There is a very real brain component to addiction, and society up to now has for the most part has viewed it as failure of will.
The way it works is there are certain receptors in the brain that if we block them, can reduce the pleasurable effects associated with drinking.
This is the first and only long-acting medication available for patients, and so I'm thrilled that it is going to become an important treatment option for patients and their doctors.
Daily adherence to a medication is challenging for most people, and even more challenging for people with alcoholism.