No Magic Pill For Alcoholism

From the time I started working with alcoholics in the early 80s, I’ve heard that science is close to a cure, a pill that might cure alcoholism. None of us really believed that alcoholism would be cured by a simple pill — we intuitively knew that alcoholism is complex. We just didn’t know how complex. Recent research shows that there’s definitely no magic pill for alcoholism on the horizon.

Research from Purdue and Indiana Universities reveals a far more complex system of genetic links to alcoholism. Here’s an excerpt from the Science Daily article referenced above:

By comparing the genomes of rats that drank compulsively with those that abstained, Purdue and Indiana University researchers identified 930 genes associated with alcoholism, indicating that it is a highly complex trait – on par with human height – influenced by many genes and the environment.

The study confirmed genes previously identified as being linked to alcoholism and uncovered new genes and neurological pathways, some of which could be promising targets for treatment. But the sheer number of genes that contribute to the trait suggests pharmaceutical treatments for alcoholism could be difficult to develop, said William Muir, professor of genetics.

“It’s not one gene, one problem,” he said. “This trait is controlled by vast numbers of genes and networks. This probably dashes water on the idea of treating alcoholism with a single pill.”

Maybe one day science will find a cure for alcoholism, but it doesn’t seem likely any time soon. The physical and the psychological factors involved in alcoholism make it a difficult brain disease to treat, but it is treatable. Although the research is revealing even more complexity, the good news is that science has more places to look for innovation in the treatment of alcoholism. Maybe there’s no magic pill, but there might be progress that helps relieve suffering, making it easier for alcoholics to get into long term recovery.