4 Responses to “Alcoholic drug discovery truths”1

1. Kat Mandoo says:

   January 15, 2010 at 5:35 pm

   While being the first to admit and recognizing completely the devastating effects that alcohol can have in the lives of people, I think it is imperitive we get away from calling this behavior a disease. It greatly clouds the whole process and blocks understanding. As an example: Smoking is not a disease. It is frequently considered to be more addictive than alcohol and as addictive as heroin. By improperly framing this discussion, in terms created by AA and Bill Wilson, an ongoing treatment process without a cure is enabled to continue, but broader, deeper understanding is stymied in regards to the general public. Smoking causes diseases…but it is a behavior. Humans, as well as other animals have pleasure stimulus responses. This fact is not a disease…it is basic biology. Concern should be taken when it appears anyone is using a chemical substance to over stimulate this response…or upon using a chemical stimulus they become overwhelmingly driven to seek that chemical in the immediate future. Gambling and “adrenaline addicts” may exhibit similar behaviors but it is very definitely a different dilema.
2. David Bradley says:

   January 15, 2010 at 5:40 pm

   I get your point, but alcoholism is a behavioural disease and may have an underlying genetic etiology that drives the behaviour. Addiction/dependency associated with other substances ad behaviour might also be served well by calling them diseases too. We can treat diseases, but to most people the idea of treating a behaviour sounds like “training” and may not warrant, in their eyes, the necessary research and attitude shift to allow sufferers of these diseases to be treated. Perhaps “disorder” is a better word…or syndrome…
3. Kat Mandoo says:

   January 15, 2010 at 6:38 pm

   You’ve given me food for thought with regards to syndrome or disorder. Perhaps I’m simply having trouble with a very basic concept. It seems to me that any person, due to the nature of a biological feedback process, is capable of becoming addicted to something, or engaging in some repititive process. It is simply a matter of finding the right chemical or action that stimulates their own optimal level of pleasure. I understand that there are genetic predispositions to depression, anxiety and impulse control, all of which can be found amongst some or many addicts/alcholics, but my understanding is that at this point there is no specific gene or genetic cluster for “alcoholism” or addiction. Is this still correct information?
4. David Bradley says:

   January 15, 2010 at 7:55 pm

   I don’t know whether they’ve yet found specific genes for addiction or alcoholism, but there is epidemiological evidence that there is an inherited component to the tendency. At the enzymic level there are issues with the enzymes that metabolise alcohol in some populations as well as the likelihood that some people are less receptive to alcohol. Either of those two factors would be under genetic control and might affect the way someone responds to alcohol. There are too many factors for anyone to ever be able to pull out a gene (cluster) for addiction, I’m sure, but an errant protein that fails to respond in the same way in one individual as it does in others might lead to a synergistic effect with environmental factors (peer pressure, for instance) that leads to someone imbibing more of their drug of choice than they otherwise might and that then might have a cascade effect on neuronal pathways leading to addiction…