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Binge Drinking As A Teen Can Lead To Anxiety And Addiction As An Adult

by Adam Pliskin

It's no surprise binge drinking as a teenager, or at any point in one's life, is not a particularly healthy activity. But it may be worse for you than previously thought.

Researchers at the University of Illinois College of Medicine have found binge drinking during adolescence can have long-lasting effects on a person's brain chemistry.

Excessive drinking during this crucial time can change your DNA for the entirety of your life.

In the long run, this can lead to the development of certain anxiety disorders and alcoholism.

Subhash Pandey, a professor involved in the study, said,

Our study provides a mechanism for how binge-drinking during adolescence may lead to lasting changes that result in increased anxiety and alcoholism in adults. Intermittent alcohol exposure 'degrades the ability of the brain to form the connections it needs to during adolescence. The brain doesn't develop as it should, and there are lasting behavioural changes associated with this.

Pandey and his team fed alcohol to rats to see how the substance would impact their brain development.

As the rats aged, lasting effects from the alcohol were observed. The rats displayed anxious tendencies and drank higher amounts of alcohol later on in life.

Long story short, teen drinking is very bad.

Citations: Alcohol puts young people at risk of anxiety disorders and addiction (Daily Mail)