An irresistible, often periodic craving for alcohol; compulsive drinking despite negative consequences.
Formed in the 19th century from Greek 'dipsa' (thirst) + 'mania' (excessive craving or obsession), combining ancient Greek roots into a modern medical term to describe what was previously called drunkenness.
When doctors in the 1800s created 'dipsomania,' they were making a revolutionary argument—that uncontrollable drinking was a disease, not a moral failure, which completely changed how society treated alcoholics.
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