The world’s consumption of alcohol per capita in 2016 among male and female drinkers worldwide was on average 19.4 litres of pure alcohol for males and 7.0 litres for females, and three million deaths worldwide are attributable to alcohol each year. The pathology of alcoholism and addiction has been a source of medical and psychological interest for nearly two centuries. This article provides a summary of genetic and neurobiological research, along with a comparison of a variety of treatment methods employed including the 12-step abstinence program, holistic approaches, and modern advances of pharmacotherapy interventions, such as the Sinclair Method.