Naltrexone for Alcohol Addiction: Daily Pill or Monthly Shot?
What Naltrexone Does in the Brain Naltrexone is a medication that helps treat alcohol use disorder by targeting the brain’s opioid system, specifically, by blocking mu-opioid receptors. These receptors are involved in the release of dopamine, the chemical responsible for feelings of reward and reinforcement. When you drink alcohol, your brain typically releases a surge […]
Medications for Alcohol Use Disorder: How They Work and Who They Help
Why Medication Matters: Understanding Relapse Biology Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is not a problem of willpower. It is a chronic, relapsing brain disorder that disrupts the systems governing reward, stress, and decision-making. Prolonged alcohol use alters the brain’s chemistry, especially neurotransmitters like dopamine, GABA, and glutamate, which regulate pleasure, inhibition, and arousal. These neuroadaptive changes […]
Disulfiram and Deterrent Therapy: Old Drug, New Questions
History of Antabuse® – First FDA-Approved AUD Drug Disulfiram, sold under the brand name Antabuse®, holds the distinction of being the first medication approved by the FDA for alcohol use disorder (AUD). Its roots trace back to the 1930s, when factory workers in the rubber industry who handled disulfiram developed sudden illness after drinking alcohol. […]
Acamprosate: The Brain Reset Pill That Helps You Stay Sober
Why Staying Sober Is Harder Than Quitting: Glutamate Rebound Explained For many people with alcohol use disorder, quitting is only the beginning. The harder part is staying sober. That difficulty is not just psychological. It reflects changes in the brain’s chemistry caused by long-term alcohol use. Chronic drinking dampens glutamate, the brain’s primary excitatory neurotransmitter, […]
Alcohol Use Disorder Explained: Causes, Warning Signs, and the Path to Recovery
Harmful Drinking by the Numbers: A Global Look Alcohol is one of the most widely consumed psychoactive substances in the world – and one of the most socially accepted. Yet beneath its cultural familiarity lies a significant public health burden. According to the World Health Organization’s Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health (2023), alcohol […]
