The role of the endogenous opioid system
in the pathogenesis of anxiety disorders
by
Sher L.
Hillside Hospital of Long Island
Jewish Medical Center,
The Long Island Campus for the
Albert Einstein College of Medicine,
Glen Oaks, NY 11004, USA.
Med Hypotheses 1998 Jun; 50(6):473-4

ABSTRACT

The author suggests that anxiety disorders are related to a deficiency in the endogenous opioid system. The author classifies deficiencies of the endogenous opioid system as congenital or acquired, and also as real or relative. Individuals with 'real deficiency' cannot function adequately in any situations, including situations which are natural for human beings. Persons with 'relative deficiency' are unable to function adequately under circumstances which are unnatural for humans: their 'adaptational reserve' is insufficient. The use of opioid substances and alcohol is a form of self-medication to reduce anxiety. Acupuncture and its variations, psychotherapy, and the administration of placebo can decrease anxiety because these therapeutic maneuvers activate the endogenous opioid system.

Mu
OCD
Pain
Heroin
Anxiety
Morphine
Depression
Endomorphins
Is morphine a smart drug?
Opioids, mood and cognition
Is morphine an antidepressant?
Depression, opioids and the HPA
Opioids and 'appropriate' anxiety levels
Opioids, depression and learned helplessness

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