Last Updated on October 6, 2018 by Keisha Mclean-Green

Alcohol’s legal status makes many think it isn’t that dangerous. But there are many legal substances that carry risk factors. Just think about the last prescription medication you saw advertised on television. It no doubt included a warning of serious side effects and instructed interested parties to seek proper medical advice. Much like prescription drugs, alcohol is legal and monitored, but it’s also addictive. What exactly makes it so habit forming?

Good Vibrations

What do you do to feel good? Some people put in a hard day’s work because it gives them a good feeling at the end of the day. Others indulge in a hobby that makes them happy. Different activities make different people feel good. We all like good vibrations. Some drink alcohol to feel good.

It’s no secret; alcohol causes a certain amount of pleasure. We drink it because it tastes good and gives us a light, floaty feeling. Maybe it makes you feel warm and fuzzy, or maybe it makes you energetic and outgoing. Why does it do that?

According to WebMD.com, it’s the pleasure reaction in the brain that ultimately makes alcohol so addictive. In study results released in 2012, new brain imaging research was paving the way to a more comprehensive understanding of alcohol addiction. The study focused on how the reward center of the brain responded to alcohol in both heavy and light drinkers. The findings?

1. People who drank heavily tended to release more endorphins in response to the alcohol they consumed. They reached a greater level of intoxication in comparison to lighter drinkers after consuming equal amounts of alcohol.
2. The discovery points to the role the brain plays in addiction. People whose brains release more natural opioids when consuming alcohol experience a greater sense of pleasure and run a higher risk of drinking too much and developing a case of alcoholism.

The Brain and Alcoholism

Your brain plays a large role in addiction. Dependency can be physical or mental, but it’s usually the pleasure processed by the brain that triggers overuse and abuse of a substance. Those good vibrations and feel good sensations are, quite literally, addictive.

According to the case study presented by WebMD.com, some prescription medications used to aid alcoholics in taming their cravings work by blocking the opioid response in the brain. While such prescriptions do not work for everyone, the science behind them indicates that what makes alcohol so addictive is its effects.

The Jigsaw Puzzle of Risk Factors

Down a few too many drinks, and the next morning you will be left feeling nauseous, dopey, and nursing a sound and light sensitive headache. As Caroline Ryan of BBC News puts it, you’ll pledge to “never drink again. But then you do.” Why?

The answer is buried in a jigsaw puzzle of brain chemicals that mingle with personality type and genetic background. The bottom line is that every person on the planet harbors their own unique risk factor when it comes to alcoholism.

Chemicals. Alcohol triggers the same release of dopamine in everyone. The reward center of the brain is stimulated, and the result is a sense of satisfaction or pleasure. In addition, Caroline Ryan points out that alcohol consumption also stimulates the production of endorphins, the brain’s natural painkiller. It is this reaction that scientists believe trains the brain to crave alcohol.

No one sets out to become an alcoholic. It happens over time, and the brain’s release of chemicals becomes a training ground where the start of abuse, addiction, and dependency take root.

Personality. Some people are more disposed to developing an alcohol addiction because of their personality. Sensation and thrill seekers run a higher risk of loving the effects of alcohol enough to consistently drink too much. The result varies from psychological addiction to a very real physical dependence.

But thrill-seeking personalities are not the only types that put a person at risk of becoming an alcoholic. Quiet, shy people who struggle in social situations due to anxiety or feeling awkward are also prime candidates for developing an addiction. Alcohol can improve their social outgoingness so much that they become addicted to its effects.

Genetics. According to BBC News, a person whose parent(s) had an alcohol problem are ten times more likely to have a problem themselves. Research is still being conducted into the impact of genes on alcohol addiction, but the accepted theory is that certain genes predisposition a person to alcoholism. When these genes are triggered, it is all but impossible for the person to stop cravings and can dramatically impact alcohol treatment.

Is Alcohol Safe?

The major question all of this research raises, is alcohol safe? It’s legal, yes. But that doesn’t mean it’s safe for everyone. You might again compare it to prescription drugs; just because a drug is approved by the FDA and a viable means of treating a condition does not make it safe for everyone.

Much like prescription medications, alcohol is diverse. It comes in different types, and its type can influence its alcohol proof. You wouldn’t take a prescription without learning more about it. Don’t drink alcohol without getting the full story first.

If you grew up in a family where alcoholism affected immediate relatives, you run a higher risk of triggering addiction. Your jigsaw puzzle of alcoholism risk factors will be far more complex and dangerous than that of a person who has never been exposed to or descended from an alcoholic. If you are the latter but find yourself attracted to sensation or thrill seeking, consuming alcohol could be dangerous because of how you will react to its effects.

Discover the facts of alcohol abuse (check out AddictionVA.com for that information) before consuming alcohol, whether for the first time or the next. How much you drink, how often, and under what circumstances all indicate whether drinking is okay or a problem. It’s up to you to make the right decision based on your unique risk factors, but you’ll never be prepared to do so without awareness and education.