
Alcohol affects the brain in two main ways:
- It inhibits the brain’s neurotransmitters, which slows down thought processes as well as speech and movement.
- It triggers the release of “happiness hormones” called endorphins. The endorphins act on the brain’s opiate receptors, producing a pleasurable, euphoric feeling. However, tolerance can build up over time and it may take more and more alcohol to produce this feeling—which can lead to alcohol addiction.
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Areas of the brain affected by alcohol:
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- Medulla: Lower body temperature, respiratory, and heart rate
- Cerebellum: Impaired balance and movement
- Cerebral cortex: Lowered inhibitions, dulled thought process
- Hypothalamus: Heightened sexual arousal
- Hippocampus: Loss of memory
- Frontal lobe: Loss of judgement
- Reticular activating system: Sleepiness, potential for passing out
Some cognitive issues caused by long-term alcohol use:
- Neurotoxicity is when neurotransmitters are overworked and the brain’s neurons stop working
- Shrinkage or atrophy of brain matter
- Serious defects in language or memory
- Alcohol-related dementia
- Brain disorders such as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome
- Fetal alcohol syndrome in children whose mothers drank while pregnant
Note: In some cases, brain damage caused by heavy alcohol use can be improved with roughly a year of abstinence from drinking. (Source: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)
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