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Developing tolerance means a person needs more alcohol to feel its effects, but it does not change the fact that alcohol depresses the central nervous system. Higher tolerance reflects changes in the brain that require increasing amounts of alcohol to overcome. However, the risks of intoxication and health issues remain, even as a person becomes less sensitive to alcohol’s sedative effects.
While alcohol meets the definition of a sedative, it should not be used to get to sleep, as the rest you get will not be fully refreshing. Nonetheless, alcohol shared properties with classical depressants, like Valium. Experiments in mice showed that when given Valium regularly, not only did they develop a tolerance to it, but they also developed an increased tolerance to alcohol. Called cross-tolerance, it indicates that both drugs act at the same receptor, the GABA receptor. Mounting evidence suggested that alcohol acted at GABA receptors, but research had still been unable to pin down a specific mechanism. The regions of the brain with the greatest decrease in activity were the prefrontal cortex and the temporal cortex.
- The problem is that if you’re abusing alcohol, the desired effects will become harder to get, and your body can become dependent on alcohol to function properly.
- This paradox often causes confusion about alcohol’s precise effects.
- While it may make it easier to fall asleep initially due to sedation, sleep quality and duration ultimately suffer.
- In fact, drowsiness and alcohol are so directly correlated that these two things are almost linear when plotted on a graph, as done by Timothy Roehrs, which can be seen here.
- Some people drink alcohol because it makes them feel relaxed and they think it calms anxiety.
Many researchers believe this puts them at a higher risk of developing alcohol use disorder (AUD). In small doses, it can increase your heart rate, aggression, and impulsiveness. On the other hand, depressants slow you down by decreasing your heart rate and blood pressure.
Health Decline
As the effects of alcohol wear off, it can lead to a significant drop in mood, sometimes pushing individuals into feelings of despair, sadness, or heightened anxiety. This delicate balance, teetering between short-lived euphoria and potential mental health exacerbations, underscores the intricate relationship between alcohol and psychological well-being. The authors note that the study did not include behavioral treatment trials, which were too varied to harmonize their data. In addition, the study featured only people who enrolled in clinical trials, which could limit generalizability. Additional research is needed to understand the potential clinical benefits of reduced drug use, along with other harm reduction-based indicators of clinical improvement in real-world populations.
Reduced drug use is a meaningful treatment outcome for people with stimulant use disorders
Taking just a sip of alcohol causes a spike in dopamine and highlights its importance behind alcohol-reinforced behavior. Although alcohol can have stimulating effects, it doesn’t last for long. Over time the stimulant effects will fade, and you’ll start to feel its depressant effects.
Some examples of stimulants can be as mild as caffeine, and more potent substances would be prescription amphetamines or drugs like cocaine. Because alcohol impacts your GABA receptors, drinking excessively interferes with the communication pathways in the brain—causing difficulty with speech, balance, judgment, and memory. In understanding drug use and addiction drugfacts more severe cases, alcohol also interferes with critical functions like temperature control, heart rate, and breathing. This is why alcohol initially feels like a stimulant–and why it can lead to addiction. The brain is programmed to seek the “reward” again and again, motivating you to keep drinking, or seek more alcohol.
Options for support groups include Alcoholics Anonymous, Self-Management and Recovery Training (SMART), or Women for Sobriety (WFS), among others. Prolonged alcohol consumption is also closely linked to cancer and suicide. John C. Umhau, MD, MPH, CPE is board-certified in addiction medicine and preventative medicine. For over 20 years Dr. Umhau was a senior clinical investigator at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). BAC does not depend on the kind of alcohol you drink, medications you take, your tolerance, your physical fitness or how well you can drink without appearing intoxicated. For most women, this is four or more drinks in around two hours.
Biphasic Response: Why Alcohol Can Feel Like Both a Stimulant and Depressant
Even if alcohol can enhance your mood and help you socialize at parties, it is still considered a depressant and will still negatively affect your central nervous system. Because alcohol is a powerful substance that can manipulate your mood and take it to the extremes, the only way to control your emotions with alcohol intake is by simply not drinking it. Alcohol has the ability to bring out a myriad of emotions for people, such as being happy and excited, while others feel anxious or depressed. Depending on the situation, alcohol can either be a stimulant or a depressant. Until comparatively recently, alcohol was regarded as a respiratory and cardiac stimulant.
How Does Alcohol Affect Behavior?
Drinking impacts the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which regulate your mood. Over time, this can lead to a depressive state, especially when you stop drinking. You may experience feelings of sadness, hopelessness, changes in appetite, sleep problems, and loss of interest in activities san francisco mayor proposes mandated drug you once enjoyed. The stimulating effects of alcohol are highly dependent on individual factors like your weight, metabolism, mood, and drinking experience. Having drinks with upbeat music and lively company can enhance the buzz, while drinking in a tense environment may have the opposite effect.
Again, with a drink or two, you can feel more excited and energetic, but the more you drink, the more you lose control over movement and thinking. You’ll know that you’re experiencing depressant symptoms when you have slurred speech and poor coordination, preventing you from walking from one place to another. Although physical and external signs of intoxications are relatively easy to spot, alcohol’s internal effects aren’t as clear.
Differences between Depressants and Stimulants
Another common question I get is “how will a depressant affect my pre-existing depression? Another concern can be the interaction between alcohol and the pharmaceutical medication prescribed to treat mental health conditions. Mixing helping kids handle peer pressure alcohol with commonly prescribed depressant drugs (such as Xanax and Valium) can be dangerous or even life-threatening. Speaking with your health care provider directly can provide the most clarity on what is safe for you.
In this article, we’ll focus on topics like alcohol being a stimulant or depressant, its short term effects, and how drinking alcohol can affect your brain. Alcohol is classified as a neurocognitive depressant because it “depresses” the central nervous system. As alcohol is consumed more and more, the depressant effects also become more likely to develop. While some may seek the sedative effect of alcohol in an effort to relax, alcohol consumption is also proven to exacerbate anxiety (or ‘hangxiety‘) and depression in the long-term. Alcohol, when consumed in moderation, can be part of social rituals and gatherings, bringing relaxation and even mild euphoria. However, when alcohol is consumed excessively, its depressant effects can become dangerously pronounced.
Break Free From Alcohol Addiction
In larger quantities, alcohol switches from a stimulant to a depressant. It slows down your nervous system, blood pressure, and heart rate, leading to mental fogginess, drowsiness, and lack of coordination. Alcohol acts on the brain and may increase feelings of relaxation.
