We drink expecting all of these good things to keep coming our way, but there’s a limit to the amount of alcohol that causes pleasure and good feelings. If you continue to drink after that point, you only get the bad stuff. In this episode you’ll learn why this drink limit exists and what’s going on in the brain to cause the discomfort, anxiety, depression and an emptiness that we experience after the alcohol wears off, and how opioid antagonists like Naloxone and Naltrexone work in the brain. Gill explains dynorphin, which is also known as the “feel bad” chemical, and how alcohol changes the dynorphin system in the brain to make us feel so miserable that we drink again to get relief.
What to listen to next:
E11: Why Alcohol Feels Good (Endorphins and Opioid Receptors)
E62: Dopamine Deep Dive
E67: How Alcohol Impacts Cortisol and Causes Cravings
E106: What Happens in the Brain When We Are Overwhelmed (The Amygdala Hijack)
E22: Why You Think Alcohol Helps Your Anxiety
E64: Anxiety and Alcohol (Part 2)
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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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