This article was originally published on August 10, 2022.
With the explosion of craft beer, hard seltzers and family-friendly breweries across the U.S., you may be surprised to learn that a recent movement grounded in abstinence has been gaining followers.
But what exactly happens to the brain when a person who regularly drinks goes cold turkey — even for a short while? The answer is complicated. For one, most research related to brain changes after alcohol use has studied the brains of heavy drinkers or people who misuse alcohol and then become sober.
Alcohol Misuse and Binge Drinking
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, alcohol misuse includes binge drinking and heavy drinking. Binge drinking corresponds to five or more drinks within the same timeframe for men. And four or more drinks within approximately two hours for women.
