There is now an estimated 17.6 million people in the United States that are abusing alcohol and suffering for it whether they accept the fact or not. And while it may be said that alcohol is just as much a part of American life as apple pie, the effects are poles apart. Equivalent to 1 out of every 12, alcohol abuse destroys lives and unfortunately programs like Alcoholics Anonymous are at most 10% effective. Experts say that the problem is in the way society accepts drinking as normal and only becomes a problem to them when the drunk wrecks havoc in a social gathering or relationship. According to an article by the Journal of Neuroscience, alcohol can alter the performance of dopamine, the D1 and D2 neurons in the brain that affect goal-driven behavior. These are the “feel good” neurons that discourage action when the body enjoys something pleasant which means drinking alcohol prods the neurons so a person keeps drinking to enjoy the feeling. In short, the more you consume alcohol, the more your brain tells you to continue drinking. This “one more drink” leads to addiction and is a very difficult habit to break. The treatment to target is one that targets the reaction of these neurons but at the same time, educate people so they are aware of what happens in their brain when they drink.
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By Brad Hoppmann Alcohol consumption alters the structure and function of the D1 and D2 neurons in a part of the brain known to be important in goal-driven behaviors.
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