Can alcoholism be cured without AA?
By Dov Michaeli Alcoholism is a major public health problem. This we all know. But did you know that as alcoholism evolves, stress systems in the brain play an increasing role in motivating continued alcohol use and relapse. In other words, someone who is a moderate drinker will drink more if subjected to stress. And that, in turn would increase her sensitivity to stress, which would result in yet an additional increase in alcohol consumption, which in turn… you get the picture. The stress response Deficiency of a stress response is life threatening. For instance, in response to stress blood pressure goes up, heart rate increases and more blood is pumped into the brain and skeletal muscles. On the other hand, less blood is pumped into the GI tract or the kidneys. What’s the physiological rationale? Just imagine you are about to be mugged by a gun totting robber—a common American stress. You would like to assess the risk and think of an appropriate response, and then run as fast as you
