Does the biochemistry of acetaldehyde/acetate apply to the other drugs?
A good friend asks:
"I understand the lack of acetate production in alcoholic drinkers. Does this physiology apply to other drugs?"
I cannot so easily explain the other drugs and why addiction to those is so often linked to addiction to alcohol.
I am beginning to say, "My hypothesis of the conversion of alcohol to acetaldehyde to acetate is but one hypothesis, and may be just one biological component to addiction to psychotropic drugs. It is, however, at the least a useful paradigm through which to view the biochemistry, since it serves to explain the differences between the alcoholic and non-alcoholic. However, it may be far from the entire picture of biochemistry."
We do know there must be brain damage, since we ...