“Chronic stress vulnerability” from drinking as adolescent

Drinking during early to mid-adolescence can lead to vulnerability to chronic stress, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York.

…it’s bad to have elevated levels in the long term, because sustained elevations in these levels of these hormones have adverse effects on a lot of body systems. So cortisol is needed for emergencies, but you don’t want it elevated all the time. And what we found is that following adolescent alcohol exposure, adults don’t show that hormonal stress adaptation. They don’t adapt to the chronic stressor, which suggests that they may be more vulnerable later to chronic stress.

…what these studies are showing is that there are long-lasting effects from adolescent alcohol exposure, and it is not innocuous. And these effects are most dramatic with exposures during mid- and early adolescence, which is the time when alcohol use is typically initiated in humans.

Source: eurekalert.org: Alcohol exposure during adolescence leads to chronic stress vulnerability