his alcoholic practices with sake. This continued for another decade, as Mr. B was moved from Japan to various other places and eventually back to Hong Kong. By this time, he was spending on average 200HKD (25USD) per day on beer alone. Fortunately, he was referred to the clinic after being hospitalised for liver cirrhosis. Mr. B accepted the clinic’s treatment, and is still in the process after four years.

This case helps illustrate another widespread problem in Hong Kong. Due to Asian culture, particularly on mainland China, business meetings and gatherings are often pulled together with beer, often in excessive volumes. With frequent meetings, due to increased correspondence and the nature of the economy in both Hong Kong and China, there has been an increasing trend in the problem of alcoholism among the middle-aged population.

The third patient, Ms. C, became an alcoholic after many years of exposure to alcohol. She refused to give details on the problems, and avoided questions relating to her family. However, she maintained that she was suffering from problems in the relationship between herself and the family, as the family was against her decision to seek treatment at the clinic. She refused a photograph of her silhouette, claiming that her family will be insulted and shamed.

This case is a very common scenario in Hong Kong, where the family name is very important. Ms. C’s family clearly prefers her consumption of alcohol to her seeking treatment at the clinic, due to the negative aura associated with Castle Peak. This illustrates the problem at a social level, where the social stigma to psychological problems and psychiatric hospitals seem even greater than alcoholism itself.