Did You Know? Your Brain Reacts Differently to Alcohol When Drinking With Friends Versus Alone

Alcohol is a psychoactive substance, meaning it can significantly alter our thoughts and feelings. Sometimes, a drink or two can leave us feeling ecstatic, while other times, it might bring us down. The key factor? Your social setting. When you’re enjoying a drink with friends, you’re likely to feel happier, more sociable and energetic. But drink alone, and those feelings might not be the same, and you might even feel a bit down. What’s going on in your brain to cause this? Let’s dive into the science.

How Social Settings Influence Your Alcohol Buzz

“Social settings have a big impact on how we react to alcohol, yet we don’t fully understand the mechanisms behind this,” says Kyung-An Han, PhD, a biologist at The University of Texas at El Paso.

Han and her team researched to explore the neurobiological processes involved in social drinking and its impact on feelings of euphoria. Their findings were published in the journal Addiction Biology.
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Fruit Flies and Human Behaviour: A Surprising Connection

Han noted that fruit flies, which share about 75% of the same genes linked to human diseases, were used in the study to gain insights into human behaviour. The researchers exposed the flies to ethanol vapour (the alcohol in drinks) either alone or in groups and measured their movement speed to gauge their response to ethanol. Flies that were alone showed a slight increase in movement, while those in groups exhibited significantly more activity.

Regarding dopamine (the ‘happy hormone’), the study found that flies, regardless of their dopamine levels, responded similarly to ethanol when alone – a modest boost in activity. However, in social settings, flies with higher dopamine levels were even more hyperactive.
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“We’ve shown that both social contexts and dopamine work together to amplify the flies’ response to ethanol,” Han explains.

Tips for Safe Drinking

Whether you’re with friends or on your own, keep these safety tips in mind:

• Set a drinking limit.
• Track your consumption.
• Eat before and during drinking.
• Alternate between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
• Never leave your drink unattended.
• Avoid drinking too quickly.
• Don’t mix alcohol with stimulants like energy drinks.
• Don’t drink if you’re sick or on medication.
• Avoid drinking as a way to cope with stress.
• Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water.

Drink responsibly and follow these tips to ensure a safer drinking experience.