I'm too lazy to source it at the moment (apologies), perhaps later. But I was listening to a doctor on NPR the other day, and he was discussing the drug natroxelene (almost certainly misspelled). He said the a Dr. Sinclair had discovered that for 15% of drinkers, consuming alcohol to excess over time actually rewired part of their brains so that endorphin receptors widened. Natroxelene works by blocking some of these receptors when taken with alcohol (in moderation), and over a period of 3-4 months re-wires the brain back to "normal." It's not a cure anymore than chemotherapy is for cancer, in that the beast can come back, but it's apparently proven effective for many people who continue to take natroxelene whenever they drink.
From what I can gather, it works like this: the involuntary part of a normal brain will say, after consuming a certain amount of drinks (of course this is variable depending on the individual), "we are buzzing now. We can lay off." Once those receptors widen, this part of the brain says "more, more more!" And this makes it harder for the voluntary part of the brain (that would be YOU) to slow down or cut one's self off.
Obviously, many in the AA/CDC/WHO crowd (read: status quo beneficiaries) aren't fond of this approach, but their recidivism rate is at %80-85.
So, escapists, what do you think?
Edit: The point is that this drug only works for people who have a genetic predisposition - the involuntary part of their brain is re-wired by alcoholic excess to constantly crave more, or to crave a larger sum when they are already drinking. So the point is not to escape accountability, but to aid the conscious mind by removing a damaged condition from the involuntary mind.
From what I can gather, it works like this: the involuntary part of a normal brain will say, after consuming a certain amount of drinks (of course this is variable depending on the individual), "we are buzzing now. We can lay off." Once those receptors widen, this part of the brain says "more, more more!" And this makes it harder for the voluntary part of the brain (that would be YOU) to slow down or cut one's self off.
Obviously, many in the AA/CDC/WHO crowd (read: status quo beneficiaries) aren't fond of this approach, but their recidivism rate is at %80-85.
So, escapists, what do you think?
Edit: The point is that this drug only works for people who have a genetic predisposition - the involuntary part of their brain is re-wired by alcoholic excess to constantly crave more, or to crave a larger sum when they are already drinking. So the point is not to escape accountability, but to aid the conscious mind by removing a damaged condition from the involuntary mind.
