Many
of us aren't a stranger to a glass of wine or a cheeky pint after a
stressful day or a long week at work. We crave that feeling of
unwinding and being able to relax, letting go of our worries and
inhibitions so on occasion this 'one drink' turns into two, then
three... and so on. We can generally easily recognise the outward
signs of drunkenness – the slurred speech, slower reaction times,
swaying or loss of balance, along with poor judgement or even memory
loss. But how about what is happening internally? In what ways does
alcohol affect our brains to cause these changes in behaviour?
Below
is a useful summary from the website How
Stuff Works describing how alcohol affects your brain:
Alcohol
affects our behaviour by changing the levels of neurotransmitter in
the brain. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that either
excite (stimulate) or inhibit (suppress) brain functions. The
excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate
increases brain activity and energy levels, whereas inhibitory GABA
reduces energy levels and calms everything down. Drinking alcohol
alters the levels of these neurotransmitters, suppressing glutamate
and increasing GABA, which results in a complete slowing down of the
brains processes including speech, thought and movement – hence the
slurred words, slow reaction times and stumbling.
Have
you ever wondered why drinking alcohol makes you feel happier or more
relaxed (initially at least)? That's because alcohol increases the
release of dopamine
in the brains 'reward centre' – the area of the brain that is
stimulated whenever you engage in a pleasurable activity. This is
known as the 'dopamine effect' and indicates why you may crave that
drink at the end of the week – it's not necessarily the drink you
want, but the feeling of happiness that comes with it. This trick
alcohol plays on the brain is also responsible for addiction, with
many people turning to alcohol to feel better. Over a prolonged
period of time that dopamine effect diminishes , but by then it can
be too late with the now-addict having a compulsive need to drink in
order to try and feel better.
Below
is a brief description of how alcohol affects certain regions of the
brain:
Central
Nervous System
The
CNS consists of the brain and the spinal cord. The brain controls the
function of thought and this is transmitted through our nervous
system to carry out almost all functions of our body. Alcohol slows
down the CNS causing you to think, speak, react and move more slowly.
Cerebral
Cortex
The
cerebral cortex is responsible for consciousness and processing
information from a persons senses. Alcohol slows down the functions
of the cerebral cortex and therefore prevents you from thinking
clearly and reduces inhibitions.
Cerebellum
The
cerebellum is the centre for coordination, awareness and movement and
it is alcohols affect on this brain region that causes loss of
balance.
Hypothalamus
The
hypothalamus is the housekeeper and controls all the day to day
chores. As alcohol affects the hypothalamus we have an increase in
the urge to urinate, thirst and hunger – no wonder that greasy
kebab sounds so good at the end of the night!
Hippocampus
Memories
are made in the hippocampus and after just one or two drinks alcohol
can affect this region of the brain and make it more difficult for
you to remember names, phone numbers etc. Drinking a lot of alcohol
quickly can lead to blackouts – short-term memory loss that cannot
be recovered.
There's
nothing wrong with having an occasional alcoholic drink, but we
should be aware of how and why that alcohol impacts our body. Misuse
of alcohol and long term drinking can seriously damage your body,
including your brain, so it is important to understand the risks
involved and know when to stop.
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