It is not uncommon for an alcoholic to crave much the same way a heroin addict craves. The body produces enzymes that build up tolerances to levels of alcohol within the body - enzymes produced by the liver - in a process that consumes the body's resources. The affected body chemistry can be compromised when the patient is deprived of alcohol. Due to the toll these chemical changes take on the liver, the patient's difficulties can become extreme after extended periods of time with the possibility of the body losing its capability to regulate glucose levels within the body. These sudden surges of glucose and subsequent lack thereof cause blackouts that resemble diabetic attacks. The process of rebuilding the body chemistry can reach a point of no return. When the body begins craving alcohol, it is a sign that this condition is imminent. In China and Japan, a plant called kudzu is given to alcoholics and seems to reduce their desire for alcohol.

ŠJamie Longstreet 1996-2004