Why Is It So Hard To Quit Drinking?
If you’ve been drinking for a long time, you might find it difficult to stop. That’s because alcohol completely changes your brain chemistry and makes you feel like you have to keep drinking to keep feeling good. However, it is possible to turn things around and have fun again without alcohol. Keep reading to learn more about alcohol’s effects on the brain, why it’s so hard to give up, and the benefits you’ll feel if you do.
The reason it’s so hard to quit drinking is because alcohol makes us feel good! It produces neurotransmitters like dopamine, which our brain associates with pleasure. When we drink regularly, our brain gets used to elevated dopamine levels. But, when the alcohol gets metabolized and dopamine levels decrease, we start to feel like we’re missing something. Instead of feeling that euphoria, we might feel irritable, anxious, or dissatisfied. This is a classic example of how too much of a good thing becomes harmful rather than pleasurable. Over time, alcohol diminishes our ability to produce the pleasure we drink it for in the first place. When dopamine levels drop far enough, the brain sends signals to produce more. These signals manifest as anxiety and continuous thoughts about drinking.
For example, let’s say we had too much to drink last night, in the morning we wake up feeling hungover and resolve not to drink that day. But, as the day wears on and dopamine levels decrease, we start to have unwanted thoughts like “How long until my shift ends?” or, “Do I have enough alcohol at home?” or, “Maybe I’ll have just one tonight!” These sneaky thoughts are simply our brain’s way of alerting us to low dopamine levels. But they occur involuntarily and undermine our desire not to drink.
It’s important to understand how alcohol affects your brain to fix this mindset. Without that understanding, other forms of treatment might not give you the outcome you need. An effective treatment needs to restore the down-regulated dopamine response—that’s what Go Sober does.
Alcohol’s Effects on the Brain
When we occasionally drink alcohol in moderation, the experience is generally relaxing and enjoyable. The changes that happen in the brain are temporary. However, when we begin to drink alcohol consistently, especially in larger quantities, our brain chemistry begins to change, making it more challenging to manage our pattern of drinking.
The first noticeable difference is that we need more alcohol to achieve the same effect. As we continue to increase the amount and frequency of drinking, alcohol begins changing the way that certain parts of our brain function, which then impacts how we feel. As we drink more and more alcohol to achieve that same effect, our brain chemistry is altered more and more.
Ultimately, it becomes harder for our brain to function as it originally did before excessive consumption altered it. We will feel as if we need alcohol to feel normal. To feel happy. To have fun.
While the specific thoughts can vary from person to person, the longer that we go without drinking, the more our brain craves alcohol to feel normal. The experience is similar to being hungry when we haven’t eaten. And just like being hungry, the longer we wait, the more intense the hunger pains. It can feel almost impossible to ignore.
What are the Benefits of Giving Up Drinking?
Your skin will start to look clearer. Alcohol can make our faces look red because it enlarges our blood vessels. When chronic alcohol use causes liver disease, it can cause other skin problems, such as inflammation, spidery broken blood vessels, hyperpigmentation, jaundice, facial aging, and loose, saggy skin. When you break the cycle and stop drinking for good, your skin might recover and any discoloration may start to fade.
You might drop a couple of extra pounds. Although there’s no concrete evidence that alcohol leads to weight gain, the calories you consume while binge drinking is what can really add up. Not only can excessive drinking stop your body from burning fat, but it’s high in calories and it can lead to poor decision-making when it comes to snack choices, making you crave salty or greasy foods. That’s why part of alcohol recovery is about improving your lifestyle through changes like diet and exercise.
You’ll get sick less frequently. If you drink regularly, you might notice that you seem to get colds, flu, or other illnesses more than other people. That’s because alcohol can weaken your immune system, slow your body’s healing, and make you more vulnerable to infectious diseases. After you start the healing process, you might find that your body wards off illnesses better than ever before.
Your risk of developing cancer decreases. When you drink, your body breaks the alcohol into a chemical that damages your DNA, which can cause your cells to become cancerous. The more alcohol you drink regularly over time, the more your risk of developing cancer in your mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, colon, breasts, and rectum increases. When you quit drinking, your risk of cancer will decrease, too.
You’ll feel sharper, more productive, and much happier. Alcohol tampers with the brain’s communication pathways, leading to mental health issues like depression or anxiety. It can also damage the parts of your brain relating to thinking and memory. When you stop drinking, your mood, anxiety, and stress levels will improve, and your concentration, attention, and productivity will increase.
Our Unique Alcohol Treatment Program Can Help
The good news is that alcohol’s damaging effects on the brain can be undone. Go Sober’s unique outpatient program is designed to undo the damaging effects of alcohol on your brain and help you change your life. We achieve amazing results with a comprehensive, systematic approach that works.
Our program focuses on both the medical and lifestyle components of alcoholism. We personalize each wellness plan to the needs of each person, designing our program to work with your life and schedule as much as possible. You’ll eliminate your cravings and reset your brain’s dopamine response using doctor-prescribed, FDA-approved medications and clinically effective supplements. At the same time, you’ll work with our licensed counselors to identify and eliminate your life’s stressors. We’ll also work together to improve your lifestyle with life coaching, nutritional education, fitness, stress management, and sleep optimization.
Ready to Reset Your Life and Have More Fun?
Go Sober is here to help you enjoy a life free of alcohol. Together, we craft a plan that helps you achieve the alcohol-free lifestyle you want. In very little time, you can go from constantly “thinking about drinking” to simply enjoying your life and having fun again. If you’re ready, start today!
