Potential Alcoholism "cure" Hailed

[♦ nivek ♦]

Potential alcoholism "cure" hailed

Independent [uK]

 

"Australian scientists say they have found a way of eliminating alcoholic cravings using a drug that blocks the euphoric 'high' associated with getting drunk. The research focused on cells in the hypothalamus region of the brain that produce orexin, a chemical linked to drink or drug-induced euphoria. Scientists at Melbourne's Howard Florey Institute made a compound that blocked orexin's effects, and gave it to rats that had already been turned into alcoholics. ... The scientists are now conducting further experiments to find out the precise circumstances that activate the orexin system, which will help them to develop a drug." (12/26/06)

 

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/health_me...icle2103723.ece

[Dave]

It won't work. Addiction is in ones way of thinking, or escaping something, and won't be cured by any magic pill.

[Antlerman]

It won't work. Addiction is in ones way of thinking, or escaping something, and won't be cured by any magic pill.

Yes, but the physical rewards are reinforcments for the behaviors. Ever been a smoker? There's huge physical rewards with that. I quit over 5 years ago after having smoked for 20 years. I'd tried many times, and having nicorete gum took 80 percent of the physical pain away from quitting for me, and from there I had to work on behavior modification. I can easily see that something like this for alcholism, coupled with therapy might yield much greater results. If someone went back to drinking, what would they be getting from it? If anything negative, I suppose then since they couldn't get hammered on booze, they might seek something else out to replace it with if they didn't deal with the behaviors around it.

[Dave]

Yes, but the physical rewards are reinforcments for the behaviors.

The reward is escaping from whatever is bothering them. They have no other coping skills so escaping is all they can do.

Ever been a smoker? There's huge physical rewards with that....

The reason people drink, or do drugs, is different than that of smokers. Sure, there is a slight high one gets from nicotine, but it's not the powerful escape that more powerful drugs provide.

I can easily see that something like this for alcholism, coupled with therapy might yield much greater results. If someone went back to drinking, what would they be getting from it? If anything negative, I suppose then since they couldn't get hammered on booze, they might seek something else out to replace it with if they didn't deal with the behaviors around it.

That's the problem, most will get just the drugs and not any of the talk therapy. And any "therapy" suggested, or mandated, is most likely to be a useless 12 step program. With addictions, there is no easy way out.

[Vigile]

For just a few rubles a day, help your drunk husband or son say goodbye to their boozin' ways forever with Alcogon.

 

Sold by the manifacturers of the ever popular foot detoxifier FAS.

 

 

(Ok, sorry, couldn't resist. We get these commercials on television here all the time from companies that try to take the last rubles from the poorest of the poor by selling them placebo anti alcohol pills. I know that's not what this compound is.)

[roman]

In Japan and China, the "cure" for drunkenness and craving of being drunk have been well-known for decades. In this country that substance is called "kudzu."

[Dave]

In Japan and China, the "cure" for drunkenness and craving of being drunk have been well-known for decades. In this country that substance is called "kudzu."

Don't grow it in California. You could be arrested. It's an "A" rated invasive exotic weed pest.

[Kurari]

In Japan and China, the "cure" for drunkenness and craving of being drunk have been well-known for decades. In this country that substance is called "kudzu."

 

Interesting, how do they use it? Eat it, make a tea, or some other kind of compound?

 

I think Dave has a really good point. People abuse food, drugs, and alcohol to escape pain from some other part of life. While I think this drug could probably help quite a lot in helping ease the pain of cravings, they need coping skills for what's driving them to abuse substances in the first place. I think calling it a "cure" is a bit strong.

 

The article didn't mention if it helped at all with coping with other withdrawl symptoms like the DT's.

[PaulQ]

I get drunk because I enjoy the sensation of being drunk. I don't do it all the time because it interferes with my sleep and I generally feel crappy the next day. One would think the after-effects of drinking would be enough to discourage people from drinking on a regular basis, but it is not; thus, I would think that there are other external forces at play, whether it be peer pressure or the need to escape. Based on this, I would think that such a "Cure" wouldn't be very effective.