With continued abstinence, you'll feel like you can think more clearly, mental confusion will ease, and your mind will be alert again, no longer bored by substance abuse. You'll be able to concentrate better and your memory will improve. Years of alcohol abuse can extensively damage this area of the brain, leading to a wide variety of problems, such as memory loss and the inability to think rationally. When a person who drinks a lot abruptly stops drinking, that dopamine rush is also reduced.
Over time, the brain will try to recalibrate and, for the most part, it will be able to restore its dopamine to more consistent levels. These images show how scientists can use imaging technology to measure the functioning of the brain and heart. There is greater activity in reds and yellows, and reduced activity in blues and purples. Both healthy brains and healthy hearts show greater activity than sick brains and hearts, because both addiction and heart disease cause changes in function.
In drug addiction, the frontal cortex, in particular, shows less activity. This is the part of the brain related to judgment and decision-making (NIDA). What Happens to Your Brain When You Stop Drinking? The decision to stop drinking alcohol is profound and can be liberating to separate yourself from such a destructive and addictive substance. For those who have been drinking alcohol for a long time, stopping drinking can mark a time of change and progress in their lives in which they prioritize their health over their desire to consume alcohol.
The shrinkage of any part of the brain is worrisome, but the damage caused by alcohol is especially worrisome, since some of the shrinkage is likely due to cell death. Once brain cells die, the effect of brain damage is permanent. Fortunately, some of the changes in the alcoholic brain are due to cells simply changing size in the brain. Once an alcoholic has stopped drinking, these cells return to their normal volume, demonstrating that some alcohol-related brain damage is reversible.
