Is alcohol a stimulant, or a depressant?

If you enjoy having an occasional beer, glass of wine, or other alcoholic beverage now and then, you are not alone. In fact, research shows that in the United States, over 85 percent of adults say they consume alcohol. Featuring a main ingredient of ethanol, your body will absorb just over 20 percent of the alcohol that enters your bloodstream through your stomach, while the rest is absorbed by your intestines. If you’ve noticed, when you drink even a small amount of alcohol, you may start to feel hungry, which happens because your stomach juices are activated. Though it is technically a depressant, alcohol has both stimulant and sedative effects, depending on the amount consumed and a person’s tolerance. Since you’ve probably got more questions than answers right now regarding is alcohol a stimulant or depressant, here’s all you need to know.

The Stimulant Effects of Alcohol

When you consume alcohol in low or moderate amounts, it will act as a stimulant in that you will probably experience increased alertness and energy. As to why this occurs, it’s because when you begin consuming alcohol, this will increase the amount of dopamine being produced by your brain. Once this chemical begins to be produced, you can expect to start feeling more energetic and happy about various things.

Dopamine is a chemical that is directly linked to the part of your brain that is your body’s reward system. Linked to behaviors associated with survival, such as eating, drinking, and sleeping, the release of dopamine by your brain will make you feel better and better, thus making you want more of whatever it is that is causing you to feel so good. In this case, that will be another drink.  

Unfortunately, if you consume too much alcohol on a regular basis, your brain’s production of dopamine will become more and more dependent on you consuming more and more alcohol, which in extreme cases may result in alcoholism.

Typical situations where alcohol is used as a stimulant include parties and other social gatherings, where you want to feel happy and relaxed while around your friends as well as strangers. Alcohol is also sometimes used as a stimulant prior to exercising or having sex, since it may increase a person’s energy levels.

The Sedative Effects of Alcohol

While low to moderate consumption of alcohol can produce desirable effects such as increased energy, alertness, and feelings of happiness, consuming high levels of alcohol will have the opposite effect on your body and brain. 

The ethanol found in alcohol will quickly go to work slowing down your central nervous system. Specifically, it will focus in on a neurotransmitter known as gamma-aminobutyric acid, commonly referred to as GABA. A natural brain chemical, GABA will work to lessen nerve activity and messaging to your brain that’s related to stress or anxiety.  

As you consume more alcohol, the high levels of GABA being produced by your brain will definitely have you feeling calm, relaxed, and probably even sleepy. However, you may also start to experience mental confusion, find yourself becoming unsteady on your feet, and also having less and less inhibition. When this occurs, you may start to do or say things that you would otherwise not do under normal circumstances, which can result in quite a bit of embarrassment the next day.

The sedative effects of alcohol will usually be determined by your body’s tolerance for alcohol. Thus, while you may start to notice these effects after only two or three drinks, another person may need six or seven drinks before experiencing the same effects. If you rarely drink alcohol, chances are you will begin to experience both the stimulant or sedative effects of alcohol much quicker than a person who drinks alcohol regularly and has built up a higher alcohol tolerance.

Should you be wanting to drink alcohol as a way to help you stay calm and relaxed, always remember that consuming too much alcohol in a short period of time can have life-threatening consequences. An unusually large amount of alcohol in your body will trigger a depression of your central nervous system that will slow your heartbeat and breathing to dangerously low levels, which can result in a coma or even death.

Factors Influencing Stimulant or Sedative Effects of Alcohol

When the question arises of is alcohol a stimulant or a depressant, you should always keep in mind that a myriad of factors will come into play that ultimately influence these effects. 

The way alcohol will affect you can depend on such things as your gender, any drugs or other medications you may be using, medical conditions you may have, and your current state of physical as well as mental health.  

Generally, men tend to have a higher alcohol tolerance than women for a variety of reasons. Men tend to weigh more and have a higher percentage of muscle in their bodies, both of which are factors that influence the effects alcohol will have on the body.

Alcohol will also impact you quicker if you drink on an empty stomach or if you are a younger person, since this makes it likely you have not yet built up a higher tolerance for alcoholic beverages.  

If there is one thing you don’t want to do, it is to combine alcohol with prescription medications or illegal drugs, such as cocaine. If you do, it is almost certain your central nervous system will become extremely depressed, putting you at much greater risk of dying.  

The type and amount of alcohol you consume can also influence whether it will act as a stimulant or depressant. For example, if you drink a typical beer, its alcohol percentage by volume (ABV) may be only eight percent. However, should you drink a glass of vodka, the ABV may be between 40-95 percent, which is a tremendous difference. Also, keep in mind that the proof of alcohol is equal to twice its percentage. Thus, if you drink vodka with an ABV of 95, it is 190 proof alcohol, which is a very strong drink.  

Also take into consideration the timing and frequency of your alcohol consumption. If you have only one or two drinks spread out over an hour or two, chances are they will help you feel slightly happier and a bit more energetic and alert, meaning they should have little if any impact on your cognitive and physical abilities. However, if you start consuming one drink after another in a short period of time, the alcohol will definitely act as a depressant, meaning you may feel calm, but also may be less able to function mentally and physically. If you plan on driving, having only one or two drinks spread out over a longer period of time is much safer and smarter.

Drinking various types of alcohol made from fermented fruits and grains has been part of human civilization for well over 10,000 years. Able to act as both a stimulant and depressant, alcohol can be used for relaxation when consumed in smaller amounts. A complex substance, it’s always important that you remember to drink responsibly. By doing so, you can enjoy that occasional alcoholic beverage without worrying about any dangerous side effects.

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