The Craving Brain: The BioBalance Approach to Controlling Addictions
Ruden (Byalick is his helping pen) is quick to state his belief that alcoholism and other addictions are diseases, not the consquences of lack of willpower, and should be seen and treated as such. Addiction arises, he says, from an imbalance between the effects of dopamine ("gotta have it") and serotonin ("got it") and is a matter of degree, which accounts for why one person can be unaffected by a single drink while another, after a single drink, immediately and always goes on a binge. The first step in achieving biobalance, as Ruden calls it, is removing stress; the second involves disposing of denial. Those seeking biobalance must work hard at emphasizing what is positive, right, and good in their personalities and actions, and Ruden, although he says this is not a self-help book, offers suggestions for moving along the path to biobalance and appends 60 pages of annotated references to the key scientific literature supporting his arguments.William Beatty