Recovery Elevator | Stop Drinking, Start Recovering. | Alcohol, Addiction & Life In Sobriety

Episode 396  - The Brain and Alcohol – Genetic Predisposition   Today we have Rene.   He is 33, from California, and took his last drink January 18, 2022.   Register for RE’s AF Photo Class:  https://www.recoveryelevator.com/afphoto/   SoberLink:  https://www.soberlink.com/recovery-elevator   Highlights from Paul   Alcohol has many biochemical and neurochemical effects on the brain. There are dramatic changes in the neurons that control the release of serotonin when we consume alcohol. Serotonin is the feel-good chemical and 80% of it is created in the gut. When we mix alcohol and serotonin it gets converted into acetaldehyde. This acetaldehyde acts as a toxin.   Alcohol changes the relationship between the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, and the adrenals.  The adrenals release chemicals called epinephrine and cortisol, which are involved in the longer-term stress response.   People who consistently drink are more stressed out at baseline. They have more cortisol released form their adrenal glands even whe