Alcohol Makes You Feel Good

Consuming alcohol causes our brain to release endorphins which contribute to feeling pleasure and reward. The Science Translational Medicine published a research study that scanned the brains of 13 heavy drinkers and 12 non-drinkers after they drank the same amount of alcohol. Both had a release of many endorphins; however, in heavy drinkers, there was more of a feeling of intoxication. The researcher concluded that in heavy drinkers there seems to be more of a pleasant reaction to alcohol consumption which makes it more likely that they would develop an alcohol problem. I agree with this research that alcoholics begin drinking and continue drinking for social, pleasant, and euphoric reasons. While those initial effects become shorter and less euphoric with tolerance, alcohol consumption increases. There still seems to be some brain changing benefit to why alcoholics continue drinking even after negative consequences. While we may have already figured out that alcohol makes people feel good, the effects of alcohol should continue to be explored to help the treatment for alcoholism. Alcohol is so poisonous to the body. More research should be conducted to see if alcohol causes brain damage even in the early stages of drinking alcohol.