Cheers or Fears? What Happens to Your Body and Mind When You Drink Alcohol
As Dry January comes to an end, many people are reflecting on their month-long break from alcohol. Whether you’re celebrating your success or preparing to reintroduce alcohol into your routine, it’s important to understand what alcohol actually does to your body and mind. Alcohol consumption isn’t just about a few hours of feeling tipsy—it can have lasting effects that reach far beyond the buzz.
In this article, we’ll explore what happens to your brain, body, and mental health when you consume alcohol, how long those effects last, and most importantly, how to make healthier choices when it comes to drinking.
What Happens to Your Brain and Body When You Drink Alcohol?
Alcohol affects virtually every system in your body, but its most significant impact is on your central nervous system (CNS). It’s a depressant, meaning it slows down brain activity, which can result in both short-term euphoria and long-term consequences.
1. The Immediate Effects on the Brain:
When you consume alcohol, it enters your bloodstream and affects the neurotransmitters in your brain. Alcohol increases the activity of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an inhibitory neurotransmitter, and inhibits glutamate, which normally excites neurons. This creates a sedative effect, leading to relaxation, lowered inhibitions, and impaired judgment.
Feeling Buzzed or Drunk: In the early stages of drinking, alcohol creates a sense of euphoria and relaxation. The more you drink, the more the sedative effects increase, leading to impaired coordination, slowed reflexes, and even blackouts or memory lapses at higher levels.
Dopamine: Alcohol also stimulates the release of dopamine, the brain’s “feel-good” neurotransmitter. This is why drinking can make you feel happy and sociable. However, over time, this can lead to a dependency, as the brain starts to rely on alcohol for that dopamine rush.
2. What Happens to Your Body?
Heart: Alcohol increases your heart rate and can cause fluctuations in blood pressure. Chronic drinking can lead to heart disease, arrhythmias, and even stroke.
Liver: The liver works overtime to break down alcohol. Over time, excessive drinking can lead to fatty liver, cirrhosis, and liver cancer.
Digestion: Alcohol irritates the lining of the stomach and can cause acid reflux, ulcers, or gastritis. It also impairs nutrient absorption in the intestines.
Sleep: While alcohol may make you fall asleep faster, it negatively impacts NREM sleep, which is the restorative phase of sleep. Alcohol initially increases the deep sleep stage during the first half of the night, but then disrupts sleep later on as the body metabolizes the alcohol. This leads to a less overall quality sleep, impacting the restorative nature of NREM sleep. This poor sleep quality can lead to grogginess the next day.
Alcohol’s Impact on Mental Health and Cognitive Function
While drinking can seem like a quick way to unwind or socialize, its impact on mental health can be long-lasting, even if the effects are short-term.
1. Mental Health:
Depression and Anxiety: Although alcohol may initially reduce feelings of stress or anxiety, it can worsen these conditions in the long run. Chronic alcohol use has been linked to depression, anxiety disorders, and even suicidal thoughts. It’s important to note that alcohol is a depressant, which means it suppresses your mood regulation, leaving you more vulnerable to emotional distress.
Cognitive Decline: Over time, heavy drinking can lead to cognitive impairments. Alcohol-related brain damage can result in difficulty with memory, attention, and decision-making. This is often seen in people with alcohol use disorder (AUD), but even moderate drinking can have an impact on brain plasticity and cognitive flexibility.
2. Post-Consumption Effects:
The lingering effects of alcohol can last much longer than you might expect. While the acute effects of drinking typically wear off within a few hours, the after-effects can persist, leaving you feeling mentally foggy, anxious, and physically drained.
Hangovers: Alcohol’s dehydrating effects, combined with its impact on the liver and stomach, lead to the classic hangover symptoms: headaches, nausea, fatigue, and a general sense of malaise. Hangovers can last for 24-48 hours, depending on how much you drank, your hydration status, and your body’s ability to metabolize alcohol.
Brain Fog: Even after a hangover has passed, the brain fog can linger. Studies show that alcohol can impair cognitive function for up to 72 hours after consumption, especially if large amounts are consumed. This can affect memory, focus, and mental clarity.
How Long Can You Feel the Lingering Effects?
Alcohol Metabolism: The body processes alcohol at a rate of about 1 standard drink per hour. However, factors like your body weight, age, liver health, and whether you’ve eaten can affect how quickly alcohol is metabolized.
The Morning After: Even if you’ve stopped drinking hours before bedtime, alcohol can still affect your brain’s neurotransmitters, meaning you may feel groggy or unproductive the next day. This is partly why it can be hard to focus or think clearly after a night of drinking.
Long-Term Effects: For regular drinkers, alcohol’s effects may take longer to wear off. Chronic alcohol use can alter brain chemistry, making it more difficult to feel “normal” without the substance. This is why many people experience cravings for alcohol and develop a tolerance over time.
Healthy Alternatives to Combat Cravings and Stay on Track
After a month of Dry January, cravings for alcohol may still pop up. Whether you’re trying to reduce your alcohol intake or avoid drinking altogether, there are healthy alternatives to help you stay on track.
1. Mocktails: If you miss the ritual of having a drink in your hand, try creating fun mocktails (non-alcoholic cocktails) using fresh ingredients like herbs, citrus, and sparkling water. These drinks are refreshing and flavorful without the downside of alcohol. Nowadays, there are multiple different non-alcoholic beverage companies to choose from. However, if you’re like me, you drink for the feeling alcohol gives you–the euphoria or a means of temporary escape. Simply replacing the drink for one similar in taste may not do it for you.
2. Herbal Teas: If you’re looking for something soothing, try sipping on chamomile, peppermint, or ginger tea. These can help calm your nerves and aid digestion without the negative effects of alcohol. Yogi Tea has some really great options when it comes to relaxing teas. I’ve used the Blueberry Sage Stress Relief, Mandarin Mint Mindfulness, and Cinnamon Horchata Stress + Sleep and they seem to relax me well–even more so when you steep two bags.
3. Exercise: Physical activity is a natural way to release endorphins and reduce stress, which can combat cravings. A brisk walk or quick workout might help you feel more relaxed and keep your mind off drinking.
4. Hydration: Drinking water or electrolyte-rich beverages can help restore balance in your body after alcohol consumption. This will also support your liver and kidneys as they work to clear any lingering toxins.
5. Mindfulness Practices: Techniques like meditation, deep breathing, and yoga can help improve mental clarity and reduce stress, offering a healthy alternative in place of turning to alcohol for relief.
6. Wellness Solutions: There are a wide range of wellness solutions one can use that can provide a feeling of relaxation and improved sense of well-being that can take your mind off of having a drink–ashwagandha, saffron, kratom (check the legality in your area), magnesium glycinate, etc.
7. Talk It Out. Talk with family, friends, a counselor, or a support group about why you want to drink or how you may be struggling. Generally, but not all the time, talking with others can be enlightening to your situation. It can also spark a group commitment of sobriety, keeping each other accountable. There are also online sobriety communities that you can be a part of. One that has helped me in the past is the I Am Sober app (available on iOS and Android). While I did relapse recently following 400 days sober, the app is a great tool for staying accountable. It also has features that I like, such as daily quotes, milestone tracking, regular notifications, and tracking how much you’ve saved since you stopped drinking. It was very enlightening (and startling) to find out that over 400 days I saved $7,052.
Cheers to a Healthier Future
As Dry January wraps up, it’s a great opportunity to reflect on the effects of alcohol on your health and mental well-being. While moderate drinking may not have the same risks as heavy or binge drinking, even small amounts of alcohol can impact your brain, body, and mental health in ways you may not realize.
By being mindful of your drinking habits, understanding the science behind alcohol’s effects, and choosing healthier alternatives, you can make more informed choices moving forward. Whether you decide to drink or not, the most important thing is to prioritize your long-term health, happiness, and clarity of mind.