Alcohol the Search for Pleasure

Alcohol

The search for pleasure is one main motivator to drink: many people experience positive, even euphoric effects after drinking. Motivation might also be related to the positive social interactions one might have, or because alcohol is served in social settings. However, some people may be motivated to drink by genetic factors or for stress relief. In the latter case, alcoholism is a potential problem because individuals who use alcohol to self-medicate are likely to become dependent on it. When used for pleasure alcohol can be harmless and even beneficial in moderate quantities. I believe drinking in moderation is fine and possibly even healthy, but that when a person drinks too much the behavior leads to psychological and physiological problems.

Alcohol absorption takes place mainly in the small intestine and the stomach. Alcohol absorption from the GI tract is affected by several factors including a person's body weight/mass; metabolism; whether the person eats or not; whether the person does other drugs or not; exercising; and type of alcohol that is consumed. Gastric emptying determines the rate at which alcohol is absorbed by the body: "the faster the gastric emptying the faster the rate of alcohol absorption," (Boggan). Eating food, doing other drugs, and exercise all affect the absorption of alcohol because they each affect the rate of gastric emptying. Absorption can also be affected by an individual's basal metabolism. Fatigue may also play a role in how fast alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream from the stomach, and the type of alcohol that is consumed may also be a factor ("Alcohol Absorption, Distribution, and Elimination").

3. Alcohol affects the brain and central nervous system; the digestive system; the circulatory/cardiovascular system; the liver and related filtration systems; the kidney and its fluid regulation system; and the endocrine system.

The most obvious bodily system that alcohol effects is the brain and central nervous system. Alcohol is classified as a depressant because it slows down the release of neurochemicals that inhibit certain behaviors. The subjective feelings associated with alcohol intoxication are due to its effects on the brain and central nervous system but that system also controls our behaviors. The depression of certain neurotransmitters often reduces reflex time and reduces general inhibitions.

The digestive system is also strongly affected by alcohol consumption. Alcohol is absorbed almost entirely by the small intestine, from where the alcohol seeps into the blood. The liver is strongly affected by the absorption of alcohol and is in fact the main organ responsible for metabolizing alcohol. When too much alcohol is consumed, the liver becomes overtaxed and cannot filter the toxins from the body as fast as it normally can. Over the long-term, the liver can become permanently damaged from too much alcohol consumption.

The heart and circulatory system are also affected by alcohol consumption. Moderate consumption of alcohol can actually be good for the heart over time, reducing plaque buildup in the arteries and also preventing blood clots, thereby reducing the possibility for stroke (Boggan). However, too much alcohol can cause high blood pressure and other heart problems.