Men who have suffered from alcoholism are aware of an interesting fact regarding their drinking behaviors when it comes to getting drunk. It isn’t the fifth, sixth, eighteenth, or twenty-third drink which gets them drunk. The alcoholic inability to physically or mentally regulate the intake of alcohol means that the very first drink, quite literally the very first sip of alcohol an alcoholic takes, is what gets them drunk. Cellularly, or chemically, this may not be this case in specific regards to intoxication. However, for an alcoholic man, taking one drink means taking another, then another, then more still, seemingly growing more desirous in alcoholic appetite as the drink count increases. Science recently backed this phenomena up, suggesting that the heavier one drinks, the more “hungry” for alcohol they might become.
According to an article published on healthday.com, “Researchers have found that in binge and heavy drinkers, two genes that play a role in controlling drinking had changes caused by an alcohol-influenced gene modification process called methylation – making alcohol cravings worse.” Heavy drinkers might be causing a real-time shift in their DNA which makes them crave alcohol more the more that they drink. The two-genes identified by researchers where the PER2 and POMC which interact with the biological clock and stress-response respectively. Among problematic drinkers, the researchers found that a gene modification process called methylation took place and changed the genes.
Alcoholism is becoming more explainable when for decades the obsession to drink was inexplicable. We’ve gained understanding about the mental reaction and more information about the physical reaction. On a cellular level, our perspective on alcoholism is still growing. This new study offers us fascinating knowledge about how alcohol consumption can inspire certain physical reactions- like the phenomenal need to drink more alcohol.
Tree House Recovery of Portland, Oregon is a men’s addiction treatment center that teaches our clients how to roll with life’s punches and use the tools they’ve learned throughout the treatment process to stay on top of anything life throws at them. Call (503) 850-2474 to see how we can help you today.
