Maintaining comprehensive bio-behavioral understanding of addiction also speaks to what needs to be provided in drug treatment programs. Be careful not to pit biology against behavior. The National Institute on Drug Abuse recently published Principles of Effective Drug Addiction Treatment provides a detailed discussion of how we must treat all aspects of the individual, not just [...]…
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Though this allele is more common in individuals with alcohol addiction, there is no conclusive evidence that the presence of this gene is necessary for alcohol addiction. Some researchers argue that the evidence for such alleles is contradictory.
There is a theory that alcohol was discovered and utilized as a replacement for polluted drinking reservoirs in urban society. In this case, death from liver disease was preferred to death by waterborne disease. Over time, this resulted in a selection process of genes that were able to handle more alcohol. Essentially the population changed from being a predominately hunter-gatherer society to more urban. This theory explains why certain groups like Aborigines or Native Americans have a higher alcohol tolerance.
Alcoholism can be a lifelong struggle. Though behaviors are changed, relapse is always a possibility and often occurs. Relapse does not mean an individual is doomed to alcoholism. Call Hawaii Island Recovery at 866-906-6911 today for more information.…
As of 2003, 77 alcohol treatment and drug rehabilitation centers in Hawaii served more than 3,000 patients. State-funded institutions and private centers administer various drug & alcohol rehab programs such as behavioral and cognitive therapies, long-term and short-term treatments, the 12-step program, and confinement to residential facilities. However, majority of patients with drug dependence and [...]…
