An alcohol addiction is one of the most dangerous addictions that an individual can develop due to its effects on both physical and mental health – all of which can take years of rehabilitation to learn to manage and cope with.
Because of the way that alcohol interacts with the body, it can be very dangerous to withdraw from as well, and this means that seeking medical advice and support throughout the rehabilitation process is always recommended.
However, in the modern world, more and more research is being conducted into new ways for individuals to experience rehabilitation, some of which involve the prescription of specialist drugs and medications to overcome specific effects and behaviours that addiction can cause.
This blog post will focus on popular weight loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy that have recently gained attention due to the ways in which these drugs have affected addictive behaviours and the areas in the brain in which these are governed.
First, it is important to understand the dangers of alcohol and how it can impact an individual’s physical and mental health.
According to their website, Ozempic is a drug that was developed as an injection to improve blood sugar levels in individuals who struggle with type 2 diabetes.
This is a disease in which the body does not produce enough insulin or does not recognise the insulin that has already been produced.
Ozempic works in three ways:
However, recent findings suggest that one of the components of the Ozempic drug – glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) could be beneficial in the reduction of cravings and indulging in addictive behaviours.
Currently, research suggests that this is due to the effects that GLP-1 has on dopamine signalling, though this is still very much under-researched and requires further testing before this is applied to human patients (3).
As another drug being investigated for its uses in the field of addiction, Wegovy is a prescription medication that is used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical exercise for weight loss.
It is specialised to reduce the risk of serious cardiovascular issues but can also be used to help both children (over 12 years old) and adults to lose excess weight for health reasons.
According to their website, Wegovy works by imitating a hormone that is associated with appetite regulation, food intake, and ‘feeling full’, meaning that individuals who are injected with Wegovy should experience weight loss when combined with the aforementioned factors (diet and exercise).
By their own website’s admission, it is not known how Wegovy decreases lowers the risk of cardiovascular issues.
However, for the same reasons as Ozempic (the inclusion of GLP-1), it is also under further investigation for its effects on addiction – perhaps due to the appetite suppression and dopamine regulation effects that these drugs have.
It is not uncommon for an individual’s alcohol rehabilitation journey to be supported with medical intervention.
For example, during a detoxification session, it may be necessary for individuals to be medically assisted in transitioning away from and withdrawing from alcohol due to the harmful physical impacts that this can have.
Librium is a common substance that can be used in this situation, as it can help to alleviate some of these negative consequences, though the use of these substances should always be discussed with a medical professional, alongside other forms of rehabilitation such as therapy, holistic care, and other treatments.
Alcohol is a unique drug in the way that it can impact an individual’s body and their overall physical health. However, this will be different in every individual case and every individual who struggles with addiction will have a different experience.
For example, in women, it has been found that chronic alcohol consumption is linked to an increased risk of breast cancer in middle age, but that these impacts vary depending on when the individual had the highest level of alcohol consumption, as well as any vulnerabilities to particular diseases (1).
This study alone highlights the various impacts that alcohol addiction can have on the body, before the implications of an alcohol withdrawal are even considered.
This is one of the most dangerous stages of an alcohol addiction – when the individual must withdraw from alcohol – and more information about this stage can be found across our website.
At all stages of an alcohol addiction, individuals are also highly likely to struggle with their mental health.
It is important to note that addiction itself is considered a mental health condition, meaning that any additional mental health conditions are said to co-occur and that a dual diagnosis approach is taken.
Dual diagnosis is a term that refers to the acknowledgement and treatment of any and all mental health issues that are presented in an individual during their time in alcohol rehabilitation and is vital for a full and effective recovery.
Commonly occurring mental health issues include, but are not limited to: anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.
There are many reasons why an individual may become addicted to alcohol and, like the impacts of this, these are also highly variable from person to person, with every individual struggling with alcohol for a combination of unique reasons.
The following subheadings outline some of the most common reasons why an individual may develop an addiction to alcohol (also known as alcoholism), but it is important to emphasise that these factors should not be considered solely, and instead as a combination at a variety of different levels.
One of the strongest reasons why alcohol is such an addictive substance is due to its nature as a physically addictive substance.
As briefly mentioned earlier in this blog post, alcohol interacts with the body in a unique way, often becoming a part of everyday functioning within vital bodily processes. This is known as being physically dependent on alcohol i.e., where alcohol is vital to ‘normal’ and everyday functioning.
This is also the factor that is responsible for an individual’s cravings and tolerance for alcohol (2); the body will begin to require alcohol for these vital processes, meaning that the brain learns to recognise when alcohol is “needed” i.e., when it has been a certain amount of time between consuming alcohol.
Addictive drugs such as alcohol are also known to possess similar properties such as that of dopamine – the body’s reward system neurotransmitter.
This means that when the individual’s addictive substance is consumed (in this case, alcohol), they will receive a ‘dopamine boost’, meaning that this behaviour is reinforced in their brain due to the positive short-term effects that they may receive.
Over time, this becomes more and more reinforced as the individual consumes more and more alcohol, quickly becoming a vicious cycle and becoming increasingly dangerous for the individual’s physical and mental well-being.
As this becomes ingrained in the individual’s brain, this is a factor that becomes harder to overcome. This is where it is vital that individuals seek suitable mental health support and treatment as a part of their rehabilitation journey.
As a final reason why someone may become addicted to alcohol, individuals should consider their social and lifestyle factors.
For example, some individuals may develop an addiction as the result of ‘social drinking’. This is where an individual may not initially consume large quantities of alcohol, but it may become a habit once they start going out with others and being subject to peer pressure – directly or indirectly.
Once an individual has begun drinking socially, this may then transition to drinking by themselves or more regularly, also quickly and exponentially worsening an alcohol addiction over time.
Though it is often considered a big part of the UK’s culture, individuals should be aware of their drinking when out with friends and/or family, as well as being aware and caring for the drinking of those around them.
To find out what the most suitable next steps are for you or someone you know, get in touch with Rehab 4 Addiction today to find out how we can assist you, either in giving free and confidential advice, suggesting local therapy sessions and treatments, or by referring to a specialist rehabilitation treatment centre.
Call our addiction support hotline on 0800 140 4690 today.
[1] Hill, S.Y., 2002. Mental and physical health consequences of alcohol use in women. Recent developments in alcoholism: Alcoholism and women, pp.181-197.
[2] Cappell, H. and LeBlanc, A.E., 1983. The relationship of tolerance and physical dependence to alcohol abuse and alcohol problems. In The Biology of Alcoholism: Vol. 7 The Pathogenesis of Alcoholism: Biological Factors (pp. 359-414). Boston, MA: Springer US.
[3] Klausen, M.K., Thomsen, M., Wortwein, G. and Fink‐Jensen, A., 2022. The role of glucagon‐like peptide 1 (GLP‐1) in addictive disorders. British Journal of Pharmacology, 179(4), pp.625-641.
Boris is our editor-in-chief at Rehab 4 Addiction. Boris is an addiction expert with more than 20 years in the field. His expertise covers a broad of topics relating to addiction, rehab and recovery. Boris is an addiction therapist and assists in the alcohol detox and rehab process. Boris has been featured on a variety of websites, including the BBC, Verywell Mind and Healthline. You can connect with Boris online at LinkedIn or X.com.
