Alcohol is easily one of the most commonly used legal ‘drugs’ anywhere in the world. In a huge country like India, consuming alcohol has become unavoidable from cradle to grave, and we are witnessing almost every day how precious lives are lost due to the overall effect of over-consumption of alcohol. Even more depressing is the fact how their families are left in the lurch without any financial or even moral support. The other side of the story is how occasional alcohol users consider it harmless, complicating things. After all it’s fair and legal in any case.
A more recent study by the medical journal Lancet reveals that alcohol addiction has steadily increased in India in the past three decades. The same study indicates that alcohol consumption was increasingly evident among men in the age bracket of 40-64 years, which increased by 5.63 percent since 1990. The age group between 15 and 39 increased in alcohol consumption by 2.88 percent. Interestingly, about 1 percent of Indian women aged 15 and above consumes alcohol versus 19 percent of men in the same age category. In terms of alcohol consumption, Arunachal Pradesh tops the list nationwide, with 53 percent of men and 24 percent of women in this northeastern state found to be consuming alcohol.
Why is alcohol addictive?
Alcohol is mainly a central nervous system depressant, which means that drinking alcohol either inhibits or reduces the total brain activity. This brain inhibition activity is mainly achieved by increasing signaling via gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter. And there are several drugs that enhance GABA signaling including muscle-relaxants, anti-anxiety medications and sedatives, just to name a few. Alcohol is a substance for increased inhibitory signaling, and this is why people who consume alcohol excessively experience temporary speech impairment, have trouble walking and go through blackouts or memory loss.
Now, supposing if an individual is a regular alcoholic, his/brain will adapt to the enhanced inhibition by increasing excitatory signaling via neurotransmitters such as glutamate whose neural activity basically contrasts that of GABA leading to a general increase in brain cell firing rate or excitation. Remember that such adaption (example, secondary excitation which counters the earlier inhibition) results in a form of tolerance in mild drinkers—with time, these individuals should consume more and more to go through similar alcoholic effects. This is the beginning of a vicious cycle followed by drinking greater than before and increased tolerance that eventually results in addiction and dependence.
In addition, once an individual’s brain adapts to regular drinking by enhancing glutamate signaling, he/she will go through alcohol withdrawal symptoms such as hallucinations, tremors and convulsions if he/she stops drinking suddenly because the brain will be by and large stimulated. Drinkers once they reach this point find difficulty in controlling addiction, as it will be extremely difficult for them to stop it all by themselves.
Additionally, alcohol has been proved to raise the level of endorphins release (endorphins are chemicals naturally present in the brain responsible for the activation of opiate receptors, leading to euphoric and relaxed feelings). It is also considered that the effect of alcohol on endorphins lead to its addictive effects.
Are you trying to recover from alcohol addiction? Do you experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms? Why not talk to professionals at our alcohol deaddiction treatment centre
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