I have been reading about TIQ/THIQ and I found it quite helpful so thought I'd share. It's nicely summarised by the following section from this link
Alcohol | RecoverMe.CA There are also some good threads on here on the subject (these tend to refer to THIQ rather than TIQ if you want to search for them)
When alcohol is metabolized (broken down) in the liver, it is broken down first to acetaldehyde. Alcoholics will store up to 50 percent more acetaldehyde than non-alcoholics, which the liver struggles to eliminate in the form of acetic acid (vinegar). The excess acetaldehyde hitches a ride on red blood cells and mixes with neurotransmitters in the brain forming a new substance called tetrahydroisoquinoline or TIQ. TIQ’s are well received in the brain’s pleasure centers once slight chemical adaptations are made. TIQ’s are similar to opiates producing similar drug seeking behaviour. This will result in the brain shutting down production of its own endorphins (opiates) leaving the alcoholic chemically depressed when using is stopped.
This subject has made me think that while I like the thought of having a glass of wine on a summer's day as much as anyone, that part of me is still there, this build up of TIQ in over my year's of drinking means that that glass of wine would immediately re-activate my TIQ and produce immense cravings. I would then have to go through all the withdrawal symptoms again and yet another Day 1, which may not be the following day of course but could be years later. So I need to remember that I have a choice to make if ever I think about picking up: is the pleasure of that one glass of wine worth more to me than having to start the battle of the bottle all over again?