20/10/2025
Alcohol Addiction doesn’t arrive abruptly; it evolves quietly, disguised as control. It begins with relief, a way to silence the noise or soften the pain. But with repetition, the brain learns the pattern, it begins to associate calm, confidence, and comfort with consumption.
What starts as a choice slowly rewires into a need. Neurochemically, dopamine, GABA, and glutamate begin to dance out of sync - pleasure circuits dull, anxiety amplifies, and emotional regulation weakens. Over time, alcohol stops creating calm; it merely prevents chaos.
As psychiatrists, we see this cycle unfold beneath the surface, in the sleeplessness, irritability, and shame that follow. But here’s what’s most important: the same neuroplasticity that fuels dependence can also drive recovery. The brain can unlearn what it once believed it needed to survive.
Addiction isn’t a moral failure, it’s a biological adaptation to distress. And healing isn’t about punishment, but retraining the mind to find safety without escape.
