Former alcoholics have a tough time resisting the urge to drink in two particularly trying situations. Analysis of what is happening in their heads under these circumstances is greatly improving neurobiologists' understanding of how chronic alcohol use changes the brain. And their findings suggest measures that could help people abstain.

The following case illustrates one of the most tempting situations. Hank had been dry for several weeks thanks to a radical withdrawal program, but a simple walk past Pete's Tavern on any given night almost erased his will to abstain. During the daytime he did not feel a craving for alcohol, but when he passed the bar in the evening--when he saw the warm light through the windows and heard the glasses clinking--he would be sorely tempted to run inside for a beer. Addiction researchers call this phenomenon "conditioned desire." If a person had always consumed alcohol in the same situation, an encounter with the familiar stimuli will make the feeling of need for the substance almost irresistible. Then, even after years of abstinence, consuming a single drink can set off a powerful longing to imbibe more and more.

This article was originally published with the title Staying Sober.

1 Comments

1. 1. schiferli 11:25 PM 7/9/08

   After reading through the article I had a much better understanding of how hard it is to be sober. Even after a mind is ready for being sober, there is still a physical need for alcohol that is often harder to overcome than the mental addiction. In other classes I have learned how alcohol changes brain chemistry and even after being sober there are often irreversible effects, but in this article I found it really interesting that dopamine is altered due to alcohol. I have heard of dopamine but did not know that it was part of behaviorism. The reward system coincides with conditioned desire and reward. This article hit me close though, my parents are alcoholics. I understood a lot of the stories and the explinations of how peoples interests go down and cannot engage in other simulating activities. Sometimes I think of relationships with alcoholics in them as almost cheating. I did think this article was good at explaining the difficulties, such as only 30-40% stay dry for the first year.. Also, the example of the chimpanzee proves how lack of relationships affects mental stability.

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