E203: Why You Still Want Alcohol Even When You Hate It (It’s Dopamine!)

Drinking stops being fun and enjoyable, but we continue to do it anyway. Why is this? We know it makes us miserable and we want to stop, but by 4pm or after a few days or weeks of sober time we talk ourselves back into it. In this episode you’ll learn about the adaptations that happen in the brain as we drink heavily and how this leads to compulsive drinking despite the consequences. I’ll explain how alcohol changes our dopamine system to increase cravings, prevent us from stopping once we’ve started, and keep us hooked on alcohol long after it’s stopped being fun. We’ll end by discussing why we continue to drink at this point and how this recovers in sobriety.

What to listen to next:

E22: why you think alcohol helps your anxiety

E125: why you can't stop drinking once you start

E170: why the first year of sobriety is so hard

E128: why cravings are so powerful

E201: your dysregulated stress response

E33: why does drinking make us feel energized?

E157: brain fog and fatigue

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Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice.

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