Once upon a time, I was in a horrible, demoralizing job that was fraught with negativity. So, one day, I quit abruptly after realizing that it was killing me. That summer, I did a lot of soul searching, visiting with friends and family and trying to heal. But in doing so, I was self-medicating with the use of alcohol. In my circle, we drink beer, wine and coolers mostly, but harder spirits are not unheard of.
Near summer’s end, I was stopped by police, and I was charged with impaired driving, and that was the last day I drank alcohol. Why? Because that charge and the resulting conviction had a profound impact on my life, and I realized that I had to break up with alcohol. It was affecting my decision-making, my physical and mental health, and my relationship with my soul.
After a few months of abstinence, I noticed that everything had improved. I no longer had anxiety, I was more fit, I had none of those days when I couldn’t bring myself to do a single thing, I was thinking more clearly, my memory improved, and I was spending less money on supporting my alcohol habit.
Then I started investigating, and I realized that when it comes to the brain, even a moderate amount of alcohol causes negative affects to nearly every part, resulting in both short- and long-term implications.
Health Canada guidelines for alcohol consumption limits women to 2 drinks per day, max 10 per week, and men to 3 drinks per day, max of 15 per week.
Knowing these limits, it’s important to understand how alcohol affects our brain and what implications this may have on our overall health; in this article you'll learn:
Short and long-term effects of alcohol products
Alcohol and brain damage
Tips on cutting back on alcohol consumption
Alcohol effects every person differently, depending on gender, mental and physical health, medical conditions and the use of other drugs and medications. It can also affect anyone more quickly if you drink on an empty stomach, are lighter in weight, have lower muscle mass, or are a young person.
No matter how much or how little you drink, alcohol affects the entire brain, causing both short and long-term effects. Because brain matter is a major component of our central nervous system, it also has broader implications throughout the body.
Alcohol’s impact on our health is complex, but it’s essential to recognize that it is a neurotoxin, like Lead a neurotoxin found in contaminated water and old paint, or Bromethalin and Strychnine, both neurotoxins found in rat poison.
Short term effects can include:
A physiologic threat response in our bodies, that causes the release of cortisol, among other threat responses
· An interrupted sleep which can result in negative impact to your mental wellbeing
· A slowed metabolism and changes to the chemical makeup in your brain
· It alters mood, energy levels, concentration and memory
· It can impair judgement and movement, create slurred speech, nausea, and vomiting
· It can create difficulty breathing and even be the cause of coma or death
Long-term effects can include:
Ongoing mental health conditions
Increased risk of diabetes and weight gain
Increased risk of many different cancers
Heart issues, such as high blood pressure, heart damage and heart attacks
Early signs of liver damage that can cause nausea, stomach pain, and unintended weight loss
Alcohol Related Brain Impairment (ARBI)
Fertility issues
Liver failure
Links to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other forms of dementia
When drinking even moderate levels of alcohol, negative impacts affect the brain and those impacts increase depending on how often one consumes alcohol and the amount they drink on each occasion.
Tips for cutting back on alcohol
Alcohol products are heavily promoted in Canada by the companies profiting from the manufacture of it, and by many provincial governments who profit from alcohol consumption through tax revenue. These revenues influence public health and safety decisions as both corporate and government downplay the harm that alcohol causes to our health.
Reducing your consumption of alcohol is a personal choice, but as we learn more about the negative impacts every day, it becomes easier to make the wise decision to reduce consumption; here are some tips to help with reduction:
Find Alternatives: Reward yourself or unwind without alcohol. Try activities like revisiting old hobbies, getting a massage, calling a friend, or relaxing with a book.
Change Your Routine: Instead of having wine after work, go for a walk around the block. Consider replacing alcoholic beverages with peppermint tea or soda water.
Focus on Gains: Think about the benefits of cutting back—saving money, improving memory and concentration, better sleep, and increased energy for activities you enjoy.
Use the Daybreak App: Hello Sunday Morning’s Daybreak app offers confidential health advice and a supportive community to help reduce drinking and protect health.
If you want to reduce consumption of alcohol in favour of some other more health focused options, there is a ton of information both on the web and on www.overcomedui.ca. As always, we encourage you to have faith and confidence in your abilities to overcome any destructive behaviour, and we wish you ever success. You can do it!
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