Treating Alcohol Use Disorder in Genetically Susceptible Populations: A Case for Combination Medical and Genetic Interventions

Abstract

Alcohol Use Disorder [AUD] affects millions of Americans every year, directly contributing to their personal suffering. Recent research suggests that the leading treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy [CBT], may lead to increased relapse and self-blame among patients, highlighting the need for new, longer-lasting treatment options. This paper outlines the limitations of current treatments for AUD–including commonly prescribed medications such as naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram–as well as therapeutic options for other addictions like dopamine reuptake inhibitors (DRIs), and seeks to present a combination medical treatment option that takes CBT and a patient’s genetic predispositions into account. It argues that potential removal or inhibition of the cannabinoid 1 receptor [CB1] could be an effective strategy to address and prevent the biological causes of addiction–and, therefore, related suffering. Ethical concerns stemming from genetic engineering, such as cost, access to treatment and potential resulting hereditary class disparities, are presented and justified in light of the likelihood that a patient’s quality of life would improve through such treatment.