Is Alcohol a Stimulant or Depressant?
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We’ve all been there: the wave of euphoria hitting after our first drink, just as our favorite song comes on the dance floor — and whatever fatigue we were carrying from the week evaporates. Suddenly we become chattier, more extroverted, energized and carefree. But is alcohol actually a stimulant, or is it just lowering our inhibitions?
We’re exploring whether alcohol is a stimulant or depressant and gaining insight into how it affects our central nervous system. We also offer tips for improving our relationship with alcohol. Let’s get started!
By definition, a stimulant is a substance that excites our central nervous system (CNS), increasing our energy, alertness, and attention. Because they activate our central nervous system, stimulants also tend to increase our heart rate or blood pressure. Caffeine is one of the most widely-used natural stimulants, helping us feel more awake, alert, and energetic.
Stimulants can also come in the form of prescription medications. In fact, they were once used to treat asthma, obesity, neurological disorders, and a variety of other ailments. However, because of their potential for abuse and addiction, they’re now prescribed for only a few health conditions, such as narcolepsy and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Other stimulants include drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine.
So, does alcohol qualify as a stimulant? In a word, no. When we start drinking, alcohol may make us feel lively, talkative, and energized — so it’s easy to assume alcohol is a stimulant. But we’re not chemically stimulated when alcohol makes us feel this way. Alcohol isn’t stimulating our brain: it's suppressing our inhibitions.
Research shows that low to moderate amounts of alcohol reduce the functioning of our CNS — slowing our thoughts, speech, and movements. This relaxation is a byproduct of alcohol’s depressant nature: it reduces anxiety and, in so doing, produces feelings of euphoria.
This euphoric sensation is largely caused by the flood of dopamine — that “feel good” chemical — released in our brain when we start drinking. This helps us feel cozy, friendly, and at ease, at least for a bit. As alcohol continues making its way through our bloodstream, our reaction times slow, our thinking becomes fuzzy, and our memory becomes faulty. This is why alcohol is classified as a depressant: it depresses the central nervous system, slowing down brain activity and interfering with brain cell communication.
Despite making us lively (by suppressing our inhibition), we now know alcohol is a depressant. In fact, alcohol is a psychotropic depressant: it not only slows down our CNS, but it also impacts our mood, thoughts and behavior.
For instance, after indulging in a few more drinks, we might notice that we're not as quick to laugh at jokes, our coordination becomes a bit off, and/or we're suddenly feeling tired. That's alcohol, acting as a depressant. This is why we sometimes hear that alcohol is a “downer.”
How does alcohol act on our brain to cause these effects?
Interestingly, chronic alcohol consumption can actually increase the production of dynorphin, and excessive dynorphin can contribute to feelings of dysphoria and depression. Prolonged alcohol use raises dynorphin levels in the body, which can exacerbate negative emotional states, and high levels of dynorphin can lessen the effects of dopamine.
We can also look at alcohol’s side effects as we consider its classification as a depressant. Many of alcohol’s side effects are consistent with the effects of other depressants — such as barbiturates, benzodiazepines, and sedative-hypnotic drugs — all of which lead to reduced activity in our CNS.
While the effects of alcohol depend on a variety of factors (including how much and how quickly we drink, our body size, and gender), these are some of the more common side effects of alcohol use:
Drinking too much can also lead to alcohol poisoning, respiratory failure, coma, or even death. In these cases, we may experience mental confusion, vomiting, low body temperature, bluish skin, and irregular breathing as serious, emergent warning signs.
Since alcohol’s a depressant, it might not be surprising to learn that there’s also a connection between alcohol and depression. In fact, regularly misusing alcohol can further disrupt the brain’s chemical equilibrium, altering mood, behavior, and emotions in the long term.
Alcohol can even reduce our level of serotonin, the chemical that regulates our mood, resulting in increased feelings of depression and anxiety. These unfavorable emotional states are exacerbated by the surge in dynorphin, which can lead to detrimental behaviors like drinking more alcohol to treat despair. This can create a vicious, destructive cycle that’s difficult to break.
Interestingly, the relationship between alcohol and depression also works in reverse: depression can lead to alcohol misuse. This occurs when people begin using alcohol to cope with or relieve intense emotional pain. As a CNS depressant, alcohol can provide temporary relief. However, it ultimately magnifies the symptoms of depression and even paves the way to dependence or misuse. One study noted that adults suffering from depression were far more likely to binge drink than those who exhibited no signs of depression.
But it’s not just our mental health that takes a toll from excessive alcohol consumption. Over time, alcohol can cause a number of physical health problems, including liver disease, pancreatitis, high blood pressure, heart disease, and cognitive disorders. Research has also shown that drinking alcohol increases the risk of developing cancer.
Given that alcohol is a depressant — slowing down brain activity and affecting our thoughts, mood, and behavior — we might want to consider cutting back on our alcohol consumption or eliminating it entirely. We know: this can seem daunting. But it’s possible! And the physical, mental, and emotional health benefits are totally worth it.
Thankfully, there are science-backed ways to manage and improve our relationship with alcohol. Here are 5 effective tips to get started:
Alcohol is a depressant that reduces the functioning of our central nervous system and slows brain activity. While it might cause an initial “high,” it slows our reaction time, impairs our judgment, and alters our mood as it makes its way through our system. Even small amounts of alcohol have depressive effects. Over time, excessive consumption of alcohol can contribute to feelings of depression and lead to alcohol misuse. We can protect ourselves from alcohol’s depressive effects by limiting our consumption of alcohol and engaging in healthier lifestyle habits.
If you’re looking to cut back on your alcohol consumption but not sure where to start, Reframe can help. We’ve helped millions of people not only change their relationship with alcohol, but develop healthier lifestyle habits that enhance their well-being.
By definition, a stimulant is something that activates our central nervous system (CNS). Alcohol is not a stimulant because it depresses our CNS and slows down brain activity. The “high” we often experience is caused by a flood of dopamine in our brain, which is very short-lived.
Alcohol is specifically known as a “psychotropic depressant”, meaning that it not only slows down our CNS, but also impacts our mood, thoughts and behavior. It does this by disrupting the delicate balance of important chemicals in our brain.
Most depressants reduce the functioning of the CNS, causing impaired motor skills and coordination, slurred speech, mental confusion, lowered blood pressure, slow breathing, nausea and vomiting.
Yes, regularly misusing alcohol can disrupt the chemical equilibrium in our brain and lead to feelings of depression. On the other hand, depression can also lead to alcohol misuse in an attempt to cope with or relieve intense emotional pain.
We can work on improving our relationship with alcohol by identifying what is causing us to drink, journaling our emotions, practicing mindful drinking, engaging in new hobbies, and building a support system.
Although it isn’t a treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD), the Reframe app can help you cut back on drinking gradually, with the science-backed knowledge to empower you 100% of the way. Our proven program has helped millions of people around the world drink less and live more. And we want to help you get there, too!
The Reframe app equips you with the knowledge and skills you need to not only survive drinking less, but to thrive while you navigate the journey. Our daily research-backed readings teach you the neuroscience of alcohol, and our in-app Toolkit provides the resources and activities you need to navigate each challenge.
You’ll meet millions of fellow Reframers in our 24/7 Forum chat and daily Zoom check-in meetings. Receive encouragement from people worldwide who know exactly what you’re going through! You’ll also have the opportunity to connect with our licensed Reframe coaches for more personalized guidance.
Plus, we’re always introducing new features to optimize your in-app experience. We recently launched our in-app chatbot, Melody, powered by the world’s most powerful AI technology. Melody is here to help as you adjust to a life with less (or no) alcohol.
And that’s not all! Every month, we launch fun challenges, like Dry/Damp January, Mental Health May, and Outdoorsy June. You won’t want to miss out on the chance to participate alongside fellow Reframers (or solo if that’s more your thing!).
The Reframe app is free for 7 days, so you don’t have anything to lose by trying it. Are you ready to feel empowered and discover life beyond alcohol? Then download our app through the App Store or Google Play today!
Reframe supports you in reducing alcohol consumption and enhancing your well-being.