Originally Posted by Murray4x5

Powerlessness is also not knowing the physiological explanation for what happened, so it appears as a mystery and may appear again in the future if you are unprepared.

I synthesized all the scientific articles I read into one simple concept; my brain stem and limbic system had grown many extra dopamine receptors to revel in all the alcohol I was pouring into my body. Take the alcohol away, and those now unused receptors are going to try every trick in their evolutionary bag of tricks to get me to drink alcohol again. Its a matter of survival for them.

All I have to do is recognize when they start an urge or try to put me on auto-pilot, if I can ride it out without drinking booze the next urge will be less intense and the urges will be spread further apart. In time most of the extra receptors will dry up and disappear, but they will always, forever, be ready to start again because my brain is hardwired to love alcohol more than my wellbeing or even my survival.

I learned to recognize the signs and altered my behaviour in positive ways to override those feelings, which did lessen over time.