How Alcohol Affects the Brain

uploaded by Tomitheos Linardos February 20, 2010 at 01:30 pm
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How Alcohol Affects the Brain by Tomitheos Linardos

When alcohol reaches the brain, it interferes with communication between nerve cell receptors.

Alcohol acts to depress the reticular activating system and as a result the altering mechanism is depressed such that a person does not become aware of potentially hazardous or dangerous situations that the sensory functions may detect. The sensory functions themselves are deteriorated and may not be supplying complete or correct information to the brain.

Alcohol affects everyone. It does so, however, in different ways, depending on your mood, physical condition, personality and the company you keep. One's reaction to alcohol may also vary according to the social circumstances. Loud music at a concert may start to sound aggravating when intoxicated, fueling violent behavior. Drinking alcohol may compound feelings of anxiety which may also lead to aggressive or hostile behavior.

As the alcohol level rises in the blood, muscular coordination is further affected and basic reflexes become progressively depressed. Reduced hand steadiness and difficulty in standing in public forums may lead to frustration and emotional outbursts whereby the drinker may react 'out of character' in an aggressive or hostile manner.

When alcohol reaches the brain, it interferes with communication between nerve cells by interacting with the receptors.

Alcohol drinking can cause serious problems with cognition and with memory.

Alcohol contracts brain tissue and depresses the central nervous system.

Alcohol weakens the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamine.

Alcohol destroys brain cells (brain cells do not regenerate).

~Tomitheos reporting from Toronto