It is often quoted that females have a lower tolerance to alcohol than males and this is an indisputable fact but few people ever go on to tell exactly what the affect is and why. Hopefully this article will help shed light on exactly what happens when you drink alcohol and why you often do things that you regret later. Also give some insight into what alcohol actually does to the brain. This is not an anti alcohol article, it is presented in the hope that knowledge will influence attitude. The fact that this article is being published at the height of the Christmas/New Year festive season is coincidental; it contains valuable knowledge that is useful at all times.
Alcohol is a testosterone stimulant and the affect it has on women is based upon the fact that testosterone is not the dominant hormone in the female make-up, therefore they are usually unable to control the affect of testosterone as men do on a daily, even hourly, basis. Dealing with the bravado that testosterone produces is not a common experience to a woman and therefore they rarely know how to cope with it. This explains why they are more prone to carrying out acts that are normally not in their nature when drinking. The stimulation of testosterone initially makes them loud as the bravado affect kicks in; a feeling of invincibility that leads them to drop all inhibitions follows this. If there is a dance floor they are liable to seek it as a challenge to dance with a view to drawing self-attention. They meet with strangers when stimulated testosterone has them feeling invincible and there is no need for me to point out the dangers that this can create.
As the affect of alcohol dwindles and the real self re-appears there is true self-doubt regarding what they may, or may not, have done and whether they can face the people they were celebrating with again. This is caused by the lack of testosterone stimulation and the reassertion of the true personality as opposed to the testosterone induced personality that occurs whilst drinking.
The other affects that leave terrible hangovers to contend with are so well known that I will not go into them in this article. Hopefully if you have knowledge concerning why you become vulnerable while drinking you will be more careful concerning the quantity that you drink; especially when you are not in the home environment with trusted family and friends around you.
To have a drink can be fun, just be aware of what happens to your body and mind when you have too many. The stimulation of testosterone starts with the first sip.
A hangover is the result of alcohol dehydrating your body. Try to drink at least a quart (1 liter) of water between drinking and bed to help re-hydrate your body.
This article is copyright © David McCarthy 2005. It may only be reproduced in its entirety with no additions.
