Our brain depends on an accurate balance of processes and chemicals, this balance is delicate, as any disruption could affect the proper functioning of the brain. Alcohol happens to be a depressant which can adversely affect this balance, it can also affect our thoughts, actions and feelings, including our mental health in the long term.
There is a relaxed feeling which people feel when they take alcoholic drink, and this is due to the chemical changes which alcohol has induced in the brain. For some people, an alcoholic drink can make them feel more confident and less anxious. However, this feeling is short-lived.
The sad part is, always taking an alcoholic drink does not imply that you would get the same pleasurable effect. In the long run, alcohol contributes to depression and anxiety, and it makes stress difficult to handle. Drinking alcohol heavily disturbs the normal functioning of neurotransmitters in the brain, which are necessary for good mental health.
Drinking on a regular basis reduces the serotonin levels in the brain, and this is the chemical which aids in the regulation of mood. Studies have shown that people who go through depression and anxiety are very likely to be people who drink heavily.
Drinking alcohol heavily has the capacity to affect your relationships with friends, family and even your partner. It can also affect your performance at work, reducing productivity which can make you lose your job.
Worse still, alcohol has the capacity to slow down the brain processes which can affect memory. When alcohol is taken in large quantities, the brain stops to record the memory store. This is why most people wake up the next day, having no idea about what transpired the day before. This form of memory failure is short term, and it is sometimes referred to as Blackout.
It is advised that the best way to prevent all these, is to cut down largely on the quantity of alcohol taken, or better still, quit taking alcohol totally. If the individual is facing challenges doing this, it is best to seek the services of an addiction recovery counselor who would be beneficial in helping out.