Understanding Your Brain: How Alcohol Misuse Can Lead to Addiction
Addiction is one of the most misunderstood topics in the realm of health and psychology.
For example, despite incredible progress made in studying the concept, alcoholism is often reduced to a series of clichés and stereotypes. It is used as a common comedy trope. Some see the alcoholic as having made a choice to seek out such problems. And then, you have the group that downplays the addictive properties of alcohol.
An excellent starting point for challenging such “fake news” is gaining a better understanding of the human brain. From there, it will become easier to comprehend the potential impact of alcohol.
The Scope of the Problem
According to the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health:
The number of U.S. adults with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD): 14.1 million adults; adolescents (ages 12–17): 414,000.
Over 10 percent of U.S. children live with at least one parent with AUD.
Almost 86 percent of Americans 18 or older report drinking alcohol at some point. More specifically: 55 percent in the last month and 26 percent have engaged in binge drinking in the past month.
Estimated number of Americans who die each year from alcohol-related causes: 95,000 (the third leading cause of preventable death).
31 percent of all driving fatalities are due to alcohol impairment (about 10,000 annually).
The above list, of course, does not touch on so many other ways AUD impacts our society as a whole. Even so, the sheer numbers listed are just staggering.
How Alcohol Consumption Affects Your Brain
Needless to say, there will be some variation from person to person. Generally speaking, though, there are several stages to consider:
Euphoria
That “buzz” you get after the first couple of sips is caused by the release of dopamine. As a result, you will feel a sense of relaxation. However, your memory and reasoning skills will face a minor challenge.
Depression
If you continue drinking enough to bring your blood alcohol content (BAC) above 0.05, your body has to respond. It does so by calling on the body tissue to absorb the extra alcohol. The more this happens, the more that euphoria transforms into depression.
Intoxication
In legal terms, a BAC ranging from 0.09 to 0.25 means you are officially intoxicated. Your brain is experiencing palpable deficits now, such as:
Slow reaction time
Blurred vision
Impaired hearing
Slurred speech
Loss of fine motor skills
Disorientation
If you need help to walk or even stand, your BAC is probably around 0.18 to 0.3. If you experience a “blackout,” it is because your hippocampus has been affected. That is the part of your brain needed to create and store new memories. As bad as this is, anyone who keeps drinking may fall into a coma and/or die.
How Alcohol Misuse Can Lead to Addiction
There are many ways by which AUD may become a reality for you. Factors include a history of trauma, genetics, and mental health conditions. But, if you hark back to the first stage listed, you will identify a major component. Alcohol is appealing to your brain’s pleasure centers.
Once your brain has associated drinking with the reward of extra dopamine, dependency can follow. As noted above, the euphoria quickly morphs into depression. This can provoke more drinking in the hope of rediscovering those feelings of pleasure. And the cycle normalizes itself from there.
For those who try to stop drinking, the withdrawal symptoms may cause them to seek out dopamine as an antidote. Again, a cycle has been established.
Getting the Kind of Help You Need
Recovering from alcohol addiction requires the help of a trained mental health practitioner. Please reach out to us for more information. We will do everything we can to meet with you at your convenience.