Psysiological Effects of Alcohol - Abuse and Treatments

Alcohol affects the central nervous system as a depressant. It directly affects the production and function of neurotransmitters, (molecules that act as messengers between one cell and another) by slowing down their activity. When ingested in small amounts alcohol depresses the part of the Frontal Lobes responsible for judgment and decision making. This is why a person will open up, talk more freely and lose inhibitions. Taken in larger amounts, alcohol starts affecting movement, speech and short-term memory. When the Temporal Lobes and Cerebellum are affected the effects are impaired hearing, emotional changes, problems with language comprehension, balance control, coordination, reflexes and memory for simple skills. Blackouts (loss of memory while drinking) occur when alcohol cuts off oxygen to the brain. Alcohol destroys thousands and thousands of brain cells every time a person drinks it. If a person continues to consume alcohol at a high rate, it can lead to “Wet Brain” a condition where a person can no longer put a sentence together and loses control of their bladder and bowel function.

The dependence of alcohol may take years to develop. At first a person will develop a tolerance for alcohol; they are able to consume greater amounts before adverse effects are noticed. Due to this tolerance many people assume that their BAL levels remain the same. They do not realize that when their tolerance heightens, so does their BAL. Deterioration of the central nervous system continues, this can be seen by behavior changes; such as mood swings, becoming angry or sad for no reason and changes in sleep patterns. With discontinued use of alcohol, these changes can be reversed. However, with continued