NIAAA: Reducing craving for alcohol: A measure of recovery?

Abstract

There is research using craving reduction as a measure of recovery from drug addiction, as recently reported at the College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) from National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) researchers. We wanted to find out whether craving reduction can also be used as a measure of recovery from alcohol use disorder (AUD). So, we asked George F. Koob, Ph.D., director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), who, with Laura E. Kwako, Ph.D., chief of NIAAA's treatment, health services, and recovery branch, responded to our questions.