Cultural Patterns of Drinking and Alcoholism in North and South of Croatia

Drinking patterns and types of alcoholic beverages consumed in Croatia vary from culture to culture as well as between different social strata. Alcohol drinking in Croatia is a socially accepted behaviour, and society has a high tolerance for drinking alcohol as a cultural pattern and an accepted style of behaviour deeply rooted in tradition. In its continental part, Croatia belongs to the pattern of drinking of Eastern and Central European peoples by drinking alcoholic beverages, while in the coastal areas, it belongs to the Mediterranean pattern, dominated by wine drinking. Taking comorbidity into account significantly contributes to the quality and success of alcoholics' treatment and improves prognosis. Abuse and alcohol addiction in women have been steadily increasing in recent decades. The results of numerous studies, as well as the experience gained in clinical work, show that there are significant differences in the customs, phenomenology and cultural patterns of alcohol consumption in the north and south of Croatia, and that alcoholism can be associated with suicide rates, Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression in the north and south of Croatia. Analyses of the phenomenology and cultural patterns of alcohol consumption in the north and south of Croatia in this article, as well as the results of numerous studies, indicate the need to take into account the sociocultural influences and specificities of a particular country when designing prevention and promotion programs as a precondition for their success, and that in planning interventions and therapeutic procedures in alcoholics should always be sensitive to cultural differences.