(Don't) Raise a Glass

“Raise a glass to freedom. Something they can never take away…”

“Red, red wine goes to my head. Makes me forget…”

“If you like piña coladas, and gettin’ caught in the rain…”

“Whiskey, whiskey, whiskey. Wake up, shake it off, and repeat…”

What do all these songs have in common? Alcohol. I guarantee most of us hear someone talking or singing about drinking every day. It’s a huge part of American society. However, most of us also know that drinking is really not great for you, especially the kind of drinking these songs are talking about. What really happens in your brain while you drink alcohol? 

After 1-2 drinks (depending on whether you’re male or female, your body weight, etc.), you’re entering the beginning stages of intoxication. Your reaction time may be slower and judgement may be slightly impaired. This is when your blood alcohol content (BAC) is between 0.01-0.05 - you’re buzzed (How alcohol impacts the brain, 2021).

As you continue to drink, your brain releases more dopamine. You are feeling more confident, but your memory and reasoning become more impaired. Your BAC is about 0.03-0.12, and you’re likely tipsy (How alcohol impacts the brain, 2021). 

When your BAC enters anywhere from 0.08-0.25, you’re officially intoxicated. At this point, your occipital, frontal, parietal, and temporal lobes have all been affected. You have blurred vision, your speech is slurred, your hearing isn’t as sharp, and you’re lacking control. You may have even lost some fine motor skills (How alcohol impacts the brain, 2021). 

As you continue drinking, your cerebellum, the part of your brain that helps with coordination, is impaired. You probably need help walking. This is when blackouts typically occur. For example, if someone goes out with friends to a few bars one night and has a black out, they won’t remember most of the evening when asked about it the next day. They can remember up to one point, and then it’s all gone. People blackout because their hippocampus, the part of the brain that deals with memory, is impaired. They aren’t able to make and retain those short-term memories. Your BAC is 0.18-0.3 (How alcohol impacts the brain, 2021). 

Past these stages, you move into stupor, which puts you at a high risk for alcohol poisoning - many of your functions are severely impaired. If you drink any more than that, you’re at risk for a coma and possibly death as your body continues to shut down (How alcohol impacts the brain, 2021). I won’t go into much more detail because you get the point.

Before writing this post, I didn’t personally realize all the areas of the brain that can be affected. We’ve all likely encountered, seen on shows or movies, or read about all of these side effects of drinking, but not many people talk about what the brain is really doing. Underage drinking is never a good idea (and illegal), but as we get older, it’s important to realize how drinking affects our brain. If we know what is biologically happening, we can recognize what stage we’re in and stop while we’re ahead. Or even not drink all together. 

Reference: How alcohol impacts the brain. (2021). Northwestern Medicine. Retrieved from https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/alcohol-and-the-brain. 

Challenges/Points:

• Depending on what stage of intoxication you’re in, your parietal, temporal, occipital, and frontal lobes can all be affected, as well as your hippocampus and cerebellum. 

• Being smart about drinking includes understanding what’s happening to your brain when you drink so either don’t drink or know when to stop. 

• Set your limit for drinking now and stick with it - don’t let others pressure you into drinking more. 

Questions:

• How often do you drink alcohol?

• After reading this post, what is one thing you can take away so that you are smart about drinking?

• What surprised you about the effects of alcohol on the brain?

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