Scientists discover potential cure for alcoholism in the brain

a reply to: vethumanbeing

Explain the 'chasing of the dragon' if there is any context

Chasing the dragon refers to smoking heroin. A line of heroin is laid out on foil and heated from beneath. The user inhales the smoke through a straw, "chasing" it along the line. If it isn't heroin, there is no high.

You watch South Park, right? That's where you got the reference. Right?

a reply to: one4all
I don't mean to knock what you have brought here but people do move on to sobriety, at least for some amount of time, after detoxing with valium and xanax. According to your post, the onslaught of parasites should make this impossible if they are just masking symptoms.

Had a friend go through detox with valium IV and then prescribed xanax. He took the xanax for 2 days and then decided to stop taking it. He went 2 months after that without a drink. Where was the scream from his sick body during those 2 months?

Just spit-balling here. This is why I brought up the alcohol resistant parasite, maybe they more efficiently use alcohol as an energy source. It causes the craving and in turn gets rid of competition. So everything is going great for them. But if the well runs dry and they start to get stressed, what if during this, they dump something into your blood stream that causes withdrawals?

Someone tries an anti-parasitic protocol and kills and flushes them out before they can release their stress induced substances? Then you have the success stories you mentioned but that parasite would have to be the cause and if it isn't then the treatment would not work.

You will often hear there is no single magic bullet.

originally posted by: Phage
But is a heroin addict addicted to the endorphins or the heroin?

William S. Burroughs, in Naked Lunch seemed to draw the line between habit and addiction at physical dependence.

The use of opium and opium derivatives leads to a state that defines limits and describes "addiction" - (The term is loosely used to indicate anything one is used to or wants. We speak of addiction to candy, coffee, tobacco, warm weather, television, detective stories, crossword puzzles). So misapplied the term loses any useful precision of meaning. The use of morphine leads to a metabolic dependence on morphine. Morphine becomes a biologic need like water and the user may die if he is suddenly deprived of it.

It would seem that alcohol causes a similar dependence.

When I was young my father had 3 epileptic attacks. He would tell his story about it being because he was drinking too much. I just accepted at face value that was the reason but after researching a bit, I am convinced that it was probably because he tried stopping cold turkey.

a reply to: daskakik

It would seem that alcohol causes a similar dependence.

In some, not all. Which seems to make it different.
Addiction to "opioids" seems to make no distinction. Though some may take longer to become addicted, it happens to all who partake. Eventually.

originally posted by: Phage
In some, not all. Which seems to make it different.

But that brings us back to the finding in the OP. The reason is the difference in the neural circuits that some have and others don't.

It would explain why some people can be social drinkers and others can't.

ETA for your addition: It could be that the mechanism for addiction to opioids is present in everyone.

a reply to: daskakik

Yes. We agree. Alcoholism is different from opioid addiction.

a reply to: Phage
Sure but for those who drink socially, even if regularly, it isn't an addiction. Neither is someone with a sweet tooth or a coffee habit.

I wasn't saying alcohol and opioids are the same. I was just commenting on the difference between habit and addiction.

a reply to: daskakik

Alcoholism is not a habit.

But perhaps you missed one of my earlier posts in this thread.

I’m a functional alcoholic. I hold down a great job and my co workers would be shocked to find out. It is not a “disease”. It’s a freaking habit like smoking. The problem is it’s not the people(homeless, etc) you’d expect. Drinking is fairly expensive habit. Would someone pay to have cancer? Cancer is a disease(albeit a side effect of life choices). And not nearly as fun as tearing it up with some bruhs with some ‘skis. I get there are different types of drinkers(I drink alone, and prefer to be by myself). But it’s most certainly MY choice to do so. I’ve been skipping nights and forgotten what it feels like to feel AWESOME in the morning, ready to take the world on. Can’t imagine what a month or a year must feel like. I don’t have a disease, I’m just jealous of those that make better decisions than I do.

a reply to: valve

Smoking is not just "a habit." Quitting has physical effects.

Consuming caffeine is not just "a habit." Quitting has physical effects.

Alcoholism is certainly not just "a habit."

a reply to: Phage
I didn't miss it. I'm just saying that according to the findings in the OP. It may be a habit for some and an addiction for others.

Saying, not everyone is subject to it, doesn't mean that those subject to it are not addicted (have physical dependence).

a reply to: daskakik

Gotcha.

But it seems that opioid addiction is not avoidable. By anyone. Thus, different.

a reply to: Phage
We agreed on it being different from opioids but I was thrown because you said:

And I'm not sure if alcholism qualifies as an addiction because not everyone seems to be subject to it.

and in the post I was replying to you stated:

Alcoholism is not a habit.

And all I'm saying is that the findings in the OP, if true, might explain why for some it is a habit and for others it is an addiction.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: daskakik

Yes. We agree. Alcoholism is different from opioid addiction.

The difference with any substance is it’s half-life. Opioids have a very short half life, most likely why it’s such a problem. It wears off too quick, 6-8 hours. So the come down is hard and fast. Been there done that. On the opposite side is barbiturates. You don’t hear much about these because they are rarely used. Only for migraines, really. Butabitil has a half life of around 35 hours. If you look at how half life’s work, it’s not 1/2 to 1/2= gone. The halves split, then those halves split, and the process goes on like that. There is nothing worse than a Barbiturate withdrawal. It goes on for weeks. I’ve never been so miserable in my life. It made an opioid withdrawal seem like a walk in the park.

a reply to: daskakik

Thanks for pointing out my obvious non-sequitur.

a reply to: valve
Alcohol, according to wiki, has a half life of 4 to 4.5 hours. Someone has 4 or 5 drinks and wakes up fine the next morning. Might not have another drink until the next weekend.

Your half life theory only seems to apply in certain pairs.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: valve

Smoking is not just "a habit." Quitting has physical effects.

Consuming caffeine is not just "a habit." Quitting has physical effects.

Alcoholism is certainly not just "a habit."

It is. Not chewing your fingernails has physical effects as well.

a reply to: valve

Not chewing your fingernails has physical effects as well.

Yes. Your fingernails grow. But that doesn't hurt.

originally posted by: daskakik
a reply to: valve
Alcohol, according to wiki, has a half life of 4 to 4.5 hours. Someone has 4 or 5 drinks and wakes up fine the next morning. Might not have another drink until the next weekend.

Your half life theory only seems to apply in certain pairs.

That’s why I made the distinction.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: valve

Not chewing your fingernails has physical effects as well.

Yes. Your fingernails grow. But that doesn't hurt.

How would you know? Are you a fingernail biter? I’m speaking from real world experience as far as substances.