Alcohol Treatment Center and Brain's Functioning

People who are in charge of an alcohol treatment center may well be taken as psychologists or psychiatrists because a person who is suffering from addiction to the bottle exhibits symptoms that are related to impaired functioning of the brain. A person who is heavily drunk may laugh hysterically, cry or be extra lively or sleepy. Alcohol can definitely alter the mood of the person to abnormal limits at times.

We have to know that our brain has several neurotransmitters or chemicals that emit electrical signals that pass between 100 billion nerve cells or neurons. Now these neurotransmitters cause different effects within the brain. For instance, endorphins are neurotransmitters that are the brain’s natural painkillers while serotonin controls the mood of a person.

Alcohol, as mentioned before, is a mood altering substance. It causes an effect on the neurotransmitter in the brain. Unlike coffee and tea which alters just one type of neurotransmitter, adenosine, and alcohol can affect many sets of neurotransmitters.

Alcohol has fat soluble molecules; it enters the neuron cell membranes and changes their characteristics. Neuron receptors located on the cell membranes have their properties changed by alcohol. Since cell membranes release neurotransmitters, the ‘release’ is also affected by alcohol.

Believe it or not, unlike drugs like cocaine or morphine that has strong effects on one neurotransmitter system, alcohol works like a bomb affecting all parts of the brain and many neurotransmitter systems, and all of these at the same time! The reason why people become lively and excited after drinking is because alcohol increases their ‘dopamine’ levels. The ones who feel calm and tension-free is because alcohol influences neuro-receptors GABA.

Alcohol also increases endorphins levels in the brain making people unmindful of the pain. For those who are wondering what makes people work in an uncoordinated movement with slurred speech, alcohol restricts the functioning of the glutamate receptor, neurons associated with memories and muscle coordination. This is why in certain occasions, people are not able to remember what they happened to do under the influence of drinking, the previous night. Drunk driving is one of the biggest hazards caused by alcohol’s effect on the glutamate receptor. Even little quantity of alcohol can impact one’s coordination, so drinking and driving is a sure No-No.

If you are wondering why do some people become agitated after drinking, and while some others just become too affectionate, it has something to do with genetics. Scientists believe that genetics determine which neurotransmitter is most affected by alcohol in a person. In an alcohol treatment center, there are several medications used to treat alcohol abuse like naltrexone and campral, both of these work on the neurotransmitter systems. However, both of these medicated drugs have to be given only after the physician thoroughly examines the condition of the individual.

Apart from some of the above neurotransmitters discussed, the brain does severely impact other neurotransmitters, the research of which is being done currently. So we see that alcohol definitely ruins our mental capacity our memory and the functioning of our brain. So it is better to check into an alcohol treatment center and get ourselves treated as early as possible.