Chapter 8, Addiction (pg 121-132) Summary and Analysis

Knapp begins the chapter by listing her answers to a quiz administered by the Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. She took the quiz several weeks before she quit. Of the 26 questions, she answered yes to 19. Knapp was considered to be in the final stage of alcoholism. The final stage of alcoholism can kill a person. It causes liver disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer, brain cell dysfunction, and infertility.

Knapp cannot fathom the damage she did to her body while she was an alcoholic. But she could not give up the drink. Drinking artificially activates the brain's reward system. The alcohol makes the brain feel good, so it releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter that gives the feeling of pleasure. The artificial stimulation leaves the brain working overtime to decrease the dopamine. So by drinking too much, you...