alcohol--mental feelings

[me145]

I feel good breifly when i drink alcohol. It must be hitting the pleasure centers of my brain and then exiting them. That is what a pyschiatrist once told me. if i slow down, or stop, my depression is real bad, and i feel mentally bad. sad. down. bored. that is if i slow down the drinking, or stop. if i start taking shots, my mood goes up again of course, but im quickly into a stumbly drunk at that point, so i avoid the shots now. but alot of people can be happy with just a buzzz.. they can slow down their drinking, or stop, feel the buzz and still feel happy. i dont get why im different. this is what has caused my binging blackout bar nights. anyone notice that they mostly feel good at first drinking and them not so great after a bit?

[keeta]

alcohol--mental feelings

me...2 beer, i am a party queen.....10.i am a mess....hang in there honey

[lukalee]

alcohol--mental feelings

me145, I am like you. I have heard that what happens in brains like ours is that instead of stopping or slowing down when we get this happy feeling, something in our brain triggers and it thinks, "Wow, this feels great, if I drink more and more, this feeling will continue to increase, then I will feel on top of the world!!!!" But of course that is not what really happens. We just find ourselves totally wasted.

[meditation mama]

alcohol--mental feelings

My Therapist told me that in true alcoholics we produce a "third" chemical in our brains once we start to drink. This is what makes us different from other people when it comes to alcohol. This "third" chemical is the culprit for that quick feeling. It is also the culprit for our lack of being able to turn it off. Cravings are mental. That we must overcome with behavioral reconditioning. But the chemical aspect will always be there. That is why true alcoholics cannot drink. That is why it is so difficult for us to moderate, as hard as we try.

Debatable, probably, but I have come to believe with years and years of "research".... ")

MM

[jane jane]

alcohol--mental feelings

MedMama, you and I must have been doing our "research" in the same lab! I so agree with you. The chemical stuff is no doubt valid, but for me (and, I suspect, many here) it was never so much a physical addiction as a psychological one. When I went cold turkey (7 weeks last summer, 11 days and counting "this time") I never had sweats, sleep problems, shakes, nor any of the withdrawals---just BANG woke up feeling like a million bucks the very first day. I know I'm lucky. I only hope my liver will forgive me for my years of naughtiness...

[Mags]

alcohol--mental feelings

me145

There is no doubt that our brain chemistry is different. I consider myself a "true" alcoholic in that if I take drink one there is no end until I pass out. It is much easier for me to never take drink one. I have also done extensive research on this topic - shit, I hated being one of those lab rats. I quit that job a few years ago.

Sometimes it is best for us to just stay away from the stuff altogether. It makes life much better and easier.

Whatever, good luck.

[MDBiker]

alcohol--mental feelings

Me145, I understand too what you are feeling. When I drank I sometimes could drink only a couple of drinks, but that was only because the situation called for it. If I do drink a couple and no more it is only a prelude to the wipe out I am anticipating. Just the taste of alcohol makes my mind go straight to the drink until you pass out mode. I too was sad, depressed, and thought I would never be happy again until I finally drank so much I thought I was going to die. That made me come to the conclusion I needed to quit; so I found me a Psychiatrist who gave me drugs to help me get over the mental addiction to alcohol. I am now finally happy for the first time in years. Truly happy, and now nothing I do can take the ability I have to be happy. I have problem, and I work through them one day at a time. Living in the past and visions of the future were taking me down. Regret and fear were my life. You can overcome this, but you have to give in completely to the fact that you can not drink like others. As a matter of fact Alcohol is poison to you. Don't take the poison for a few weeks, and you will be able to get your life back.

I wish you the best,
bear

[Not Happy Hour-Happy Life]

alcohol--mental feelings

Me 145, I read a book by Susan Powter (Sober, and staying that way), where she enlists the help of a doctor to explain why alcoholics cannot stop.

As I understand it, alcoholics have an abnormal metabolism. When we drink, our liver starts to process the alcohol into acetaldehyde
(= poisonous chemical). In most people, the acetaldehyde quickly turns into acetate (next step to eliminating it from the body), and then it's eliminated. However, in my case, the process doesn't work right and breaks down the acetaldehyde too quickly and turns it into acetate too slowly.
Research says that the second step (turning the acetaldehyde into acetate) is performed at half the rate of a "normal" metabolism..... and the excess acetaldehyde is in your blood system until it can be processed. Since it's in your blood system, it's going through your brain... and when the acetaldehyde mixes with the neurotransmitters, you get the magical KICK.

If this is correct, it makes sense why this is a biochemical problem, and not a psychological one.

[me145]

alcohol--mental feelings

thanks guys. us who are born with the alcohol brain have the same problems..thanks for your replies.

[Sh3LLz]

alcohol--mental feelings

I totally understand that feeling.. the first few and your feeling great.. but as i continue i start feeling slow and uncoordinated... i mean.. duh.. i am intoxicated at that point..

but the first fews always perk my right up...

IDEA... has anyone tried to replace it with red bull or something?