Blum K, Trachtenberg M C
Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, San Antonio 78284.
Int J Addict. 1988 Aug;23(8):781-96. doi: 10.3109/10826088809058839.
Until recently alcoholism was regarded as being an incurable psychological problem. During the last decade a chain of research has led to a new insight into the causes and potential alleviation of alcohol craving: Recent discoveries indicate that the brain has receptor sites for naturally occurring opiate-like substances (endorphins and enkephalins) which are produced by the nervous system. Opiates such as morphine or heroin, and some of the metabolic products of alcohol (tetrahydroisoquinolines), can also attach themselves to these receptors. It has been further discovered that the craving for alcohol is related to a deficiency of the naturally occurring opiate-like substances as well as other neurotransmitter substances. This deficiency can occur genetically or as a result of prolonged stress or long-term heavy drinking. The neurochemical imbalance may be treated chemically, leading to a possible alleviation of the craving for alcohol, especially in conjunction with psychotherapeutic and counseling regimens.
直到最近，酗酒还被视为一种无法治愈的心理问题。在过去十年中，一系列研究使人们对酒精成瘾的原因及潜在缓解方法有了新的认识：最近的发现表明，大脑具有天然存在的类阿片物质（内啡肽和脑啡肽）的受体位点，这些物质由神经系统产生。吗啡或海洛因等阿片类药物以及酒精的一些代谢产物（四氢异喹啉）也能附着在这些受体上。进一步发现，对酒精的渴望与天然存在的类阿片物质以及其他神经递质物质的缺乏有关。这种缺乏可能是遗传造成的，也可能是长期压力或长期大量饮酒的结果。神经化学失衡可以通过化学方法治疗，这可能会减轻对酒精的渴望，特别是与心理治疗和咨询方案相结合时。
