In this paper, I would like to share my experience of helping to establish treatment systems for alcohol dependence in hospital and community settings during the period of relatively inadequate alcohol‒dependence care in the 1970s. In the hospital‒based treatment system, it was important to ensure that information on the patient’s condition and course of treatment was shared with colleagues. It was also important to nurture the patient’s compliance with treatment decisions, and involve family members in the treatment process. To promote the rehabilitation of the patient back into the community, it was vital to develop a network of staff in relevant hospitals, clinics, health centers, and welfare offices. Self‒help groups also played an important role in rehabilitation. The systems we developed for the treatment of alcoholics offer many instructive lessons for the care of patients with other psychiatric disorders. Alcohol dependence and depression share many common symptoms and biological mechanisms. In consequence, studies on the biological basis of alcohol dependence can provide insights into biological mechanisms underlying other psychiatric disorders.