It is not important if we can admit it or avoid it, but alcohol is actually a huge part of our everyday life and society. We drink it when we go to dinner or lunch, when we go on our dates, when we have guests, or when we celebrate something.

It is not important if you drink one or two drinks. The real truth is that even a small amount of alcohol can have a negative effect on your behavior and brain on different levels.

The Science of the Effect of Alcohol on the Brain

Unlike caffeine, which can be found in coffee and tea and is called a stimulant, alcohol is actually called a depressant. If you drink alcohol, you will feel excitement, elation, and energy. The question is: how can something that should make you sleepy make you so energetic?

Alcohol is a depressant because it targets GABA, which is a neurotransmitter in the brain that has an effect on behavior, arousal, mood, and neuropsychology functioning when they are stimulated.

How Alcohol Acts as a Stimulant

After all, alcohol is more than a depressant. If you drink alcohol, the blood alcohol content will increase, it acts like a stimulant, and it causes these problems:

  • The Norepinephrine levels can increase, as well as the chemical responsible for being excited.
  • The activity in the pre-frontal cortex of the brain will decrease, as well as the area that is responsible for making decisions and thinking rationally.
  • The activity in the temporal cortex will decrease, as well as the area where the hippocampus is located. The hippocampus is the reason why we create new memories.
  • The cerebellum activity will decrease, as well as the area that is responsible for motor control.

Occasional and moderate drinking can cause recklessness, blackout, memory impairment as well and impaired making of decisions. Additionally, heavy drinking can cause the inability to think abstractly, diminished size of the brain, loss of visuospatial abilities, and memory loss.

How Alcohol Acts as a Depressant

From the moment you stop drinking, the blood alcohol content will start to drop, and it also has a sedative effect on the brain. That is why a lot of people become sleepy after a couple of drinks, or they will eventually pass out.

The Spiritual Affect of Alcohol

A lot of studies claim that alcohol can have a different impact on people who are spiritual. At the University of Kentucky, researchers said that the more religious someone is, the more aggressive they will be when they drink.

On the contrary, one study from the Journal of Studies on Alcohol said that prayer, spirituality, and meditation are very beneficial for people who recover from alcoholism.

Conclusion

The conclusion is that it is not important whether you look at drunkenness from a spiritual or scientific aspect; one thing is sure: drinking, mostly heavy drinking, will change the way you think and act, and it will affect your ability to refrain from doing stupid and impulsive, including falling down or calling your ex.

You can hate it or like it, but drinking is a big part of our society, and it is difficult to avoid it completely. However, you have to know that it is important to drink moderately.