I am curious if anyone knows anything about psychology or nuerology in relation to alcoholism and addiction. Doctors and nurses please chime in!
Why can some people stop at one and other can’t? I know that some people point to trauma, but some have had totally normal lives and still turn to substance abuse.
Are we born differently, or does alcohol change our brains?
For me, if I drink, I feel like a switch flips in my brain. I don’t want to stop drinking. I might have a normal night or might black out and fly off the handle. It is kinda crazy.
There is a place where you can get your brain scanned not too far from where I live. I can’t afford it, but a girl can dream. Would mine look different than a normal drinker?
If “normal” is defined as less than one drink per day for women, then yes. Your brain would likely show signs of damage - alcohol abuse over time shrinks the brain and damages neurons and neural connections:
(The brains in this photo are those of two 57-year-old men. The one at left was an alcoholic, the one at right consumed alcohol at “normal” levels. Edit to add: the chart at right shows that whether you’re a younger alcoholic or an older one, your brain is smaller. Source: Alcoholism and the Brain: An Overview)
If the question is what might predispose a person to alcoholism, there’s some interesting research ongoing about how genetics may play a role. There is evidence that some genes predispose someone to alcoholism. It’s not that they’re destined to do it, but it does create better conditions for someone to be an alcoholic:
