| Summary: | Humans are biologically programmed to seek out pleasurable experiences.� These experiences�are processed�in the�mesolimbic system, also referred to as the�"reward center" of the brain, where a number of chemical messengers work in concert to provide a net release of dopamine in the Nucleus Accumbens.��In some genetically predisposed individuals, addiction occurs when the mechanisms of the mesolimbic system are disrupted by the use of various�drugs of abuse. Since Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in 1935, it's 12 step program of spiritual and character development has helped countless alcoholics and drug addicts�curb their self-destructive behaviors.� However, the�program was developed at a time when�comparatively little was known about the function of the brain and�it has�never been studied scientifically.�This is the first book to take a systematic look at the molecular neurobiology associated with each of the 12 steps and to review the significant body of addiction research literature that is pertinent to the program.
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