Alcohol
Effects
DURATION #
Caution : Reactions and experiences may vary dramatically from person to person. [see below]
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EFFECTS LIST #
POSITIVE
- relaxation
- mood lift, happiness, giddiness
- increased sociability, social lubrication
- lowered inhibitions / reduced social anxiety
- analgesia (reduces pain perception)
- physical muscle relaxant
- increased ability to 'speak one's mind' and 'tell it like it is'
NEUTRAL
- slurred speech
- flushed skin
- drowsiness, sleepiness
- nystagmus, difficulty focusing eyes
- changed (often increased) response to sexual stimuli
- tolerance with repeated use within a few days
- changed aesthetic appreciation: normally beautiful things can seem ugly, things normally seen as ugly judged beautiful.
- "beer goggles" — others appear more attractiveref
- mild visual distortions at high doses
- reduced impulse control
NEGATIVE
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(negative side effects increase with higher doses)
- decreased coordination (stumbling, knocking things over)
- reduced ability to stand still (swaying, reduced balance)
- nausea, vomiting (vomiting while unconscious can kill)
- reduced ability to judge own impairment
- reduced self-reflective personal judgement and discretion
- beligerence and argumentativeness
- sloppy, disinhibited communication, boozy talking, ranting, shouting
- drunk texting, email, and other persistent communications with those not present
- emotional volatility (anger, violence, sadness, etc)
- reduced ability to attain/maintain erection in most males
- increased difficulty in achieving orgasm in some females
- frequent urination (more with beer or wine), diuretic effect
- dizziness and confusion
- imprecise memory of events, incomplete memory recall, fragmentary memory
- Passing out, unconsciousness, or inadvertent falling sleeping, sometimes in awkward positions or places
- blackouts and memory loss at high doses (anterograde amnesia, transient amnesia, walking amnesia)
- coma and death at extreme doses
- brain and liver damage (cirrhosis) with heavy use
- lowered inhibitions and increased confusion can lead to unwanted and negative sexual encounters (sexual misconduct, sexual assault, date rape)
- hangover, lasting 12-36 hours, from mild to severe after heavy use
- fetal damage in pregnant women at high dose or frequency
DESCRIPTION #
CAUTION & DISCLAIMER #
Erowid's effects information is a summary of data gathered from users, research, and other resources. This information is intended to describe the range of effects people report experiencing. Effects may vary dramatically from one person to another or one experience to another based on a variety of factors such as body chemistry, age, gender, physical health, dose, form of material, etc.
RELATED RESOURCES #
RELATED LINKS #
Alcohol's Adverse Health Effects - Nutramed.com