A new study from Germany once
again shows a correlation between early onset of drinking and alcoholism. The study showed that the earlier one drinks
their first full drink, the more likely that individual will become dependent
on alcohol. This is thought to be an
association between the alcohol and the pleasure receptors that develop during
puberty. If an adolescent starts to
drink at the same time that the pleasure centers of their brain fully develop,
they will forever associate alcohol with pleasure. This is a bad association to make because it
will lead to a dependence on alcohol in order to deal with traumatic life
events. However, what the study did not
look at was how exposing young children to alcohol affects their perception of
the drink. It is still widely believed
that exposing young children with the bitter drink will cause them to think the
drink is disgusting. This will then
place alcohol away from the pleasure receptors and make the child think that it
is a bad thing to consume. The German
study can help to shed light on how to best help individuals suffering from
alcoholism. By knowing when they started this dependency
on the drink it can help to create a treatment for them.
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