The Molecule of More

Lord, give me chastity, but not yet.
Because they’re so difficult to overcome, doctors and 
patients often characterize addictive substances like alco-
hol as the enemy. It’s an enemy we respect, because it’s not 
only powerful, it’s clever.

---

103
DOMINATION
One “trick” is the use of unexpected triggers that lead 
to craving: photos taken with friends at a tailgate party, a 
favorite glass, a bottle opener, even a kitchen knife used 
to slice lemons. These triggers may be so subtle that the 
person may not recognize them until after they succumb to 
temptation.
But getting rid of the triggers isn’t enough. Scientists 
have recently learned about a completely unexpected and 
somewhat frightening tactic the enemy has at its disposal. 
Consider an alcoholic who, for no apparent reason, decides 
to switch up his routine one day and take an alternate route 
home from work. He happens to pass a bar he used to go 
to and is overcome by craving. When he speaks about his 
relapse in his next therapy session, he has no idea how it 
happened. He doesn’t connect the seemingly innocent 
decision to change his routine with the relapse.
But this relapse wasn’t a coincidence. Scientists recently 
discovered that being addicted to alcohol changes the way 
certain segments of DNA work, segments that are essential 
for the normal functioning of the dopamine control circuits 
in the frontal lobes. A key enzyme is suppressed, interfering 
with the neurons’ ability to transmit signals. It’s like a hacker 
taking out the enemy’s communication channels right in the 
middle of a battle. Thus an alcoholic may not want to drive 
past his old haunt, but the enemy has impaired his ability 
to appreciate the consequences of his decision to take the 
new route home.
The research that found the dangerous changes in DNA 
was done in rats, so we’re not completely sure if the same 
thing happens in humans, but the results were striking. 
Rats with addiction-modified DNA drank more alcohol, and 
they drank even when the alcohol was spiked with quinine, 
which has a bitter taste that rats normally avoid. This finding 

---

104
THE MOLECULE OF MORE
suggested that the DNA alteration makes drinkers consume 
alcohol in spite of unpleasant consequences.
Alcoholics can still overcome their addiction, but impair-
ing control dopamine’s ability to oppose desire dopamine’s 
impulses makes things difficult. Not only does alcohol cre-
ate a perpetual desire; it also undermines the future-focus 
needed to stay on the road to recovery. The good news is 
we now know this weapon exists, and if we can find a way to 
reverse the DNA changes, we can neutralize it.
TWELVE-STEP FACILITATION THERAPY: 
H&N VERSUS DESIRE DOPAMINE
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is the most successful self-help fellowship 
in the world, but it’s not for everyone. It requires people to accept the 
label of alcoholic, which many don’t like. It’s based on belief in a higher 
power, which some people don’t have. And it requires sharing personal 
stories in a group setting, which makes some people uncomfortable. But 
those who fit in well can benefit from access to a valuable resource.
Overcoming addiction is a long-term battle, sometimes even life-
long. With that in mind, AA has some important advantages over 
drug treatment programs. AA has no limitations on how long a per-
son can participate. AA is free and available all over the world, and 
in metropolitan areas there are groups all over the city that meet day 
and night.
AA is a fellowship rather than a treatment. A person gets better 
through relationships with other members of the group and their 
relationship with a higher power. The social part of our brain makes 
connections with other people using H&N neurotransmitters. There 
are few things in this world as powerful as relationships. According to 
Alexa, an internet analytic company, Facebook is the second most vis-
ited site on the web. (Google is number one, and Pornhub, the most 

---

105
DOMINATION
visited pornography site, is all the way down at number 67, which 
should give us all faith in humanity’s ability to resist the less healthy