\n Describing his time drinking as 10 years of fun, then 10 years of fun with negative consequences and another 10 years of only negative consequences, Knowles has investigated alcohol\u2019s appeal in his new book, \u201cWhy We Drink Too Much<\/a>: The Impact of Alcohol on Our Bodies and Culture.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n The short answer to why humans drink? \u201cBecause it\u2019s fun and because we learn that good things happen when we do it, or at least we think good things have happened when we did it,\u201d Knowles said.\n <\/p>\n \n The long answer offers insight into why some people struggle more than others and why they keep drinking, even when it becomes clear good things aren\u2019t happening.\n <\/p>\n \n When he thinks back to friends from his early drinking days, plenty of them drank less than he did \u2013\u2013 but he also knew some who drank a great deal more than he did and didn\u2019t develop any problems, he said.\n <\/p>\n \n The same might be true of your friend group. There isn\u2019t always a direct correlation between those who drink the most and those who will have a problem, Knowles said.\n <\/p>\n \n How much someone drinks and the relationship a person has with alcohol comes down to many factors, including environment, biology and psychology, he said.\n <\/p>\n \n Alcohol stimulates some of the same pleasure centers of the brain as those that give a feeling of reward when you seek out necessities such as food and relationships, Knowles said.\n <\/p>\n \n But alcohol also works on the negative side, too.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cThe more you drink, the more you drive those stress neurotransmitters, and so you\u2019re miserable when you\u2019re not drinking,\u201d said Dr. George Koob, director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cYou\u2019re really digging that hole, and you\u2019re drinking to fill the hole. But unfortunately, every time you try to fill the hole by drinking, you\u2019re making the hole deeper.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n When talking about biological factors behind excessive use of alcohol, it is easy to assume that some people are just physiologically wired to take a drink and have their brain say, \u201cMore, now\u201d \u2013\u2013 like young Knowles with vodka. And there is truth to such thinking because some people\u2019s physiology will just agree more with alcohol, said Dr. Danielle Dick, director of the Rutgers Addiction Research Center and a professor of psychiatry at the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.\n <\/p>\n \n But that physiological factor isn\u2019t the whole story, she added.\n <\/p>\n \n A major part of the biology behind who develops problematic use of alcohol has to do with how an individual\u2019s brain is wired to process rewards and risk, Dick said.\n <\/p>\n \n Alcohol use is rewarding in the brain, and when a brain is wired to seek out a lot of reward and worry less about risks, such a person is more likely to fall into a pattern of wanting to use more and more, she said.\n <\/p>\n \n Humans also tend to drink \u2013\u2013 especially past the point in which they feel good \u2013\u2013 because of psychological factors.\n <\/p>\n \n People with conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, bipolarity, schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress disorder are at particularly high risk for substance abuse, Knowles said. But psychological traits such as neuroticism, low self-esteem, anxiety and depression also increase risk.\n <\/p>\n \n People who only drink for fun are not likely to develop a dependency, Knowles said. It doesn\u2019t mean that binge drinking at parties won\u2019t lead to health problems down the road, just that the reasons people drink when they do can make a big difference.\n <\/p>\n \n Yes, some people just drink to enjoy, but many also consume alcohol to experience a boost in confidence or performance or to relieve stress, sadness or difficult memories, Knowles said. Those additional motivations can work against you, he said.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cThere\u2019s an old adage, \u2018If drinking is a problem, you\u2019re in with a chance. If it\u2019s your solution, you\u2019ve already lost,\u2019\u201d Knowles said.\n <\/p>\n \n If you are experiencing difficulty and alcohol feels like it turns on a light and allows you to escape that hardship, drinking is a hard thing to turn away from \u2013\u2013 even if you are starting to see that it isn\u2019t helping like you had hoped, he said.\n <\/p>\n \n Compounding the problem is the development of a tolerance.\n <\/p>\n \n Your tolerance isn\u2019t just the number of drinks you can have and still hold a conversation or walk in a straight line. It is also how many drinks you need to have before you get the same good feeling or relief from bad ones, Koob said.\n <\/p>\n \n The more you drink, the more you need to keep drinking to get the same effect, he said.\n <\/p>\n \n There aren\u2019t just two types of drinkers \u2013\u2013 those who have a problem and those who don\u2019t have to worry about it, Dick said. It is a continuum.\n <\/p>\n \n On one side, there are those who don\u2019t drink at all, those who may drink sometimes but don\u2019t particularly like it, and those who drink but in a way that feels healthy and manageable. On the other side of the continuum are people who are considered to have a clinical alcohol use disorder, which can be mild, moderate or severe.\n <\/p>\n \n Diagnostic criteria for alcohol use disorder include factors such as continuing to drink even though it is affecting your job or family, getting into dangerous situations and having withdrawal symptoms, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.\n <\/p>\n \n In the middle are those who call themselves gray area drinkers, Knowles said. It isn\u2019t a medical definition but rather an acknowledgement of unhealthy drinking patterns.\n <\/p>\n \n They haven\u2019t had issues at work because of their drinking, haven\u2019t lost relationships or suffered health issues yet. But they may not be performing at their best, feeling present with their kids or dealing with stress or hardships effectively, Knowles said.\n <\/p>\n \n Cutting back no matter what level of drinking you are at can have health benefits, Dick said.\n <\/p>\n \n A change in a relationship with alcohol should start with a period of abstinence, Knowles said. Challenges such as a Dry January<\/a> are a good opportunity to take a step back and break down the role alcohol plays in your life.\n <\/p>\n \n From there, it is important to educate yourself on the pros and cons of drinking, find a way to engage in support and community that doesn\u2019t center around alcohol, and learn to address the psychological problems that alcohol may have suppressed, Knowles said.\n <\/p>\n \n For those gray area drinkers, that can mean reading books on drinking and sobriety, addressing underlying stresses and finding new ways to socialize.\n <\/p>\n \n Although it feels like alcohol is a part of everything, in general, people are drinking less than they did in earlier generations, especially younger ones, Dick said. And with that decline has come a rise in mocktail and nonalcoholic drink culture<\/a>. Finding those alternatives can be a good way to engage in social routines without grabbing an alcoholic drink, she said.\n <\/p>\n \n For people who have clinical alcohol use disorder, support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous, treatment centers and medical detox resources may be crucial.\n <\/p>\n![\"How](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gettyimages-1142917166.jpg\")
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