Why does drinking become addictive?

Ethanol (also known as alcohol) is a neurodepressant, which reduces the activity of the nervous system. Once the activity of the inhibitory areas in the brain is suppressed by ethanol, people will feel more relaxed, confident, talkative, and have a sense of elation. Many people like to drink because they pursue this feeling. But the reason why drinking can become addictive, just like smoking, is because the reward center in the brain is kidnapped by alcohol. Once you become addicted to drinking, symptoms similar to those of smoking will appear.

For example, if tolerance develops, drinking will no longer produce pleasure. You must gradually increase the amount of drinking to produce the desired feeling. The more you drink, the more you drink; once you stop drinking, you will have the same withdrawal reactions as when you quit smoking, including shaking, sweating, anxiety, nausea, insomnia, being easily irritated, etc. You have to rely on drinking to calm down; drinking becomes At the center of life, you are more interested in drinking than other things; you want to drink every now and then, and you can’t control the amount of alcohol you drink. You know clearly that drinking too much is not good, but you continue to drink, which even affects your work, life and family. Regardless of the relationship.

If a person regularly drinks to excess, drinks to the point of intoxication, or drinks in dangerous situations such as driving, this may be a sign of alcohol addiction. After drinking has obviously affected your life, if you continue to drink until you are drunk, and you feel uncomfortable if you don't drink, you are really addicted. People who drink at this time are very aware of the dangers of drinking. They know that continuing to drink may lead to the breakdown of their families and the loss of their jobs, but they still continue to drink regardless.

?If you inherit a gene that is prone to alcohol addiction from your parents, will you definitely become an alcoholic? No, whether genes can function is also affected by the environment. Teenagers are particularly susceptible to environmental factors. Adolescents who have inherited a risk gene for drinking are more likely to develop alcohol dependence if their parents neglect them or have alcoholic friends than those who have inherited a risk gene but are strictly disciplined by their parents. Genes themselves do not determine our fate, lifestyle choices and environmental factors also have a significant impact, and the same goes for drinking.