What Happens to Your Body and Mind When You Stop Drinking Alcohol

Today, you’re getting a masterclass about what alcohol does to your body, brain, and health. 

One of the most renowned and respected experts on alcohol is here to give you the latest research and science of how alcohol impacts your life. 

She’s going to give you facts and help you be informed about the decisions you are making when it comes to your mental, physical, and emotional health when it comes to alcohol consumption. 

Joining Mel today is Harvard’s Dr. Sarah Wakeman, MD. Dr. Wakeman is Senior Medical Director of Substance Use Disorder at Mass General Brigham, an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and the Program Director of Mass General Substance Use Addiction Services. 

She’s here to answer: 

How much is TOO much alcohol? 

What amount of alcohol is okay in a healthy life? 

What happens to your brain when you drink? 

And how do you help someone you love who you think drinks too much? 

By the time you finish listening, you’ll have the latest research so that you make the most informed decisions about the role alcohol plays in your life. 

This is an encore episode with new and exciting insights from Mel at the top. 

Get a copy of Mel’s new book, The Let Them Theory here. 

If you liked this episode, your next listen should be this one: Harvard Psychologist Shares 6 Words That Will Change Your Family 

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• Disclaimer

In this episode:

• 10:37: What Is Alcohol and How Does It Impact Your Body?
• 20:12: How to Evaluate Your Relationship with Alcohol
• 31:12: Recognizing the Symptoms of Alcohol Overuse
• 33:52: How Alcohol Affects Sleep and Hormones
• 34:52: Understanding the Physiological Effects of a Hangover
• 40:16: Alcohol’s Impact on the Brain and Memory
• 41:22: How to Address Alcohol Overuse with Loved Ones
• 50:36: Talking to Your Kids About Drinking
• 53:25: Making Informed Choices About Alcohol Use

‍Featured Expert: 

Sarah Wakeman, MD

• Visit her Mass General Brigham profile
• Follow her on X

‍Additional Resources:

• PBS: Why medication to treat alcoholism is vastly underutilized
• Mass General Brigham: Substance use disorder: addictions & treatments
• Columbia University: How much is too much to drink?
• Journal of Clinical Medicine: Alcohol and the intersection of your gut, liver, and brain
• American Addiction Centers: Alcohol and Memory Loss
• Alcoholics Anonymous: Find an A.A. Near You
• Addiction The Next Step: Crisis Toolkit 
• Insider Science: What happens to your body during a hangover 
• Northwestern Medicine: What alcohol does to your liver 
• National Institute on Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism: Effects on health
• The New York Times: 48 million Americans live with addiction. How to get help
• University of California: SMART Goals, a how-to guide for setting them
• Henry Ford Health: Hangxiety - the link between alcohol & anxiety
• Pharmacology Biochemistry & Behavior: Tolerance to alcohol
• New England Journal of Medicine: Alcohol and the risk of breast cancer
• The New York Times: Why does alcohol mess with my sleep?
• Mass General Brigham: Inserting Substance Use Disorder care into the medical system
• WBZ News: MGH to quiz patients about use of alcohol and illegal drugs
• Rutgers: Women increase drinking during pandemic
• The New York Times: Could all those ‘quarantinis’ lead to drinking problems?
• Tasty: 47 easy and delicious mocktail recipes
• The New York Times: The best non-alcoholic drinks
• National Public Radio: 6 strategies to help you take a break from alcohol
• University of Kansas: Why you need a ‘why’ & how to find it
• National Institutes of Health: Alcohol’s effect on the brain (video)
• Nature: Alcohol consumption and gray & white brain matter
• National Institute on Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism: Join a study
• Alcohol Clinical & Experimental Research: Effects on cortical thickness
• New England Journal of Medicine: Alcohol and the risk of breast cancer
• Sleep Foundation: Alcohol and sleep
• Mental Health America: What is codependency?
• American Addiction Centers: How to help an alcoholic‍
• America’s Rehab: How to talk to an alcoholic in denial