E108: Alcohol and Dynorphin

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) Resources I offer: Community: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5 Free resources https://www.soberpowered.com/free   Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more: https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered Sources are posted on my website Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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When we can't cope with life we reach for external things, like alcohol, to cope with life for us. I promise you, you're not a weak-willed loser because you can't control the way you drink. In the Sober Powered Podcast, I use science, psychology, and compassion to help you understand why you use self-destructive coping skills like alcohol, what happens in the brain to make drinking spiral out of control and prevent us from drinking in moderation, and how to develop the coping skills and emotional sobriety you need to quit drinking and stay sober. About me: I quit drinking on November 9, 2019. I have a master's in biology and I'm a certified anger management specialist. Not sure where to start? My most popular episodes are 99, 150, 170, 177, 180 and 186.