Thirdly, the high you get from alcohol comes from endorphins. These are your body’s natural opioids, the brain’s natural pain-reducing system, also the source of the runner’s high. This reward system gives you a chilled sort of pleasure and, in some people, may also be a key factor in their addiction. Several studies have shown that when the effects of endorphins are blocked with the anti-drinking medication nalmefene, some addicts are able to stop drinking.1 Using sophisticated brain imaging, we have been able to see that this effect is related to the interactions between endorphins and
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