When you ask people why they drink you’ll get a number of different answers, most of which have something to do with a positive change in mood or outlook on life. In other words, it makes them happy. However, a recent study investigating these claims found that all it really takes to change someone’s mood is the expectation that alcohol will do it, and thinking that they’re drinking alcohol. This is a real breakthrough, and raises the hopes of eliminating alcohol abuse and addiction.

The study, conducted in Australia at the University of Sydney, was advertised as an investigation into how alcohol helps people cope with sadness – one of the major reasons stated as the cause of alcohol abuse. Fifty people who acknowledged that they use alcohol to cope with sadness were recruited for the study, and each were told they were going to be given alcohol. They filled out questionnaires regarding the details of the sadness they felt the last three times they drank, and were asked to rate on a scale of 0 to 100 how sad they felt at the time of the study.

The group was then randomly divided into two - a placebo group and an alcohol group. However, the placebo group was told they were being given real alcohol. During the study the participants were asked to rate how intoxicated they felt, and how sad they felt. Every single one of them said they were getting more and more intoxicated as they drank more, and every single one of them said their sadness was alleviated.

What does this say about alcohol abuse and addiction? Millions of people are destroying their brain, body, family, life and career on a false pretense. A lie. Help them end their alcohol abuse or addiction by getting them through an alcohol detox before the deterioration results in disaster, and then get them into alcohol rehab so they can get down to the real reasons they need to drink