What's the difference between drinking for pleasure and drinking for relief? How does your body's early reaction to alcohol predict your long-term risk of developing alcohol dependence? How do some people drink heavily for years without developing the same dependence that others struggle to escape?

In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Dr. Charles Knowles, author of Why We Drink Too Much: The New Science of Alcohol.

You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks.

Giveaway

Three of you are going to win a copy of Charles Knowles' new book, Why We Drink Too Much: The New Science of Alcohol. To qualify, all you have to do is email me at [email protected] and let me know that you've posted a review of the podcast. I'll choose three people randomly from those who contact me. Good luck!

Highlights

When does alcohol shift from a social choice into biological dependence?

Why can people with alcohol dependence end up drinking more for relief than for pleasure?

How do certain environments become powerful craving cues?

Why is being able to drink heavily without hangovers considered a major risk factor?

Why do some people experience alcohol as intensely stimulating rather than merely relaxing?

How did long-term studies of teenagers predict future alcoholism?

Why is there still no meaningful genetic test for alcohol dependence?

What behavioral signs can reveal a heightened vulnerability to problematic drinking?

Why does alcohol dependence often appear in highly driven professions?

Why does Charles believe that people with alcohol dependence can never safely return to drinking?

What convinced Charles that he could never drink again?

Why does Charles believe recovery depends on changing thinking patterns?

About Charles Knowles

Michael Finnerty is a cheesemonger, journalist, and author based in both London, UK, and Montreal. After almost 30 years of success and acclaim working for the CBC, BBC, and The Guardian, he found joy and a new life selling cheese at London's iconic Borough Market. Mike has a weekly column on Pénélope on Radio-Canada, works part-time at Global Montreal, but for most of the year, you can find him slinging cheese with the other mongers. Critically acclaimed, The Cheese Cure is his first book.

To learn more, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/390.