Why does alcohol make your heart beat faster, make you out of breath and sometimes blush?
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Also on heart beating faster: when you drink, your brain releases cortisol to counteract the depressant of the alcohol. Cortisol is a stimulant. Your body always wants to stay at homeostasis so with any depressant your body will release “upper” chemicals to even it out. If you keep drinking you essentially are borrowing against the future as more cortisol and stimulants are released.
That’s why if you’re hungover you often will feel horrible anxiety, because the alcohol has worn off but the stimulants are still active unless you drink again, causing the anxiety feelings.
This general idea is also why alcoholics quitting cold turkey can be super dangerous and can cause seizures or delerium tremens (“the shakes”). The only way to stop it is either drinking more or medications to balance out the stimulants.
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