Brazilian researchers said that while alcoholic craving is tied to negative emotions, craving for gambling is based on the desire for positive feedback.

"We found that alcohol craving was based on the temperament factor responsible for negative emotions, (suggesting) individuals who are especially vulnerable to negative emotions are the ones who will miss alcohol the most when trying to abstain," said lead researcher Hermano Tavares of the University of Sao Paulo. "Conversely, gambling craving correlated to the temperament factor responsible for positive emotions. This suggests that individuals who naturally lack positive emotions and require intense stimuli to experience elation are the ones who will miss gambling the most when trying to abstain."

Tavares and colleagues noted that there are two types of craving: physical craving that is related to withdrawal, and memory-based craving, which persists long after withdrawal subsides.

The study appears in the August 2005 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

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