Here's the thing- I know alcohol can damage brain cells and my brain is very important to me. However, I like to drink some from time to time. How much alcohol does it take to destroy brain cells? I know this would be diff. for diff. people, but is there some way that I can know how much is too much for me? For instance, if it makes me buzzed, but not drunk does that mean I am safe? Also, what if I actually get drunk? Will that damage brain cells even if I don't do it on a regular basis? Also, if someone builds a tolerance to alcohol so that it takes more to get them drunk, does that mean that the amounts of alcohol that once (but no longer) got them drunk, won't damage their brain cells anymore because they have built up tolerance? I am confused about what is a safe (as in safe for my brain cells) amount for me to drink. Please help. I have a couple shooters (as in test tube shooters). One Zipper Head and one Bahama Mamma. They each are 30 proof alcohol and I really wanna throw one back, but I am afraid of the consequences. I seem to be a bit more susceptable to alcohol since a previous illness, but I can tolerate it better than some people I know. I weigh about 115-125 lbs. I kind of bounce up and down. Lately I've been hovering between 115-120 pounds. This is according to my home scale. I am about 5 ft. 2 & 1/2- 3 inches. Some people would say I have a small frame. I personally would say I'm a medium build. I know there are definetly people with a lot smaller bones than me, but people who are somewhat larger (as in their bone size/frame) than me would still be considered medium build in my book. I guess you could think of me as being somewhere between the larger side of a small frame and the smaller side of a medium frame. I am 22 and female. Anyone got any guidelines for me? Thanks. I really appreciate it. :)

I wouldnt worry about it too much, We are studying alcohol right now in my pharmacology and toxicology class. The general consensus I am getting from the lectures is moderation is the key. 10% of people who drink will become alcoholics. 10% of that 10% will develop some kind of dabiliting disease like cirrosis. I know plenty of older people who drink hard liqour a lot and they are very intellgent. I personally have done tons of drugs and alcohol and I don't feel any less intellgent than I did before I started. I would be more worried about the long term effects of using central nervous system depressants. It can lead to anxiety problems for chronic drinkers, fat gets deposited in the liver when you drink alcohol, which your liver can handle in moderation but chronic use over long periods of time will lead to a liver that works improperly. Large amounts of alcohol are bad for your cardiovascular system, aswell.

If you don't drink that often it's not a big deal, your body can handle more abuse and punishment than you may think. I know someone who drinks everyday and has for 7-8 years now, he had a liver function test the other day and everything came back as good.

If you're getting a buz, you're drinking too much. Binge drinking is never a good idea. You might want to do some extra research on Binge drinking, and you'll see what I'm talking about. Too much alcohol can also cause cirosis of the liver or an alcoholic fatty liver. The symptoms of the fatty liver are usually noticed until it's too late. 1-2 drinks per week is what is recommended for women, so I don't think a glass of wine once a week is going to hurt. My father was a alcoholic, so don't try and tell me that high amounts of alcohol or binge drinking doesn't reck your body. If you like the buz, then try to find better ways to enjoy yourself like go to amusement parks or try transindental meditation. (OBE's can give you a buz without the booze or drugs.) :angel:

I think I did some damage last weekend. Whoops!!! :)

I find it really weird that I dream a lot after a night of drinking. Is this my brain trying to repair itself?

1-2 drinks per week is what is recommended for women. . . . I thought it was one drink a day limit for women and smaller men, 2 drinks a day limit for larger men. That is very different from 1-2 drinks a week. I can't remember my source. Anyone else know about a reliable source for this kind of information?

I think I did some damage last weekend. Whoops!!! :)

I find it really weird that I dream a lot after a night of drinking. Is this my brain trying to repair itself?
Probably after effects, because alcohol will induce delta (low) waves (measure of brain activity) in the brain, which is your brain's way of repairing itself. About two-thirds of the time you spend sleeping your brain is producing delta waves. In people that are comatose, their brains are producing very slow delta waves.

It is easy to see how too much alcohol can "poison" the brain, and why some people don't wake up after passing out from too much alcohol. Your brain will make your body pass out so you don't put a lethal amount of alcohol into your body, unfortunately, some people have drank so fast that by the time they pass out it is just too late.