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Written by Brandon Okey. Mina Draskovic, B.Psy., reviewed this content for accuracy.
When you quit long-term drinking, your brain chemistry and mental functioning undergo drastic changes, causing difficult withdrawal symptoms and cravings.
But there’s good news: our alcohol addiction treatment program offers medical support, therapy, and comprehensive aftercare to help you through the recovery journey.
Long-term alcohol abuse damages the brain. It can lead to impaired memory, judgment, and emotional control. Luckily, our brain is plastic, and when given the chance, it can heal and recover.
Curious to learn what exactly happens inside your brain when you call it quits with drinking?
Alcohol has many negative effects on the brain. It impacts both structure and function, causing long-term damage that undermines cognitive abilities, mood, and behavior.
Several brain regions seem particularly vulnerable to excessive amounts of alcohol.
Because alcohol affects these critical brain regions and their functions, heavy drinking can have a wide range of negative effects on your brain.
Alcohol dependance can significantly interfere with your emotional regulation. This is the consequence of its adverse effects on the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that helps us regulate emotions.
According to research, alcohol suppresses prefrontal activity and executive functioning. This makes it harder for people to manage strong emotional responses appropriately.
Chronic alcohol use negatively impacts memory and causes “brain fog.” The hippocampus—the part of the brain where we form memories—suffers under heavy alcohol use and can’t perform its basic function.
The way alcohol impacts memory may also have something to do with glutamate. Glutamate is a major excitatory neurotransmitter involved in learning, memory, and brain plasticity. Alcohol has inhibitory effects on glutamate, impairing cognitive functions and making it difficult to form memories.
Acute alcohol exposure functionally antagonizes glutamatergic activity and its receptors. Chronic alcohol exposure downregulates glutamate transporters, which leads to excessive glutamate levels and activity. Excessive glutamate activity, in turn, can lead to excitotoxicity/neurotoxicity. In addition, this excessive [central nervous system] glutamate activity alters synaptic plasticity, learning, memory, and stimulus conditioning associated with the development of alcohol and substance use disorders. (Bell, et. al.)
Glutamate isn’t the only neurotransmitter alcohol affects.
Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that allow neurons to signal each other. They play important roles in cognition, movement, mood, reward, and other brain functions. According to research, alcohol hijacks the brain’s reward and stress pathways by altering neurotransmitter activity, which drives addictive behaviors that can eventually lead to alcoholism.
Short-term alcohol consumption depresses brain function by altering the balance between inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmission. Specifically, alcohol can act as a depressant by increasing inhibitory neurotransmission, by decreasing excitatory neurotransmission, or through a combination of both.
Dopamine is critical for motivation, reward, pleasure, and motor functions. Apart from these vital functions, dopamine also seems to be critical for several aspects of brain function.
When consumed, alcohol artificially increases dopamine levels in the brain’s reward system. This provides a temporarily pleasurable “high” and reinforces drinking behaviors.
A 2021 study on dopamine and alcohol use disorder found that chronic alcohol use can disrupt dopamine signaling in the brain. This may contribute to inflexible alcohol consumption behaviors and potentially affect learning and cognitive flexibility.
Quitting is challenging, but the brain’s amazing plasticity allows it to form new, healthy connections over time. With the right help, you or your loved one can regain control and heal the brain from alcoholism. Contact us today to start your recovery.
Let’s see what happens when alcohol is removed and the brain starts its recovery process.
Heavy drinking for years can do a number on your brain. Alcohol impacts how you think, feel, and act in some pretty damaging ways. Luckily, the brain can bounce back if you stop drinking, but not without going through some changes as it adjusts.
In the first few weeks after quitting daily drinking, alcohol withdrawal symptoms occur. Your brain’s chemistry tries to adjust to the lack of alcohol. The adjustment isn’t easy, though. It can cause symptoms like:
Alcohol withdrawal can be serious and potentially life-threatening, especially for individuals with a history of heavy and prolonged alcohol consumption.
As your brain tries to adjust to the lack of alcohol, it undergoes structural changes. This means that certain brain areas affected by heavy drinking can repair and recover volume.
Alcohol can actually damage and shrink certain areas of your brain that are key for good thinking and self-control. A 2022 study found that “heavy alcohol consumption has been associated with brain atrophy, neuronal loss, and poorer white matter fiber integrity.”
Here are some key structural brain changes that occur when someone stops drinking alcohol:
It may be difficult to understand what your brain is going through when you decide to put your alcohol addiction behind you. Our compassionate, skilled professionals are ready to help you every step of the way at our drug and alcohol rehab center.
With proper support, the brain demonstrates a remarkable ability to recover cognitive functions diminished by alcoholism. Two main things that happen when you ditch the bottle are the restoration of your cognitive function and your brain’s neuroplasticity.
You may have heard before that our brains are plastic. That means it has a superpower to reorganize and form new neural connections. The brain’s plasticity is crucial for learning, memory, and adapting to changes. However, when alcohol consumption is stopped, the brain can slowly recover and regain its plasticity, allowing for improved cognitive function and the restoration of damaged neural pathways.
Prolonged alcohol abuse can significantly impair cognitive function. Common cognitive deficits associated with heavy alcohol consumption include:
With abstinence from alcohol, many of these cognitive deficits can improve as the brain undergoes repair and begins to function more optimally.
Alcohol abuse can disrupt emotional regulation, leading to mood swings and poor mental health. After quitting alcohol, individuals often have better control over their emotions and moods. This may be linked to the brain’s restoration of neurotransmitter balance and the normalization of emotional processing centers.
Here’s what happens to your mental health when you stop drinking:
Remember neurotransmitters? These chemical messengers are heavily affected by excessive amounts of alcohol. But quitting alcohol may restore balance in the levels and functions of neurotransmitters.
The good news is that, when alcohol is removed, your brain experiences recovery, as the levels of neurotransmitters return to balance. Ending alcohol dependence may be extremely difficult, but with proper treatment and hard work, you can restore the neurochemical balance and give your brain the chance to recover.
We’re here to facilitate your restoration to well-being. The recovery process begins with alcohol detox. Detox is an essential first step, where we safely and comfortably help your body cleanse from alcohol toxins and bring harmony to your brain’s chemical wiring. The medical professionals at our detox center closely monitor your progress to ensure a smooth and safe detox experience.
When you first decide to stop drinking alcohol, it’s quite normal to encounter a range of physical and emotional challenges. Each person who quits drinking may experience mild or severe withdrawal symptoms. These depend on factors like how long they’ve been drinking, their genetics, and their overall health.
But there may be some shared symptoms of quitting alcohol.
The first one to two weeks are known as withdrawal. The abrupt absence of alcohol, especially if you’ve been a heavy drinker, can lead to heightened anxiety, restlessness, and irritability.
Your brain’s balance of neurotransmitters is disrupted. GABA, which has a calming effect, is no longer suppressed by alcohol, leading to increased anxiety and restlessness. This makes you feel more irritable and on edge.
During this phase, alcohol cravings can be intense, making it difficult to resist the urge to drink. Your body works to eliminate the remaining alcohol, which may manifest as physical symptoms like nausea, sweating, and even tremors.
Don’t be surprised if you start having trouble falling or staying asleep.
While three weeks may not seem like a huge chunk of time, your brain may actually begin to show signs of recovery.
Around the three-month mark of your alcohol abstinence, you may notice more positive changes in your brain and overall health.
Many people report enhanced moods and reduced symptoms of depression. Your memory, concentration, and mental agility continue to improve as the brain heals from alcohol’s influence. This means no more brain fog.
Your emotional resilience strengthens, equipping you to cope with stress more effectively without resorting to alcohol as a coping mechanism.
By the time you reach the six- to twelve-month milestone of sobriety, your brain has undergone significant positive transformations.
The brains of chronic drinkers may be permanently damaged. Based on everything we know about the effects of alcohol on the brain, here’s what you need to know about how dangerous excessive alcohol consumption is:
Do you want to stop drinking? Our residential treatment health care team can help you get sober and maintain your sobriety.
Alcohol-related brain damage can be difficult to recover from, but your brain has remarkable plasticity to repair itself when you stop drinking. Our treatment center helps people heal their brains as they embark on sobriety.
We take a multifaceted approach to nursing your neural pathways back to health. This involves therapy to enhance neuroplasticity—both group sessions to empower the healing social brain and individual psychotherapy to nurture areas like the prefrontal cortex.
Some of our patients prefer our holistic treatment methods. We help them delve into the underlying factors that contribute to their alcohol addiction. Practices like meditation, yoga and art therapy quiet stress pathways so new neurons can grow.
Remember, you don’t have to face this alone. We are here to support you every step of the way. If you’re ready to take the first step toward a healthier, alcohol-free life, reach out to us today.
Brandon Okey is the co-founder of Ardu Recovery Center and is dedicated to empowering people on their journey to sobriety.
When you suddenly stop drinking, it may cause some depressive effects, as the brain is left in an overactive, hyperexcitable state.
While alcohol was consumed daily, the brain adapted to the constant intrusion of alcohol. It tried to counterbalance the depressive effects by increasing excitatory neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine while decreasing inhibitory ones like GABA. The abrupt lack of alcohol depresses dopamine production, slowing reaction times. Nerve cell death during drinking also reduces brain volume, impairing functions like memory.
With continued abstinence and healthy behaviors, the brain can exhibit significant self-healing. But some consequences like nerve cell death can linger. Supporting the brain’s natural recovery process with nutrition, exercise, sleep and treatment aids the return to wellness.
Your brain has the remarkable capacity to heal when you cease alcohol consumption. Alcohol misuse can lead to various cognitive impairments and mental health issues. However, research findings have shown that when you stop drinking, even for relatively short periods, your brain experiences the initial recovery process.
One critical aspect of this recovery is the restoration of brain volume. Extended periods of heavy drinking can lead to a reduction in brain matter, particularly in regions responsible for cognitive functions, memory, and emotional control. Over time, these areas may return to their normal volume, resulting in improvements in motor skills, behavior control, and rational decision-making.
Six months of sobriety are a significant achievement in the journey of alcohol recovery. It’s a period during which the body and mind can undergo substantial positive changes.
Not drinking alcohol for six months can significantly benefit your physical health. Liver function returns to a more regular state, which means a reduced risk of liver diseases. As heavy alcohol intake is a known contributor to cardiovascular problems, heart disease risk may also decrease.
Emotionally, you may start to experience a greater sense of well-being and emotional stability. Sobriety allows the brain’s dopamine systems to normalize, potentially alleviating feelings of sadness and anxiety.
Overall, six months of sobriety is a commendable milestone that marks progress towards a healthier, happier life.
The recovery of the brain after you cease alcohol consumption is a longer-lasting process and varies from person to person. For the majority of people, positive changes often become evident within months of sobriety.
After a year without alcohol, people typically experience a recovery of brain volume, particularly in areas responsible for cognitive function and memory. This recovery contributes to better motor skills, improved cognitive abilities, and more rational decision-making.
Notable improvements can also be seen in the neurological pathways. Having been disrupted by alcohol misuse, the neurological and neurochemical pathways start to rebalance, leading to better behavior control and emotional stability.
After a year of abstaining from alcohol, individuals can expect significant positive changes in various aspects of their physical and mental health. One of the most noteworthy improvements is in the brain’s functionality and emotional well-being.
Neurologically, the brain continues to recover from the negative impacts of alcohol misuse. This can lead to better behavior control, more rational decision-making, and improved emotional stability. The influence of alcohol on dopamine, the brain’s pleasure neurotransmitter, begins to normalize, reducing feelings of sadness and anxiety.
Overall, a year of abstinence from alcohol marks a significant milestone in alcohol recovery, offering improved brain functionality, emotional stability, and physical well-being.
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, heavy drinking includes:
A standard alcoholic drink is equivalent to about 175 ml of wine or 350 ml of beer. These amounts put both genders at increased risk for both short and long term physical consequences. Heavy drinking can also speed the manifestation of withdrawal symptoms when someone abruptly stops.
Other organizations, like the CDC, define heavy drinking as 8 or more drinks per week for women and 15 or more for men. Binge drinking of 4 or more drinks within 2 hours also crosses the threshold for heavy intake.
Nutt, D., Hayes, A., Fonville, L., Zafar, R., Palmer, E. O., Paterson, L., & Lingford-Hughes, A. (2021, November 4). Alcohol and the Brain. PubMed Central (PMC). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13113938
Alcohol and Central Glutamate Activity: What Goes Up Must Come Down? (2019, March 22). ScienceDirect. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-813125-1.00047-7
Valenzuela, C. F. (n.d.). Alcohol and Neurotransmitter Interactions. PubMed Central (PMC). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6826822/
Salinas, A. G., Mateo, Y., Cuzon Carlson, V. C., Stinnett, G. S., Luo, G., Seasholtz, A. F., Grant, K. A., & Lovinger, D. M. (2021, January 15). Long-term alcohol consumption alters dorsal striatal dopamine release and regulation by D2 dopamine receptors in rhesus macaques – Neuropsychopharmacology. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-020-00938-8
Daviet, R., Aydogan, G., Jagannathan, K., Spilka, N., Koellinger, P. D., Kranzler, H. R., Nave, G., & Wetherill, R. R. (2022, March 4). Associations between alcohol consumption and gray and white matter volumes in the UK Biobank – Nature Communications. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-28735-5
Kubota, M., Nakazaki, S., Hirai, S., Saeki, N., Yamaura, A., & Kusaka, T. (n.d.). Alcohol consumption and frontal lobe shrinkage: study of 1432 non-alcoholic subjects. PubMed Central (PMC). https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp.71.1.104
Drinking Levels Defined | National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). (n.d.). https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/moderate-binge-drinking
