*SHOW NOTE* This is Episode 2 in a Series of 4. Each Episode builds on information covered in the prior editions, so watching them in sequential order is best!

**** If you're questioning your drinking, you can find out where you stand on the Alcohol Drinker Spectrum here: ►►► https://www.sobermentum.com/the-drink...

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Your brain’s reward center is a complex system designed to give you a small boost of good feelings when you do something positive and healthy. It keeps you moving forward in life and chasing those rewarding feelings usually associated with constructive forms of behavior conducive to your surviving (and thriving). Gratification from the results of hard work you performed in some arena of life, or the feelings of pleasure you derive from other fulfilling experiences such as the taste of nourishing meal, or satisfying physical and emotional connections with other people…all are manifestations of this important function of your brain.

The problem is, outside substances or extreme behaviors can hijack you brain’s perfectly natural and healthy reward system, generating feelings far more potent than what a healthy natural reward would feel like. In this situation, psychological and eventually in some cases physical dependence on these artificially induced pleasures can occur. This is one of the primary reasons people often struggle to make a break from their drinking habit stick, especially in the very beginning when cravings can be the most powerful.

While the biggest hurdles in making an extended break from drinking stick tend to be the psychological aspects…in the very first days and weeks, your brain’s reward center will also be working against you, as you have conditioned it to expect its “treat” called alcohol on some consistent schedule. When it does not arrive on time, it will “punish” you with feelings that aren’t so pleasant…anywhere from mild unease and a sense that something is “off” all the way to full scale alcohol withdrawal symptoms, depending on your pre-existing level of dependence.

In this Episode (Part 2 of 4) we discuss the brain’s reward system, and some measures you can take to proactively understand it and then take corrective action to maximize your chances of success in taking an extended break from drinking…

**** Links to the Infographics:

https://subconscious-and-mind.blogspo...

https://thesagonline.com/wp-content/u...

https://blog.myneurogym.com/neuroplas...

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If you need help in carving out a new path forward with your drinking habit, check out these resources:

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