It's noon on a Sunday, and you're lying on your bathroom floor. Last night was the best, but today you feel like you may just die. You drank too much. And, at this point, you're promising a higher power that you'll never drink again if you can just be cured of this awful headache. Turns out, we have a very short memory, though, because no matter how severe the hangover, it doesn't influence how soon we pick up another drink.
In a recent study, researchers tested nearly 400 participants who described themselves as frequent drinkers. Despite how ill they felt after a night of drinking, it had no impact on the amount of time that passed until their next drink. Damaris Rohsenow, a professor of behavioral and social sciences at Brown University, says it's because of the way our brains process immediate positive and negative effects. "People who drink heavily generally experience pleasurable effects while drinking, and that is what drives the decision to drink heavily again," she explained in an interview with WebMD. Since the pain of a hangover is temporary, it's not as important as the good vibrations we get from drinking.
Even though a wretched hangover won't really change how often you'll enjoy a drink, you should really consider taking it easy — your Sundays shouldn't be spent in the fetal position. (WebMD)
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