my hero

is Dr. Nora Volkow, a researcher specializing in addiction studies. In a recent Newsweek article , Dr. Volkow discusses advances in addiction treatment and discusses the big ones ~ alcohol and drugs ~ but likening those dependencies on those chemicals to food addiction.

"We all think we can control our actions," she said. "But why does one person have such intense cravings that they experience a loss of control, while another person can overpower those desires? I wanted to understand the brain mechanism that makes people lose control."

Dr. Volkow's research suggests that high levels of dopamine receptors in the brain provide a kind of immunity to addiction, while low levels of the receptors make an individual more vulnerable. Especially interesting to me, given the blossoming of my eating disorder after the tragedy of my mother's disappearance, is Dr. Volkow's suggestion that extreme stress and tragedy increase susceptibility to addiction, even when the substance had been used for some time with little or no difficulty.

I am thrilled to see serious attention given to addictions, especially when food is included. I am knocking down my own demons one at a time ~ drugs, alcohol, food ~ and it's comforting to know that I may not just be weak-willed or rife with character flaws. The fact that my plagues have come fast on the heels of one another lends credence to the idea of there being something different in the way I'm wired.

All is well today (I think I said that today already, but why not repeat it). As the Big Book says, happy, joyous and free and it's really not possible to improve on that. Hope y'all are as well.