Delta-Fos-B - a chemical that causes permanent addiction within the brain.

[TigerLili]

I recently read a book called 'The Brain That Changes Itself' by Norman Doidge, M.D. He made reference to a protein in the brain called Delta-Fos-B which I will post here:

Eric Nestler, at the University of Texas, has shown how addiction causes permanent changes in the brains of animals. A single dose of many addictive drugs will produce a protein called DeltaFosB, that accumulates in the neurons. Each time the drug is used, more DeltaFosB accumlates, until it throw a genetic switch, affecting which genes are turned on or off. Flipping this switch causes changes that persist long after the drug is stopped, leading to irreversible damage to the brain's dopamine system and rendering the animal far more prone to addiction. Non drug addictions, such as running and sucrose drinking, also lead to the accumulation of DeltaFosB and the same permanent change in the dopamine system.

The addict experiences cravings because his brain has become sensitized to the drug or the experience. Sensitization is different from tolerance. As tolerance develops, the addict needs more and more of a substance to get a pleasant effect; as sensitization develops, he needs less and less of the substance to crave it intensely. So sensitization leads to increased wanting, though not necessarily liking. It is the accumulation of DeltaFosB, caused by exposure to an addictive substance or activity, that leads to sensitization.

And here is a link to an article by Nestler that explains it in a bit more details.

From the Big Book:

The fact is that most alcholics, for reasons yet obscure, have lost the power of choice in drink.

Since the BB was written in 1939 a lot of research has happened in the field of addiction and the reasons for addiction are not so obscure. I hope the next edition of the BB has an appendix about current scientific findings in relation to addiction.

It helps me a lot to know that addiction is because of a chemcial change in my physical brain and that it is permanent.

My psychiatrist pointed me in the direction of this research and also said that our brains get used to working in a certain way and to bring about behavioural change/recovery, we need to teach the brain to work in a different way. By working the programme of AA (or whatever recovery programme you choose), she said I will teach my brain to behave in a new way that doesn't involve addictive behaviour.

[RufusACanal]

While the disease centers in the mind, the solution comes from God. All the research in the world is wonderful, but if I do not grasp a concept of a power greater than self, I am lost no matter how long I do not drink.