Clinical psychologist James MacKillop stated in an interview with The Washington Post that the human brain can recover after a person stops drinking alcohol. He explained that adapting to alcohol changes the chemical composition and structure of the brain.
One major effect of alcohol adaptation is constant activity in the amygdala, which causes a person to experience continuous negative emotions. MacKillop explained that as a result, people begin drinking even more to feel less bad.
Alcohol dependency also reduces the volume of gray matter in the frontal cortical areas of the brain. MacKillop noted that these regions are essential for perception, emotions, and executive functions.
Brain recovery and holiday drinking patterns
MacKillop highlighted growing evidence that the brain can restore functions across all these areas. He said noticeable improvements occur within the first month of sobriety, while functions such as memory, attention, and executive processing recover between 6 and 12 months.
Separately, psychiatrist and narcologist Ruslan Isaev stated that peak alcohol consumption occurs in winter and during the New Year holidays. Isaev added that the reputation of August as the drunkest month of the year is undeserved.
