It's true that America has one of the lowest alcohol use rates per capita of first-world countries, with Belgium, Germany, France, the UK, and Australia coming out ahead of us. But we have a higher rate of alcohol abuse than any of those countries. About 15 million American adults struggle with an alcohol use disorder.

In American culture, alcohol is used for celebration and commiseration alike. It has a sort of therapeutic role in our society; how often have you said after a long day or a stressful situation, “I need a drink”? Too often, we use alcohol in general and drunkenness in particular as a coping mechanism.

This unhealthy relationship gets imparted to us from a young age. College kids are notorious binge drinkers, and this is a culture adults help to perpetuate, accepting that college kids drink heavily. For many, alcohol has been taboo up to that point, so when they go away to college and get their hands on it for the first time, they don't understand how to moderate. While binge drinking is certainly a problem among high school and college students, surprisingly, the group most affected by alcohol use disorders are middle-aged adults. In 2015, the CDC estimated that more than three-quarters of the alcohol poisoning deaths across two years were adults between the ages of 35 and 64.

Americans' unhealthy relationship with alcohol leads many to suffer from an alcohol use disorder. More than 6 percent of adults in the U.S. have an alcohol use disorder, about 1 in 12 men and 1 in 25 women. An additional 623,000 people between the ages of 12 and 17 have alcohol use disorders. Unfortunately, less than 7 percent of those suffering from an alcohol use disorder seek treatment for the disease.

As a neuroplastician, I am familiar with the effects of numerous substances on the brain, and could surely name several that are more objectively dangerous. But none are as accessible and prevalent as alcohol.

Like any substance abuse, alcoholism can wreak havoc on work performance, interpersonal relationships, and overall quality of life. Understanding addiction starts with understanding the brain.

Alcohol & Addiction in the Brain

Alcohol functions as a depressant to the Central Nervous System (CNS). As a result, it interferes with communication pathways in several critical areas of the brain, including those responsible for judgment, speech, balance, and memory.

If you’ve ever heard of (or experienced) an alcohol-induced “blackout,” you’re familiar with the way excessive consumption impairs memory-- seemingly erasing chunks of time altogether. Specifically, it can temporarily block the transfer of memories in the hippocampus; without this process, called memory consolidation, those short-term memories get lost before they can be stored in the long-term.

These isolated incidents can be jarring, but they are among the least of the negative effects alcohol can have on the brain. This is particularly true during stages of significant brain development. Before birth, alcohol consumption by a pregnant woman can damage the developing brain of a fetus; at 65 and older, it can accelerate the decline of brain function associated with aging; and in adolescence, it can alter the structural development of a brain making the important transition from childhood to adulthood.

In addition to affecting healthy brain development, disordered use of alcohol is linked to several mental illnesses, such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, major depression, and some anxiety disorders, among others. Approximately one-third of people struggling with alcohol abuse are also impacted by mental illness.

Moreover, alcohol remains among the leading causes of preventable deaths in the United States, accounting for over 380 deaths daily on average between 2015 and 2019. According to the CDC, this figure rose nearly thirty percent during the first year of the pandemic alone, which suggests two things:

First, increased stressors (pandemic-related or otherwise) contribute to a high-risk environment for alcohol abuse. Second, social support dramatically increases positive outcomes for addiction recovery. An individual struggling with alcohol addiction, faced with high stress and lack of social support, is more likely to suffer health issues at every level-- and the brain is no exception.

In the case of addiction, large quantities of drugs or alcohol reduce the receptivity of the brain’s receptors to dopamine. Over time, it becomes increasingly difficult to experience pleasure, happiness, or fulfillment. Addiction also often manifests as increased stress, mood swings, low self-esteem, and unrealistic expectations.

Left unchecked, alcohol abuse and addiction can severely impact a person’s brain health and overall quality of life. Fortunately, there are actionable steps that can be taken toward recovery.

Responding Through Neuroplasticity

“Neuroplasticity” refers to the ability of the brain’s neural networks to change, grow, and reorganize. By tapping into the key agents of neuroplasticity, we can repair damage, improve our brain health, and reverse some of the negative effects of alcohol misuse-- and even addiction. Three agents are especially beneficial in these cases:

Cognitive stimulation engages the brain in new ways, promoting the creation of new neural pathways that can be regularly accessed (instead of those formed by addiction). Brain games, puzzles, and crosswords can all help with this. Strategic games can also be helpful-- chess, checkers, or even video games. Learning a new language or taking up a hobby are excellent options to promote cognitive stimulation, as well.

Emotional regulation helps mitigate the internal chaos that often goes hand-in-hand with alcohol addiction and substance abuse. Keeping a journal and meditating may help a struggling individual to focus on the present moment, rather than ruminating on the past or worrying about the future.

Socialization requires us to create and decode meaning in our interactions with others, a communicative process that activates multiple regions of the brain. The benefits are also socioemotional; establishing an environment of support, safety, and accountability is essential to the addiction recovery process.

At Neurocity Junction, we address each of these agents (among others) in our Cognitive Circuit Training® Program, in which we tap into the brain's potential to create new neural pathways and repair damage caused by injury, stroke, substance abuse, and more.

As we become familiar with the risks and realities of alcohol misuse and addiction, we are better equipped to make healthy choices-- for our bodies and our brains.

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Meet the Guest Contributor:

Dr. Lisa Huseboe is a Neuroplastician and the Founder of the breakthrough Cognitive Circuit Training® Program- the first of its kind, performed exclusively at Neurocity Junction, a state-of-the-art facility located in South Florida.

Neurocity Junction's Cognitive Circuit Training® Program harnesses the power of neuroplasticity, the brain's potential to create new neural pathways and repair damage caused by injury.

Developed by Dr. Lisa Huseboe, the Cognitive Circuit Training® Program integrates a multisensory approach to cognitive rehabilitation, including light therapy, sound therapy, vagus nerve stimulation, balance and physical activity. Therapies are customized for each patient, ensuring new, repeating, and challenging activity is always present to accelerate the process of neuroplasticity and promote accelerated rehabilitation.

The Cognitive Circuit Training® Program is ideal for those with acquired brain injuries such as traumatic brain injuries from accidents or falls, stroke, alcohol or drug abuse, ADD and ADHD, mood and emotional disorders relating to brain injury, and more.

Message Dr. Huseboe to learn more about her interactive facility tours!