Alcohol is used in our society for a host of reasons, sometimes inappropriately. People tend to use alcohol to calm down, unwind, relax, increase self-esteem, lower inhibitions, or even to indirectly deal with a problem. In fact, alcohol is a depressant that affects the central nervous system- specifically the way we think, act, and feel. When making decisions about drinking, it is necessary to know what alcohol does to you physically and psychologically. Alcohol consumption can affect your body directly and indirectly.
Alcohol is absorbed relatively quickly into the bloodstream through the stomach and small intestine.
After circulating throughout the entire body, the alcohol is then slowly broken down, mostly by the liver. Consumption of alcohol over an extended period of time can lead to loss of appetite, heart, liver, and central nervous system damage, skin problems, vitamin deficiencies, and sexual impotence in men. Women that are pregnant not only run the risk of harming themselves, but also can harm the developing baby. The short term effects of excessive alcohol use can also lead to many problems. If you drink too much alcohol in a short amount of time, the anesthetic effects of the alcohol can affect your deeper levels of brain functioning, resulting in a coma, or even death.