“”Shall we have one more beer on the terrace later?” You had firmly resolved not to drink alcohol for a day, but oh well, it’s quite cozy. Besides, that one drink probably won’t hurt much. Yet, in the Netherlands, we have over a million problem drinkers, and alcohol is the leading cause of addiction. Neuroscientist Janna Cousijn from Erasmus University Rotterdam has been researching the addicted brain for years and explains that the problem of alcohol addiction likely manifests long before you crack open your first beer.”

Find more from Erasmus University Rotterdam (Netherlands, July 2023)

Highlights

• 🧪 Brain research suggests that individuals with addiction have an imbalance between the control system and the motivation system in their brains.
• 🧗‍♀️ People who are more resistant to triggers and cravings are better able to control their behavior and avoid addiction.
• 🙅‍♀️ The social environment, including societal norms and acceptance of alcohol, greatly influences addiction vulnerability.
• 🍺 Early exposure to alcohol and high levels of acceptance in youth increase the risk of addiction.
• 🔄 Changing social norms and reducing the acceptability of alcohol may help decrease addiction rates in the future.