Alcohol and Decision Making
By: Preston Altice
How alcohol affects the brain.
- Difficulty walking
- Slurred speech
- Blurred vision
- Slowed reaction times
- Impaired memory
Only some of these impairments are detectable after only one or two drinks and quickly resolve when drinking stops. On the other hand, a person who drinks heavily over a long period of time may have brain defects that persist well after that person has stopped drinking. Heavy drinking may have extensive and far–reaching effects on the brain, ranging from simple “slips” in memory to permanent and debilitating conditions that require lifetime custodial care.