Cheers!

I just turned 21 two months ago, and aside from the expected "happy birthday," a little more than half of the responses I also got pertained to drinking, buying alcohol, and getting drunk. And although those type of comments don't bother me, hearing stories about car crashes and blacking out does. I used to be surrounded by people who would drink every weekend, for no apparent reason, wake up with hangovers, and be in some sort of dilemma (stolen or misplaced wallets/keys/cell phones, dented cars, etc). The majority of the time it was minor things like that, thankfully, but the remaining situations were both sad and troubling. There were even some instances in which people who were not drinking ended up being affected or getting injured because of somebody who consumed alcohol.

So what is it about alcohol that everyone finds so appealing? Is it the impaired coordination or slurred speech? Probably not. The answer most people would agree with is that it decreases anxiety and serves as a source for relaxation, which is perfectly fine if the person drinks responsibly and to a moderate amount. However, when someone consumes and excessive amount of alcohol, an additional answer some people might overlook actually deals with genetics.Individuals, if possible, may be categorized as having Type I (Type A) or Type II (Type B) alcoholism. Type I usually occurs after the age of 25 with the probability of having relatives who abuse alcohol as a contributing factor, while type II usually occurs at a faster rate and before the age of 25.  

How exactly does alcohol make someone more relaxed though? The answer to that should be more clear after watching this video, which explains how the glutamate receptors (the brain's main excitatory sites) become blocked while the GABA receptors (main inhibitory sites) are activated. 

This "feel less, perceive less, notice less, and remember less" attitude mentioned in the video above perfectly describes the affect alcohol has on the brain, at least in my opinion. In the end, drinking alcohol (maybe to unwind or because our genes and surroundings are telling us to) is ultimately our decision, but when you compare the pros and cons and see the short and long terms affects, it might be a wise decision to say no, and allow our little glutamate receptors to be free from obstruction.