Drinking alcohol alters behavior… But to what extent? Researchers have answered this question. Explanations.
- When drinking, you should consume a maximum of two glasses of alcohol per day, not every day according to the recommendations of Public Health France.
- The ideal is not to exceed 10 glasses per week.
87% of 18-75 year olds consume alcohol at least once a year according to Public Health France, and 10% of adults drink it daily. It is therefore a major public health problem. Indeed, alcohol promotes the direct development of certain diseases – such as alcoholic cirrhosis – but also constitutes a risk factor for many pathologies such as cancers, arterial hypertension or even cognitive disorders. But, according to a new study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, the dangerous consumption of alcohol – that is to say above the recommendations in force for the population – could also be associated with certain psychic changes. According to the researchers, these could modify the behavior of individuals and have harmful consequences on their mental health.
Even if consumption is reasonable, it can be problematic
“Drinkers who are not dependent on alcohol meet the same criteria for harmful or hazardous drinking as dependent peoplebelieves Cathy Montgomery, one of the authors. This may be associated with changes in neurocognitive function, which may also affect these individuals’ day-to-day life and lead to increased or decreased control of their alcohol consumption.”. In other words, even if a person does not have a problem with alcoholism but drinks it regularly, his consumption can increase, become problematic and affect his life.
Assess the impact of alcohol consumption
To measure the impact of alcohol consumption on the lives of different types of drinkers, the scientists selected nearly 700 participants and divided them into groups: those classified as alcoholics, those who were addicted to this substance, and those who drank alcohol occasionally and were not addicted. They were 343 and 323 respectively. All of them had to complete questionnaires aimed at evaluating whether their alcohol consumption had repercussions on their social life, their psychological and physical state or even if it had financial or legal impacts. For example, they had to answer a question like “have you ever gotten into trouble with the police because of your drinking?” or “have you ever missed a day of work after a drunken night out?”. Here, the method is also the limit of the study: self-assessment. The results are therefore dependent on the veracity of the statements of the participants. On the other hand, since this work was carried out during the pandemic, the authors believe that the levels of alcohol consumption may have been higher than usual.
The vicious circle of alcohol
According to the researchers’ findings, people with heavy drinking – i.e. those so-called alcoholics – performed worse in terms of strategic planning, organizational ability and impulse control. . Moreover, “hazardous alcohol consumption leads to self-reported impairment of memory and executive functions“, says Cathy Montgomery. These people reported more alcohol-related problems. In our analyses, it was proven that disorders of memory and executive function – that is to say the set of mental processes that a person uses to manage his behavior – also had an impact on the effects of alcohol and therefore the problems associated with it”. Thus, according to the researchers, the fact of drinking causes problems with memory and executive function, which themselves then influence the alcohol consumption of these individuals. A vicious circle which, as they recall, does not only affect dependent and alcoholic people.
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