Ready for a rant? 

Another friend dead because of it. Body shut down, brain warped into not caring enough to change habits, it’s the booze doing this, not the person. He’s not the the only one. 

As Dr Huberman says, ” The goal…is to help people make informed decisions about their alcohol consumption that are in keeping with their mental and physical health goals.” 

• the alcohol we drink is ethanol. “Other uses are in manufacture of denatured alcohol, pharmaceuticals (rubbing compounds, lotions, tonics, colognes), in perfumery. Octane booster in gasoline. Pharmaceutic aid (solvent)” https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/ethanol#section=Toxicity-Summary
• “Alcohol, as a depressant, disrupts this balance by interfering with the parts responsible for mood regulation. Why? Because drinking alcohol causes a drop in serotonin and norepinephrine levels, which our brains use to regulate our mood. This means decreased levels can increase feelings of depression and anxiety for some people.” https://mensline.org.au/help-with-addiction/alcohol-depression-and-anxiety/
• ” Alcohol-attributable deaths are the third-leading preventable cause of death in America.” https://www.healthline.com/health/facts-about-alcohol#facts
• It is causes cancer. ” Evidence shows that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption for cancer prevention, and therefore there is no such thing as harmless use of alcohol.” https://www.wcrf.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Policy-position-alcohol-cancer-risk-0924.pdf
• Alcohol use disorder – genes play an important role https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/alcohol-use-disorders/genetics-alcohol-use-disorders
• Women with AUD are 50% more likely to die from alcohol than men https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochurewomen/Woman_English.pdf
• Worldwide, around 2.6 million deaths were caused by alcohol consumption in 2019 https://www.who.int
• The alcohol-attributable mortality was heaviest among men, accounting for 2 million deaths compared to 600 000 deaths among women, in 2019. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/alcohol
• Some groups and individuals who are vulnerable or at risk may have a higher susceptibility to the toxic, psychoactive and dependence-inducing properties of alcohol. https://www.who.int
• In a study by Oxford University, rDrinking the equivalent of four or more drinks a day had almost six times the risk of hippocampal shrinkage as did nondrinkers, while moderate drinkers had three times the risk. https://www.bmj.com/content/357/bmj.j2353
• Alcohol is a sedative; it makes you feel better temporarily, it doesn’t solve the problems you’re experiencing. When the alcohol’s effects wear off, the anxiety and its cause are still there.https://www.gatewayfoundation.org/blog/alcohol-socially-acceptable-drug/
• nerve damage caused by alcohol neuropathy is often permanent, meaning that the nerves may not fully regenerate or repair themselves. https://www.cornerstonesocal.com/blog/alcoholic-neuropathy-is-alcohol-nerve-damage-permanent
• All alcohol consumption impacts inflammation, stress, neurodegeneration, and cancer risk and negatively impacts the gut microbiome, brain thickness, hormone balance, mood and feelings of motivation.https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/what-alcohol-does-to-your-body-brain-health
• Alcohol affects the body in the following ways, a partial list https://mensline.org.au/help-with-addiction/alcohol-depression-and-anxiety/

Liver: Can cause liver damage when consumed excessively

Digestive system: Irritates stomach lining and interferes with nutrient absorption

Heart: Raises blood pressure and heart rate, may weaken heart muscle

Pancreas: Can cause inflammation and pancreatitis

Immune system: Weakens immune response, increasing susceptibility to infections

Sleep: Disrupts sleep cycles and reduces REM sleep quality

Sexual function & fertility: Impacts hormone production, libido, and fertility

Weight gain: High in calories, contributing to weight gain and related health issues.

• Cirrhosis is a later stage in many types of liver disease. There are different stages of cirrhosis. ‘Compensated’ or stable liver cirrhosis is when the liver has permanent scarring but is working OK. ‘Decompensated’ liver cirrhosis means that your body is no longer coping with the scarring, and your liver is not able to function properly.
• Cognitive Dissonance: Many people believe that they drink alcohol because they like the taste, yet their initial experience with alcohol tells a different story. Or they know that health is suffering but won’t stop the cause. It’s a way of rationalising our actions and ignoring what we know or believe. 

LASTLY, for this extended rant, the most effective way to resolve cognitive dissonance is match our actions with our values, or vice versa. Question our thoughts, what we know about the subject – eg booze and me. Consider if the beliefs I have had a really true, does beer make me feel better, physically, emotionally, mentally clear? Consider the costs, long-term, is it worth risking cancer, all the other health risks, my money, my brain health, my sense of energy. 

And then act. Or not. It’s a personal choice. But bear in mind, the alcohol is a chemical that has affected our brains to think a certain way, to change how we think, feel, perceive the world around us. 

Rant over. 

My friend is still dead. And others are struggling. Fuck alcohol.