Patients undergo two identical experimental sessions between the 6th and 8th week (one week in between) of their 12-week inpatient treatment program for alcohol dependence. The experiment takes place in the experimental rooms of the clinic Südhang between 1 and 6 pm. One hour before the confrontation with alcohol associated stimuli patients receive either 20mg of hydrocortisone or placebo (oral administration). The experiment consists of a computer based picture task (alcoholic and neutral pictures) and an in-vivo exposure task. Psychological (craving, stress, arousal) and physiological (heart rate, saliva cortisol) parameters are repeatedly measured over the course of the experiment.