Hi!

Based on my personal experience with addiction, I’d call it an illness. I started drinking heavily after my father’s death in 1992. We had an extra-ordinary bonding. Within 2 years, I was unable to control my drinking and at that stage, I considered myself ‘addicted’.

I tried all the available help including joining AA ( Despite being an atheist). Anyway, I could rein it in with a lot of struggle. It took about 4 years.

However, I had to always put an effort to control my drinking all my life, till last year. I always had to fight the temptation. So, basically I gave credit to my strong will power for my control. But things changed completely last year when I started depression medications after a mental breakdown in early 2016.

My depression treatment was started in July 2016 which was very successful. I was prescribed Lexapro, Wellbutrin and Strattera. The treatment had a very positive effect on my mental health.

But, there was one very surprising effect --- my drinking temptation completely disappeared. I no more had to struggle to refrain. Now, I simply do not have any urge whatsoever.

I analysed this wonderful side-effect of depression medication and I came to a hypothetical conclusion that my drinking addiction was caused by some neurotransmitter imbalance in my mind. Once the depression medication fixed this imbalance, the addiction was gone.

I think it was dopamine imbalance that was responsible for my addictive behavior. Wellbutrin supposedly fixes dopamine imbalance, that I actually took for my depression and got this wonderful bonus result!

Unfortunately, psychiatry and neurology haven’t made as much progress as the other fields of medical sciences and we still have to depend upon assumption, hypothesis and ‘hit & trial’ methods to cure any issues related to our mind and behaviour.

Cheers!
Tashu