what effect does alcohol have on the brain that can lead to a state of anxiety after drunkenness for no apparent reason?
In: Chemistry
Alcohol is a mild sedative which can depress brain activity, which in turn can lead to a wide range of impacts on the brain and thinking. https://youtu.be/UfDdfRZmy1E
Intoxication interferes with rational decision making. The consequences still exist the next day. That anxiety has a reason, you just don’t remember it yet. When you find out what you did, then it will all make sense.
Drinking alcohol increases GABA (a “calming” neurotransmitter), and as the alcohol wears off the GABA gets converted to glutamate (an “excitatory” neurotransmitter), leading to an imbalance of GABA/glutamate that can cause a lot of things like shaking, seizures, anxiety, changes in blood pressure, and if bad enough it causes death.
When you drink alcohol, your body starts dumping all sorts of “feel-good” chemicals into your brain that make you feel happy and excited. Your brain actually associates drinking alcohol with the release of those fun time chemicals and so when you stop, it says “I don’t wanna give you any more right now.” This only lasts for a little while under normal circumstances.
So, after you sober up from being drunk, you have lower levels of these chemicals in your body and that can make you feel sad and anxious. People who drink too much, too often can find it hard to enjoy anything at all without having alcohol.
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