Human beings have been using various substances to alter their brain processes for tens of thousands of years. The Latin root of the word intoxicate means “to poison” and this is literally what many of these substances do. Although moderate consumption of most drugs (including alcohol) may cause no permanent damage to our bodies or to our brains, it is clear that excessive use can have severe consequences. For those who have the genes for addiction, the consequences can be even more far reaching.
It has been commonly believed that alcohol kills brain cells, but this is not, strictly speaking, true. It is the case that years of alcohol abuse can cause serious neurological damage, including Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, which can lead to motor, memory and vision problems, and even death. There can also be damage to the message-carrying dendrites on neurons in the cerebellum, a part of the brain which has to do with learning and physical coordination. Physical effects can include liver disease, damage to the fetus, pancreatitis, gastritis and several forms of cancer, to name just a few.
For those individuals who possess the genetic predisposition for alcoholism, chronic, compulsive long-term use may occur and produce some of the negative physiological effects listed above, in addition to seriously damaging our intimate and social relationships, educational endeavours, and employment. We may also place ourselves and others at increased risk for violence and injury.
In the addicted brain, alcohol actually highjacks the function of the neurotransmitter serotonin. This is often characterized as the “happiness circuit” and when there is not enough of the neurotransmitter making the connection, depression can result. Alcohol is attractive to the alcoholic brain which actually prefers, or more easily accepts alcohol than it does serotonin. As we all know, alcohol is easily consumed and acts very quickly and powerfully to make us feel less inhibited, happier and more powerful, whereas it takes time and work to produce serotonin and its effects are much subtler.
On the negative side, however, alcohol is short acting, can make us emotionally dysregulated, impairs judgment and often leaves us feeling sick, empty and unmotivated when it wears off. Most importantly, when the alcoholic wants to stop drinking, something interesting happens. The receptor recognizes that it is no longer receiving the alcohol, but it is no longer interested in, or receptive to, the serotonin. It only wants alcohol, and so sends a message to the rest of the brain that it is not getting what it wants. With no alcohol and no serotonin completing the “happiness circuit”, we can become restless, depressed and anxious. Not only is the serotonin circuit compromised, but other neurotransmitters (notably dopamine) start adjusting their levels to compensate. The discomfort that all of this produces is often what pushes the alcoholic to “fall off the wagon” and begin drinking again.
Treatment for alcohol addiction and maintenance of sobriety requires a multi-faceted approach. Recovery starts with intention and then requires medical, psychological and lifestyle interventions. Medication, counseling, holistic practices, residential and/or day treatment programs can all be components of a successful recovery program. The support of others, including family, friends and recovery groups, such as 12 Step programs, is invaluable. It is important to note that the addiction never goes away, but we have the ability to not be actively engaged in our addictive behaviours. Acting out is often triggered by stress, and so we must be vigilant and establish lifestyle and emotional management practices that help us to remain stable.