Alcohol, Body and Mind

In this post, I’m going to share some of the information that seems to make a significant difference for clients who are in the process of quitting alcohol.  Many of us learn about the negative effects of alcohol before we decide to quit, and we often have the intellectual knowledge long before we take action. This is what is called 'Cognitive Dissonance' – the space where our actions don’t align with our thoughts and beliefs.  But once you’ve made a decision this information can be very helpful in either re-enforcing what we already know or, adding to our arsenal of data for when we are ready to take action to quit drinking. 

I’ve added some visuals from my education slide deck for the visual learners amongst us. 

How Alcohol Works with the Body and Brain. 

Ethanol, the active ingredient in alcoholic drinks, impacts our brains in a number of ways.  It affects its structure and function, and it impacts our behaviour, mood, and overall well-being Alcohol passes through any and all cells, reaching all parts of the brain and poisoning cells.  The damage can be both immediate and long-term. 

1. Immediate Effects: 
• Alcohol in the bloodstream affects our behavior and performance, in the short term, and the long term.
• Our impulsivity increases and over time there's a risk of traumatic brain injuries, which can result in lifelong damage. 
2. Long-Term Effects: 
• In younger people, alcohol can affect decision-making, learning, and educational performance. 
• In adults, chronic alcohol use contributes to forgetfulness, dementia, and other age-related cognitive challenges. 
3. Alcohol Dependence: 

Regular and heavy drinking can lead to dependence, making it difficult to control intake even in the face of negative social or personal consequences.

Mental Health Risks 

 If you've been a grey area drinker for a while you'll likely have noticed that your mental health is affected. Anxiety and even depression can result from regular drinking as brain and body chemistry becomes unbalanced.

The Good News: Reversing Alcohol-Related Brain Damage 

 Many clients ask if the damage done can be repaired. While some alcohol-related damage, like traumatic brain injuries, are irreversible, many other effects can be reversed. Of course, action is needed and by reducing or stopping alcohol use the brain can heal.

 As a general rule our brains need about 12 months to fully repair, and people who have quit often notice a significant shift in being able to control impulsivity, make logical, reasonable decisions, control urges, reduce reactivity and reclaim control of their physical and mental well-being from between three to nine months of not drinking.

If you're curious to learn more about alcohol and how it affects us I recommend the book  'Alcohol Explained' by William Porter. 

You can also have free access to my most popular short course which explains the Science Of Addiction in three short videos.  You can gain access HERE.

As always thanks for reading,