5 Strange Reasons You Drink Too Much

Think back to your college days. Chances are you had roommates at some point. And chances are there was lots of booze around. But while it might seem as if “everyone” was drinking, more often than not it’s not actually the case. People drink at different levels: some drink on rare occasions (think one glass of champagne at New Year’s Eve or a couple of beers at the Fourth of July barbecue); others are more regular drinkers (the “take it or leave it” kind); some drink heavily; and others develop a full-blown addiction. 

Why do some people drink more than others? And why do people become alcoholics (or those with alcohol use disorder or AUD to use the preferred term)? Some of the answers might surprise you!

Why Am I Drinking So Much?

Why is it that some people keep their drinking to a minimum while others slide down the path of addiction — sometimes with devastating results? In other words, why do people become alcoholics — or simply end up drinking too much? 

Whether or not we end up with AUD, there are some common threads in the stories of those who find that drinking has gotten a strong hold over them. From genetics or environmental factors to the nature of alcohol itself, there can be various factors at play.

1. You’ve (Accidentally) Rewired Your Brain

First and foremost: whether or not we’re talking about alcohol use disorder (AUD), alcohol misuse, or even an occasional bout of heavy drinking, there’s one common thread that runs through the reasons why we tend to drink too much. To put it simply, alcohol is addictive. It triggers the brain’s reward system and keeps us coming back for more. Here’s what happens in more detail:

• Alcohol makes us feel good — though not for long. Alcohol boosts levels of dopamine, the neurochemical “gold star” our brain rewards us with when we perform a habitual action. While the reward system evolved to keep necessary habits (such as eating, socializing, and procreating) alive to ensure our survival, it can be hijacked by substances such as alcohol and other drugs. But what goes up inevitably comes down: the brief euphoria gives way to anxiety, restlessness, angry outbursts, or crying spells we might experience after a night of heavy drinking.
• It also causes us to relax (until it doesn’t). In addition to boosting dopamine, alcohol increases levels of GABA (an inhibitory neurotransmitter) while lowering glutamate (its excitatory counterpart). The result? A brief period of relaxation that gives way to drowsiness, which might explain those nights we passed out on the couch halfway through an episode of our favorite show. However, there’s a rebound effect that follows a few hours afterwards, causing restlessness and frequent awakenings in the second half of the night.
• Over time, dependence sets in. In an effort to adjust to alcohol’s presence in the body, our brain does its best to stay balanced, putting the brakes on natural dopamine production. As a result, our tolerance rises: we need more and more booze to achieve the same effects. Misuse gives way to dependence: eventually we depend on alcohol just to feel normal (or stay as close to baseline as we can, which becomes increasingly difficult).
• Withdrawal and cravings make it hard to quit or cut back. Once we’re dependent on booze, stopping isn’t quite so easy. We might experience withdrawal symptoms ranging from restlessness, shakiness, and nausea to seizures and delirium tremens. On top of that, we’re haunted by cravings — strong desires for alcohol that make it difficult to think of anything else. At this point, we’re likely dealing with alcohol use disorder (AUD), defined by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism as a mental health condition marked by “an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse social, occupational, or health consequences.”
• Even if we quit for a while, our brain “remembers” past alcohol misuse. Research shows that if we became dependent on alcohol in the past, certain changes in the dopamine pathways might persist even after we quit drinking. Even if it’s been years since our last drink, picking it up again might trigger the so-called “cue memory trace” — permanently altered pathways in the reward system that can set the cycle in motion again.

If this rings true, you’re certainly not alone: according to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, as many as 28.1 million adults over age 18 in the U.S. struggled with AUD in the past year. To learn more about AUD, check out “What Is Alcohol Use Disorder?”

Tip: Luckily, there are lots of treatment options available that can help you get back on track. From inpatient treatment to cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness-based techniques, and apps such as Reframe, there are many paths to long-lasting and sustainable recovery. The key is to work with your brain rather than against it by tapping into the power of neuroplasticity — the brain’s ability to rewire itself. 

2. The Media Sealed the Deal

As Annie Grace writes in This Naked Mind, in our society, “alcohol is the only drug on earth you have to justify not taking.” Many of us come to see alcohol as synonymous with celebrations, socializing, and relaxing after a long day. And the media certainly does its part in keeping this illusion alive!

From seeing Ted and his friends on How I Met Your Mother down beers on what seems like a daily basis to watching the regulars on Cheers at the local bar, there’s plenty of proof that the media tends to normalize and glamorize alcohol. It’s easy to forget that the actors on our beloved TV shows aren’t actually drunk on set — and wouldn’t be nearly as funny or charming if they were. (Take a look at “Exposure to Alcohol Use in Movies and Problematic Use of Alcohol” for a deep dive.)

Even reality shows that feature alcohol are carefully orchestrated to make it appear more glamorous on the screen than it actually is, with the reality stars sitting in jacuzzis sipping their bottomless flutes of champagne. Likewise, booze-positive social media posts represent a highlight reel — after all, people don’t share their hangovers or rehab stints with the same gusto.

Tip: If you feel that the media triggers unhealthy drinking patterns in your own experience, it’s time to get savvy about it. Be mindful about what you watch and listen to and opt for shows that don’t focus on drinking. As for social media, the best thing to do is to “click with caution” and opt out of following or engaging with anything that stirs up cravings. The power is in your hands!

3. It Might Be in Your Genes

Research shows that AUD is at least partially genetic. Specifically, differences in genes that code for enzymes involved in alcohol metabolism might be responsible for differences in how we metabolize alcohol.

Our liver uses these two enzymes to digest alcohol, first converting it to acetaldehyde — a toxic byproduct responsible for many of alcohol’s harmful effects — with the help of alcohol dehydrogenase. It then uses another enzyme — aldehyde dehydrogenase — to turn acetaldehyde into harmless acetic acid.

There are genes that code for the proteins that make up these two enzymes. Science shows that differences in these genes lead to structural distinctions in the enzymes and affect their function. These distinctions, in turn, allow some of us to metabolize alcohol more efficiently. This rate of metabolization is a risk factor for AUD.

Moreover, the way our dopamine pathway is structured might impact how booze affects us, leading some of us to be more sensitive than others to alcohol’s effects. To learn more about the genetics behind AUD and drinking habits, check out “Alcoholism: Genetic Disease or Lifestyle Choice? Debunking Myths.”

Tip: Dive into your family history for signs that heavy drinking might be in your genes. Talk to supportive family members for advice along the way, and keep the information you find in mind. It’ll help you see the full picture as you decide what’s right for you.

4. The Economy Is Bad

Wait, what? What could taxes, unemployment rates, and wages possibly have to do with our drinking habits? As it turns out, plenty! Research shows that when the economy takes a hit, our drinking habits do too. Here are some of the trends:

• Drinking goes down at the population level, but high-risk drinking increases. Research shows that economic crises often lead to an overall drop in alcohol consumption. However, in certain subgroups, alcohol misuse skyrockets. 
• Men are more at risk than women, especially if unemployment is a factor. Other risk factors that increase the likelihood of high-risk drinking during an economic crisis include being male, being unemployed, experiencing a severe economic loss, and being less well-educated.
• The 2008-2009 recession saw a marked rise in high-risk drinking. During 2008-2009 in the U.S., economic hardships made people more likely to misuse alcohol. Research shows that while drinking declined overall, instances of binge drinking became more common, especially when risk factors such as job loss were involved.
• The pandemic took an especially high toll. The uncertainty and economic troubles brought on by the 2020 COVID pandemic was marked by alcohol use that skyrocketed during the 2020-2022 period. As the NIH reports, the first two years of the pandemic saw a 38% rise in deaths where alcohol was a factor. The total number rose from 78,927 to a staggering 108,791, with the largest group affected being people between the ages of 25 and 44. And according to the Institute of Alcohol Studies and Health, we’re not out of the woods yet. Statistical modeling by the British organization shows that if drinking totals don’t go back to pre-pandemic levels, we could be looking at an additional 147,892 cases of alcohol-related illness and 9,014 deaths by 2035.

There are several key reasons behind these trends. For one thing, unemployment leaves us with more time on our hands. The added anxiety means we’re likely to go into “fight-or-flight” mode: our amygdala fires up the stress response, which leads to cortisol release, insomnia, and burnout — all of which might lead us to seek temporary relief in booze. As many of us know first-hand, however, alcohol only calms the emotional seas temporarily. Within hours, the downer effects give way to increased anxiety as the brain releases dynorphin in an attempt to rebalance itself.

The structure of our day disappears, boredom creeps in, and we might be tempted to drown it all in the bottle. And even if we realize we’re sliding into the alcohol trap, we might find ourselves without access to much-needed mental health resources that could offer support.

If that’s you, you’re certainly not alone. But now it’s time to get proactive! Fill your day with meaningful activities and stick to a schedule the way you normally would, even if you’re not working. Structure is everything — it’ll keep cravings at bay, keep your mind active and engaged while making you feel productive and optimistic.

Tip: Reach out to friends and family members for support — and check out the Reframe Forum for extra guidance and advice. There are plenty of people who’ve been exactly where you are right now and know what it’s like.

5. The Music Is Too Loud

Ever wonder why bars crank up the music so much? Science says it can make us drink more. Studies showed that people drink more when there’s (any) music in the background, and one showed that tempo matters — faster music leads to faster drinking.

But that’s not all! A recent study by Nicolas Guéguen of the Université de Bretagne-Sud showed that loud music in particular gets bar-hoppers running up their tabs. The researchers conducted a unique “field” experiment — in this case the “field” was two different bars the scientists used to study drinking behaviors of 40 male beer drinkers. As it turned out, there was a 31% increase in booze consumption in the bar that played music at an 88 dB volume compared to the more “normal” 72 dB at the other location. (For those curious what this translates to in terms of actual drinks, the answer is about one extra beer per patron: while those in the first bar had an average of 3.4 beers, those in the second lagged behind at 2.6.)

Why the difference? The researchers suggest two reasons. The first is higher arousal: louder music shakes people up and gets them going, making them more likely to move around and order more drinks while they’re at it. Moreover, as you might have guessed, cranking up the volume makes it harder to talk to those around you. So what is there left to do? Order another round.

Tip: While this last reason you might be drinking too much is a bit more innocuous than the rest, it’s worth it to keep it on your radar. Simply knowing that you’re walking into a potential “booze trap” when you hear that music thumping can serve as a signal to pause and check in with yourself, reaffirming your intentions for the night. And, of course, you can always opt for a quieter location!

Summing Up

In the end, whatever the reasons are for you drinking too much, the crucial thing is to realize it. Congratulations on taking the first step! Now it’s all about setting healthier drinking goals — and maybe taking a break from booze altogether. Remember to continue developing healthy coping skills (such as exercise, journaling, or meditation) and surround yourself with supportive people. And don’t forget that Reframe is here to cheer you on and support you every step of the way!