# Does Amnesia end Addiction? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 22, 2008, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-amnesia-end-addiction/450237 "2008-05-22T13:23:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2008, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-amnesia-end-addiction/450237/1 "2008-05-22T13:23:05Z")
The topic came up on an email list I participate in, and I thought I’d pose the question here to see what Dopers think. Since I don’t know if there’s an official factual answer, I’m posing it here vs. GQ. > [@friend from another list](#): > > Say someone is addicted to a substance. We know that addiction is part physical, part mental, with some addictions being more one than the other. > > Now…say that same person is in an accident and loses his or her memory. Completely gone. Amnesia. Will that person still be addicted? > > Now, in some cases, there will be a physical withdrawal. Perhaps that person would experience the pain of withdrawal without understanding why. Or perhaps not. What if we experience withdrawal because we know to expect it? And what if it’s more of a mental obsession? Like a sexual addiction? Or gambling? > [@my thoughts](#): > > I know that with many (most?) addictions, it’s not just the dependence such as with narcotics, but a genuine brain chemistry / structure difference. So - say the first few days to get over the physical dependency (withdrawal), while still in the hospital for whatever swiss-cheesed the brain. > > But then… the brain chemistry difference is still there. My take is that while the person might not remember being addicted to crack or whatever, they’d VERY easily fall back into the patterns if exposed to that or another addictive substance / activity. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2008, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-amnesia-end-addiction/450237/2 "2008-05-23T21:10:50Z")
(just using my one bump) ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2008, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-amnesia-end-addiction/450237/3 "2008-05-23T21:34:43Z")
I don’t know the exact answer, but I’d imagine that addiction is unaffected by retrograde amnesia. Amnesia is a dysfunction of episodic memory, while addiction is a result of neurotransmitter rewards; both are separate in the brain. A person with severe amnesia can still perform motor tasks better than an amateur even if they don’t remember doing it before. That doesn’t necessarily mean that amnesia cannot remove addiction, however. Amnesia usually results by brain damage due to trauma or stroke, and it is possible that it could cause damage to other regions of the brain. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2008, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-amnesia-end-addiction/450237/4 "2008-05-24T02:13:03Z")
In my case I would still be an alcoholic for sure, and probably still a drug addict. It’s just how I’m wired. I have no choice about how I drink- I do it alcoholically (as much as I can, every time, until I pass out , black out or run out. Every. Goddamn. Time.). Same with drugs. I have never known a day of moderation since I first picked up. It’s not that way for everybody, but it sure is for me. Memory or lack of it would be irrelevant. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2008, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-amnesia-end-addiction/450237/5 "2008-05-24T02:18:00Z")
[QUOTE=thelurkinghorror] I don’t know the exact answer, but I’d imagine that addiction is unaffected by retrograde amnesia. Amnesia is a dysfunction of episodic memory, while addiction is a result of neurotransmitter rewards; both are separate in the brain. A person with severe amnesia can still perform motor tasks better than an amateur even if they don’t remember doing it before. [/QUOTE] That is basically what I was going to say. I can’t imagine a type of amnesia that could wipe out the reward circuits that are fueling the addiction. Nobody even fully understands what those are. Severe, late-stage, alcoholism can cause permanent brain damage and the addiction certainly doesn’t fade away because of that. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2008, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-amnesia-end-addiction/450237/6 "2008-05-24T02:23:26Z")
[QUOTE=EJsGirl] In my case I would still be an alcoholic for sure, and probably still a drug addict. It’s just how I’m wired. I have no choice about how I drink- I do it alcoholically (as much as I can, every time, until I pass out , black out or run out. Every. Goddamn. Time.). Same with drugs. I have never known a day of moderation since I first picked up. It’s not that way for everybody, but it sure is for me. Memory or lack of it would be irrelevant. [/QUOTE] I was basically bred for alcoholism as well and it comes from all sides of the family for generations. I didn’t get plastered every time when I first started drinking but that was because I could literally drink 3+ times as more as my college friends right off the bat. They would have 4 or 5 and I would have 12 or more and still be the designated driver who looked and acted dead sober and I was for the most part. That is a very bad warning sign. I was warned by my family about it from an early age and I promised it wouldn’t happen to me but it did. I have my young daughters to worry about now when they get older. I don’t think any type of amnesia would wipe that out because it was always there to begin with. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2008, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-amnesia-end-addiction/450237/7 "2008-05-24T02:45:08Z")
When I worked at the clinic where we treated drug addicts we actually had that happen. One of our patients suffered some Bad Thing (I’m not even sure what anymore, don’t remember!) and lost almost all of her memory, as well as most of her capacity to form new ones. She would up in the hospital, where she couldn’t tell the doctors much. She was displayed some physical symptoms which the doctors later realized were her cold-turkey withdrawal from opiates - she _didn’t remember_ that she was an opiate addict but her body sure noticed the absence. Anyhow - she had vague, very vague memories of withdrawal, and apparently felt some sort of lack, but could not keep in mind what the problem was. She had cravings, but she couldn’t remember what the cravings were for. With time this faded. So far as I know, she never used drugs again. She also never was able to live alone, drive a car, shop for groceries, was unable to follow the plot of a movie or even an hour-long TV show… can you say “massive brain damage”? In conversation she was actually quite pleasant, although very repetitive and would frequently ask you for your name over and over… ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2008, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-amnesia-end-addiction/450237/8 "2008-05-25T03:06:08Z")
[QUOTE=EJsGirl] In my case I would still be an alcoholic for sure, and probably still a drug addict. It’s just how I’m wired. I have no choice about how I drink- I do it alcoholically (as much as I can, every time, until I pass out , black out or run out. Every. Goddamn. Time.). Same with drugs. I have never known a day of moderation since I first picked up. It’s not that way for everybody, but it sure is for me. Memory or lack of it would be irrelevant. [/QUOTE] I agree. Under the current understanding of addiction as a disease, or the old thought of it as a character defect, both would be unaffected by a memory loss. If anything, having a full memory of past bad experiences should HELP someone overcome an addiction, but an addict is deluded into thinking that if he/she just does something different THIS time that those bad things won’t happen. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2008, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-amnesia-end-addiction/450237/9 "2008-05-25T03:13:04Z")
My father has lost much of his short-term memory. He could not remember that he’d decided to quit smoking when he moved into the apartment in Lion’s Head, and he kept trying to smoke, even though he had nicotine patches on. (Too much nicotine = bad, I gather.) After a week, we gave up, removed the patches, and let him resume smoking. The habit-patterns of smoking were too deeply in him, and the new decision to not smoke was scrubbed away from the top of his memory almost immediately. It took being in hospital for six months, and then in a nursing home, (both non-smoking environments) to cause him to not smoke. ---
**Author:** ![Internut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5daacb/32.png) [@Internut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Internut)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2008, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-amnesia-end-addiction/450237/10 "2008-05-25T05:39:13Z")
those ads in the paper for cigarette stopping amnesia… I don’t think they work. An ex gf of mine and her mom went to one… she started smoking again 4 days later… her mom 7. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2008, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-amnesia-end-addiction/450237/11 "2008-05-26T01:19:27Z")
“Amnesia?” Do you mean hypnosis? It worked for my grandpa when he quit smoking, but not my grandma. I think that was because he really did want to quit, and she really did not. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2008, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-amnesia-end-addiction/450237/12 "2008-05-26T03:47:39Z")
Interesting input, guys - thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2008, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-amnesia-end-addiction/450237/13 "2008-05-26T12:30:47Z")
This isn’t what the OP asked, but what about a non physical compulsion–like gambling or self harm or over exercise? Would that be affected by amnesia? ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2008, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-amnesia-end-addiction/450237/14 "2008-05-26T15:30:19Z")
[QUOTE=Broomstick] When I worked at the clinic where we treated drug addicts we actually had that happen. One of our patients suffered some Bad Thing (I’m not even sure what anymore, don’t remember!) and lost almost all of her memory, as well as most of her capacity to form new ones. [/QUOTE] [Korsakoff’s Syndrome](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korsakoff's_syndrome), perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2008, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-amnesia-end-addiction/450237/15 "2008-05-26T17:53:45Z")
Much like that, although her brain damage had different causes it had very similar effects. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2008, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-amnesia-end-addiction/450237/16 "2008-05-26T18:20:32Z")
[QUOTE=Freudian Slit] This isn’t what the OP asked, but what about a non physical compulsion–like gambling or self harm or over exercise? Would that be affected by amnesia? [/QUOTE] Most of them seem to involve dopamine reward, so presumably they would also not be affected, if they are true addictions. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2008, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-amnesia-end-addiction/450237/17 "2008-05-26T18:25:32Z")
[QUOTE=EJsGirl] “Amnesia?” Do you mean hypnosis? It worked for my grandpa when he quit smoking, but not my grandma. I think that was because he really did want to quit, and she really did not. [/QUOTE] This is what I thought of too. I went through hypnosis to quit smoking, and one of the hypnotist’s suggestions was “You don’t smoke; you are not a smoker.” I didn’t actually _forget_ that I’d ever smoked, but when the sessions were done, I was thinking of myself as a non-smoker. Smoking would have been something new. ---
**Author:** ![Rascal\_s\_Mom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a698b9/32.png) [@Rascal\_s\_Mom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rascal_s_Mom)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2008, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-amnesia-end-addiction/450237/18 "2008-05-26T23:58:08Z")
[QUOTE=Broomstick] When I worked at the clinic where we treated drug addicts we actually had that happen. One of our patients suffered some Bad Thing (I’m not even sure what anymore, don’t remember!) and lost almost all of her memory, as well as most of her capacity to form new ones. She would up in the hospital, where she couldn’t tell the doctors much. She was displayed some physical symptoms which the doctors later realized were her cold-turkey withdrawal from opiates - she _didn’t remember_ that she was an opiate addict but her body sure noticed the absence. Anyhow - she had vague, very vague memories of withdrawal, and apparently felt some sort of lack, but could not keep in mind what the problem was. She had cravings, but she couldn’t remember what the cravings were for. With time this faded. So far as I know, she never used drugs again. She also never was able to live alone, drive a car, shop for groceries, was unable to follow the plot of a movie or even an hour-long TV show… can you say “massive brain damage”? In conversation she was actually quite pleasant, although very repetitive and would frequently ask you for your name over and over… [/QUOTE] This sounds like my mom. Abused alcohol for years. A year ago in April she had a stroke. I don’t know the cause. Her first hours after the stroke she was quite lucid and even remembered that she and my dad had tickets to something that next night. The docs then gave her a shot for something, I think something to prevent paralysis in her face (does that sound right?). Or maybe to the body in general. The nurses said her recovery was hampered by alcohol withdraway. She ended up losing the use of her right hand (thankfully she is left handed), and her short term memory is shot. Long term memory is not bad. BUT, she has never had a drink since. She is pleasant, but lacks personality. And has never even alluded to alcohol. ---
**Author:** ![Internut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5daacb/32.png) [@Internut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Internut)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-amnesia-end-addiction/450237/19 "2008-05-27T04:41:49Z")
Wow… When I read (and wrote) I for some reason mistook amnesia for hypnosis… even though I know exactly what each is. I guess the whole quick story of the cigarette smoking related to something mental besides willpower overtook my own memory of what the words mean and switched them around. I later saw the thread title and thought… wait… didn’t it say hypnosis? meh… ironic… slightly. ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-amnesia-end-addiction/450237/20 "2008-05-27T05:07:57Z")
[QUOTE=jtgain] I agree. Under the current understanding of addiction as a disease, or the old thought of it as a character defect, both would be unaffected by a memory loss. [/QUOTE] Okay, wait… how can you have a character (defective or not) if you don’t have any memories? Or, what exactly is character? Conditioned endocrine responses? A function, therefore, of one’s basic neurochemistry? Because, if “character” is not in one’s memories (i.e., experiences and volitional response to same), then how can one be held responsible for a “character defect”? Inquiring minds (mine) want to know! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-amnesia-end-addiction/450237.md?page=2)