NO BRAINER –
June 6, 2004 – Alcohol has a direct effect on various pathways in the brain.
“Alcohol triggers the release of dopamine, a chemical in the brain that makes you feel good,” Heather Hausenblas tells Yahoo Life. tells Yahoo Life. “This makes you want to keep drinking to maintain that pleasure.”
Aaron White, a neuroscientist and senior scientific adviser to the director at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), agrees. “It only takes a drink or two for alcohol to produce euphoria by activating the pleasure center in the brain, as well as to reduce anxiety by calming an area called the amygdala,” he tells Yahoo Life. “These effects are rewarding and can motivate people to keep drinking.”
GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) is a neurotransmitter, or chemical messenger, in the brain that helps block signals sent out by the nervous system, which, in turn, produces a sense of calm. “Alcohol increases the effects of GABA while reducing glutamate, which is excitatory,” explains Hausenblas. Along with causing relaxation, activating the GABA receptors also slows down brain activity, encouraging more drinking, she says.
