The "allergy" concept was coined by a doctor in the 1930's who was working with alcoholics. It has never been updated in the text of AA since, in spite of medical and scientific advances in knowledge in the 80 plus years since. It's a concept that seems to be exclusive to AA and their 12 step philosophy of recovery. The THIQ theory is treated as scientific evidence when, in reality, it's not, or at least not yet.
Does this 'THIQ' theory fit in with the AA belief that alcoholics are 'allergic' to alcohol? I have never really understood this belief. Can anyone become 'allergic' meaning that potentially everyone on the planet could become an alcoholic ?
I would say, as someone who had studied in science, it is scientifically impossible and why would only alcoholic would transform alcohol into that THIQ. Placebo do work too as does homeopathy. Sorry but I can't adhere to this theory :-)
M
This is very interesting. Thank you for posting it. However, after some reading and research
http://www.utexas.edu/research/asrec/myths.html
(see point 36)
.......36. THIQs are a cause of alcoholism. This is an old theory,
which was very attractive in the early 1970s. It suggested that
alcoholics, when they drink, form opiate-like THIQs (abbreviation for
several artificially-formed chemicals) in the brain, to which they
become dependent. Later research was not able to consistently find
THIQs in the tissues of alcoholics compared to those of non-alcoholics.
Thus, the “THIQ theory” is no longer popular among most scientists.
I'm not saying there isn't any substance to THIQ, however, it can't be taken as fact.
As was discovered by Virginia Davis, in the alcoholic, a very small amount of acetaldehyde is not eliminated. Instead, it goes to the brain where, through a very complex biochemical process, it is transformed into THIQ. Here is a little information about THIQ.
First, THIQ is created in the brain, and it only occurs in the brain of the alcoholic drinker; it does not and cannot happen in the brain of the social drinker. Second, THIQ has been found to be highly addictive. It was used experimentally with animals during WWII when doctors were looking for a pain killer less addictive than morphine. THIQ turned out to be an excellent pain killer but its addictive qualities far exceed that of morphine. The third fascinating item about THIQ also has to do with addiction. An experiment using alcohol averting rats and THIQ was conducted. These rats, when put into a cage with a very weak solution of vodka and water, will refuse to drink it to the point where they will thirst to death. Take the same rat and inject a minute quantity of THIQ into its brain and the animal will immediately develop an intense preference for alcohol over water. So, with one small injection of THIQ, the rat bred to refuse alcohol, had become an alcoholic rat.
