How Drinking Addiction Is Under Challenge - 1403 Words

Nowadays as science and technology develop rapidly, traditional theory of explaining drinking addiction is under challenge. More and more neuroscientists, psychologists and biologists contribute to the exploration of chemical mechanisms working behind alcohol and addiction. As one of the most well-known neuroscientist, Marc Lewis (2011) offers his point of view is that alcohol ultimately affects the brain, which is the source of all our experience (p.22). As we all know, brain is the primary organ of mind, the crucial center of control, and the ultimate foundation of ideas. Even subtle changes in brain can directly lead to the alteration in a person’s mood, cognition and behaviours. Based on the knowledge that I learned in†¦show more content†¦Neurotransmitters carry information and transmit chemical signals throughout the body. This corresponds to what Lewis introduces- a crucial inhibitory neurotransmitter-GABA and the change of firing rate of neurons in the cortex. Contrary to common beliefs, alcohol is actually a depressant. By enhancing GABA’s transmission, alcohol slows down our thoughts, impede our behaviours and weakens our judgements. Scientifically saying, â€Å"the brain’s electrical activities are decreased† (Connor, 2014). This is why Lewis feels â€Å"different- light and breezy, but then hugely clumsy when he [tries to] reach for the bottle too quickly† when he gets drunk for the first time (Lewis, 2011, p. 19). His consciousness is clear, but his body movement is limited, which tells us that the interactions between neurotransmitters are eliminated. This situation is also listed in the effects of drinking section in Teen Health textbook, stating that coordination and movement may be affected by alcohol (Mc-Graw Hill, 2004, p. 569). Also, the chapter 13 of Al-Anon book revolves around an event about helping a teenage to curb her violent temper. In the story, the girl says, â€Å"I knew that my violence against my mom was never a voluntary act. I didn’t want to hurt her, but I didn’t know how to stop, how to break the pattern† (Al-Anon, 1995, p.478). From her words, we can tell that