What Alcohol does to your Brain?

Alcohol suppresses the release of excitatory neurotransmitters such as glutamate. Those neurotransmitters are responsible for increasing energy levels and brain activity.

Alcohol increases the release of inhibitory neurotransmitters such as GABA. The inhibitory neurotransmitters reduce energy levels and result in a calming effect. This is one reason why some people feel relaxed or even have a hard time moving after drinking.

Dopamine is the chemical that results in feelings of excitement and motivation. When Dopamine surges a person gets motivated to seek rewards. This is why some people suddenly become very motivated to talk to others and to socialize after drinking. 

The fact that alcohol slows down the communication between neurotransmitters makes it a depressive substance. Anti-depressants work by enhancing the communication between neurotransmitters; the opposite of what alcohol does. (See How does it feel like to be depressed?)

Because dopamine is a highly addictive substance, especially when the brain gets exposed to high levels of it, the person becomes more dependent on alcohol to regulate his mood or to feel better. Dopamine is also the same chemical released when people consume drugs such as cocaine. 

Alcohol forces the brain to slow down the processing of the information coming through the senses. This is why people think that alcohol makes them less inhibited, whereas it just makes them slow in noticing what's going on around them.

Alcohol affects the cerebral cortex, the region in the brain where thought processing happens, in such a case that the person's thinking process gets inhibited.

Alcohol affects the cerebellum or the center of balance in the brain in such a way that a person might have a hard time standing or maintaining co-ordination. (See What Does It Feel Like to Be Drunk?)

Alcohol depresses the nerve centers in the hypothalamus, the region in the brain responsible for sexual arousal and performance, and as a result sexual drive is increased but sexual performance is decreased.

Alcohol affects the medulla, the area of the brain responsible for automatic functions such as breathing, and as a result the person might breathe slowly and feel sleepy.

Alcohol forces the brains of men to produce more Dopamine than the brains of women. This is why men are more likely to develop alcohol addiction than women. See why some people are addicted to porn.

Alcohol can produce temporary impairment in memory and blackouts. Depending on the amount, the person can fail to recall details of events or even entire events.

According to research, heavy drinkers may suffer from brain damage over a prolonged period of time. The damage can be a direct result of drinking alcohol or a result of the person's poor health conditions which also resulted from alcohol.

The Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome is a brain disorder that can result from excessive use of alcohol and is a disorder that leads to mental confusion, paralysis of the nerves that move the eyes and difficulty in muscle co-ordination.

Korsakoff’s psychosis is a brain disorder that usually most of the people who suffer from Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome develop. This disorder is characterized by having persistent learning and memory problems.

Long term drinking results in the reduction of serotonin, the happiness hormore. This could lead to increased anxiety, bad moods and eventually depression. See How to release Serotonin naturally.

According to one theory, the fact that alcohol can easily cross the blood-brain barrier can result in direct damage of brain cells.

When a person drinks at a young age his brain, which is still developing, can develop in a different way. This can result in letting the person develop an impulsive behavior.

According to Wikipedia, long term consumption of alcohol can produce a proinflammatory response in the brain.