CRH and alcohol abuse: Chronic alcohol abuse and acute alcohol withdrawal states are associated with heightened activity in the brain stress systems, such as increased secretion of the stress hormones corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), norepinephrine, and cortisol in a number of the brain’s stress and emotion centers, such as the hypothalamus1, amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal regions (Koob and Kreek 2007).