The Sen Times

Quitting alcohol changes the brain and can increase the risk of compulsive drinking

August 14, 2026 (Conversation) For some, abstaining from alcohol can subsequently increase compulsive drinking. Our research team found that, in abstaining mice, this urge to drink is preceded by changes in the activity of a particular brain region, pointing to potential new screening opportunities to identify and help those most vulnerable to relapse. Although alcohol abstinence is associated with improved health outcomes, addiction researchers have theorized that brain changes that occur during abstinence may increase a persons risk of relapse. To explore this theory, we studied how mice behaved after giving them long-term voluntary access to alcohol followed by a