10-Minute Mondays: How Alcohol Hijacks Your Dopamine
Welcome to Journey to the Sunnyside, the podcast where we have thoughtful conversations to explore the science of habits, uncover the secrets to mindful living, and of course, your own mindful drinking journey. This podcast is brought to you by Sunnyside, the number one alcohol moderation platform. And if you could benefit from drinking a bit less, head on over to sunnyside.co to get a free fifteen day trial. I'm your host, Mike Hardinbrook, published author, neuroscience enthusiast and habit change expert.
Speaker 2:Hey, and welcome to another one of these ten minute episodes. And today we're going to explore how science can help us lead healthier, more mindful lives. I'm your host, Mike Hardinbrook. And today we're going to dive into one of the most important chemicals in our brains when it comes to alcohol, and that is dopamine. And I want to say before we get started that this is a high level overview for you to understand how dopamine works and how it affects our actions as it relates to our mindful drinking journey.
Speaker 2:So let's start out with what is dopamine exactly? So dopamine is what's known as a neurotransmitter. Neurotransmitter is a chemical messenger in the brain that in this case are responsible for feelings of pleasure, motivation, reward, and it's your brain's way of giving you a little pat on the back for doing something that feels good. So it's whether you're eating your favorite food, you're exercising, maybe you hit a career milestone, or you're on a vacation. Dopamine plays a role in helping you feel satisfaction from doing those things, from getting joy from those.
Speaker 2:But the reason we're talking about this today and why it's so relevant when it comes to mindful drinking and our journey with alcohol and where we want to get is understanding how this plays a role in our actions, our behaviors, and our habits. Because not all dopamine spikes are created equal. And in one way you could think of it as it's actually hijacking your natural system of dopamine because you're getting these intense surges of dopamine when you consume alcohol. And so today we're going to break down and discuss why this happens and how you can use this knowledge to your benefit moving forward. So let's first talk about how alcohol affects dopamine.
Speaker 2:So when you have a drink, it stimulates your brain's reward center. It then increases the release of dopamine. And this is happening in something called the mesolimbic pathway. And that's the part of the brain that is wired to reinforce habits based on pleasurable outcomes. So if you're feeling relaxation or euphoria after you have a couple of drinks, after a tough day of work, your brain is basically saying, this feels good.
Speaker 2:Let's do it again. And so over time, brain's going to start to expect this boost and that's basically your shortcut to pleasure or relieving pain. And if you're going home and opening a bottle of wine after a hard day, or you're cracking a beer, or you're pouring yourself a cocktail, whatever your pleasure, the more you do that, the more your brain's going to become reliant on this artificial dopamine surge that you're getting by taking that action. So when we get these instant gratification, that's where it can get complicated. So let's go a step further and talk about how it can sort of hijack our natural dopamine system.
Speaker 2:The normal dopamine levels will fluctuate based on normal actions. And I say normal, and I just mean everyday life. We're talking about accomplishing something that you've been working hard towards. I mentioned this before, have exercise. This is going to increase dopamine levels.
Speaker 2:Maybe you see somebody that you love or enjoy spending time with. It can even be something simple like having a piece of dark chocolate that's been known to increase dopamine levels. But alcohol forces the brain into this experience with dopamine. That's this rush that's much higher than would occur from things that you do in your everyday quote unquote normal activities. And so over time, brain can start to down regulate dopamine receptors.
Speaker 2:And basically what this means is that you become less sensitive to natural sources of pleasure because of those spikes that you're getting from alcohol. And this is what I mean by hijack. A lot of people listening probably could relate to this is that, think about going to a social event and saying, there's not going to be alcohol there. And just thinking, oh, I'm not going to have fun because there's not going to be anything to drink there, or I'm not going to drink. And you're really not getting the same dopamine hit from the natural interaction that you're getting.
Speaker 2:And this is like a really kind of light level of this, but as people progress and can become into the addiction stage, that's when they start to not have joy from pretty much anything, you know, hobbies, family life. They could get promoted. It doesn't really matter. It's not giving them that artificial surge that they're getting from alcohol. That's when you get into this cycle of dependence and that's why it's so hard to break for so many people.
Speaker 2:And when the brain is craving these dopamine hits, it gets to a point where you're not even craving to feel good. You're reaching for it just to feel normal, to get your dopamine at a normal level because of these highs and lows that happen. And because you're going to these abnormal levels, you're then dipping to abnormal lows. So I think it's really important that we understand that. Another important topic as it relates to dopamine is this idea of tolerance and needing more basically to get the same effect.
Speaker 2:We all know that if you're drinking more, your tolerance goes up. Mean, everybody pretty much knows that. And what happens is that your brain gets used to these higher levels of dopamine, and then it's going to require more alcohol to achieve the same effect. So what started out maybe as one drink or two drinks to get a buzz or relax a little bit, it's going to take three or four, and then eventually it can just progress way beyond that. So at that point, you potentially could be drinking not to get pleasure, but instead just feel normal and remove the discomfort that is happening from these lows that can happen with a drop in dopamine.
Speaker 2:And it's important to know that basically alcohol doesn't produce dopamine. It basically opens the floodgates releasing the stores that you have. And over time, those stores are depleted and you just don't have anything that can get you to that feel good level to draw from. And so now that we understand that let's move into why alcohol and dopamine can actually cause cravings and make it difficult to stay on track. And the examples that I'm using here are to paint a picture and not everybody that's listening to this is going to be to the point of, listen, I'm drinking and I no longer have any natural pleasures from life.
Speaker 2:This is for example purposes to show that it actually can impact us at this deep of a level. And so whatever level you are, I think just understanding that this is an artificial surge of dopamine and that this can actually affect our behaviors, our emotions, and basically many aspects of our life. And so now let's talk about how dopamine can make the next day even difficult. And I'm talking, this actually can be for people that are currently moderating. So you go through this mini withdrawal period, usually around twelve to twenty four hours at peaks.
Speaker 2:And it literally can be for moderate use. And that's usually why the next day, maybe when happy hour and your hangover, if you went that far is going away, you might just say, you know what, I really want to have a drink because I've been feeling so shitty all day. There there's a lot of self talk that goes on that I've done myself. And actually a lot of this has to do with dopamine. So the dopamine levels drop.
Speaker 2:Your brain is now looking for ways just at an instinctive level to restore you. And it already has attached this level of, this is my pat on the back. If I do this, the outcome is going to be pleasure or relieve pain. And so understanding it is the first step to taking action on what we can do to change this. And one of these things is your brain's ability to rewire itself.
Speaker 2:And this is a concept called neuroplasticity. And the way we can think about neuroplasticity is in this example that I've heard before. And I can't remember the attribution or of course I'd give it. But if you think about a sled hill, a new coat of snow has been on it and you go up, you make your path on the way up, you go down, and then you go back up again. Usually you're gonna, you've already made the path, right?
Speaker 2:And you know that the second time down, it's going to go deeper and more ingrained, same with the way up. And once it's deeply ingrained, you can think of these as pathways and habits and actions that you take in your own daily life. And the deeper it gets ingrained, the more difficult it is to deviate to new pathways down that sled hill. Same with going up. But if you think about neuroplasticity, think about it in terms of a fresh snow.
Speaker 2:And while you might still see remnants of the path before, if you go back up to the top, you can more easily find a different pathway down since it's not so deeply ingrained. You have more freedom to make new connections and new ways down. And this is all about the brain circuitry and ability to rewire. That's basically what neuroplasticity is. And there are some tactics that you can do engaging into healthier habits that can teach your brain once again to find pleasure in more natural rewards that aren't so reliant on these dopamine spikes when it comes to alcohol.
Speaker 2:So let's talk real quick at a high level about what are some things that we could do that would encourage neuroplasticity and also natural boost in your dopamine levels. And the first one is exercise. So exercise is going to release endorphins. It's going to boost your dopamine levels naturally. And if you can try your best, and some of the science supports this, to enjoy the actual activity itself.
Speaker 2:I know not everybody loves to go for a run. I know I don't like running, but I do enjoy being outside. And if you can find joy in the activity itself and not just getting to the finish line, there's some signs that backs up that you get more benefit from it. The next one is sleep. Sleep is so huge and I really need to work on this one myself, but proper sleep can help with neuroplasticity and just basically overall your mood.
Speaker 2:Another one would be mindfulness practices, things like meditation, breath work. You can even do things that aren't technically meditation or mindful. But for example, if you're doing something that requires singular focus, that allows your brain to release all that internal thought. It's one of the funniest things that I like to say is that going down a mountain as fast as I can on my bicycle is my form of meditation because all things on the outside world have just basically been stripped away because I'm focused on this one thing. So think about some things that you can do that are in this mindfulness zone that can both increase your dopamine levels, but also help encourage neuroplasticity.
Speaker 2:And then a final tip here, and I know these aren't earth shattering, but they just spark ideas that keep you moving forward. And the last one would be to seek out pleasurable hobbies and goals for yourself. Is it maybe a fitness feat that you're trying to do, like run a marathon? Is there picking up art? Is there I've always wanted to ride a unicycle?
Speaker 2:And personally, I've actually always wanted to learn how to do backflip, and I've yet to do that. And I'm 45. So we'll see how that goes. I don't think that time is on my side, but just find something that you are determined or brings you joy, or that's a challenge that is new. All these things are going to up dopamine and also the problem solving aspects will encourage neuroplasticity.
Speaker 2:So going through all of this information, I think the thing I want you to really take away from is to understand how dopamine works as it relates to alcohol, and that maybe you can stop yourself within specific actions when you've maybe committed to something, but all of a sudden you're finding it difficult, let's say after work and you realize, Hey, listen, that's actually my brain and the dopamine telling me you're going to get pleasure or relieve pain from that. But you know what? Today I'm going to ignore that because I made a commitment and I know that my brain and my body at some level is working against what my actual intention is here. I think at the highest level, that's what I hope you take away from this and that you can then find other things that will give you those dopamine spikes that then maybe in a ritual coming home after work, that is not what you're seeking to get that dopamine spike. Maybe it's picking up that new hobby that you have.
Speaker 2:Maybe it's training for this new fitness goal. Maybe it's interacting at a deeper level with your partner or with your friends. So I hope this was helpful. That's it for today. And what I'd actually ask, I'm going to keep doing these because the feedback's been good, but instead of sending me feedback, why don't you tell me something that you would like me to talk about?
Speaker 2:Because I would love to take questions from our listeners and to be able to talk directly
Speaker 1:to you, because I know if you probably have this issue or something that you'd like
Speaker 2:to hear from, there's going to be others just like you. And thanks again for listening today, and I hope you have a wonderful week. Talk soon.
Speaker 1:This podcast is brought to you by Sunnyside, the number one alcohol moderation platform, having helped hundreds of thousands of people cut out more than 13,000,000 drinks since 2020. And in fact, an independent study showed that Sunnyside reduced alcohol consumption by an average of 30% in ninety days. And as one of our members shared, Sunnyside helps me stay mindful of my drinking habits. It's not super restrictive. So if I'm craving a glass of wine with dinner, I just track it and I move on with my week.
Speaker 1:If you could benefit from drinking a bit less and being more mindful of when and how much you drink, head on over to sunnyside.co to get a free fifteen trial. You'll get access to everything that we offer, including tracking and planning tools, coaching from our experts, a vibrant community of people just like you, and the motivation and advice to stay on track with your health goals, all with no pressure to quit. That's sunnyside.co.
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