German mental health legislation and alcoholism treatment: results of a retrospective long-term study in a Berlin state mental health hospital.

In 1985 German mental health legislation underwent a transformation. In accordance with an international trend, the State of Berlin, a pacesetter in this field, introduced a Law for Mentally Diseased Patients (Gesetz für psychisch Kranke). In contrast to the former Law for the Committal of the Mentally Ill and Substance Abusers (Gesetz über die Unterbringung von Geisteskranken und Süchtigen) healing and recovery are the main aims which the legislation focuses on with the intention of avoiding committal by excluding patients with mild disorders from involuntary admission.

The phenomenology of perceptual hallucinations in alcohol-induced delirium tremens.

In a qualified detoxication, states of anxiety caused by hallucinations can be specifically assimilated and psychologically reduced. Knowledge of the hallucinations experienced promotes the subsequent motivation phase. A semistandardized investigation of 64 patients with alcohol-induced delirium tremens was carried out over a period of 14 months in order to establish the nature of their perceptual hallucinations.