Why Does Alcohol Make You Drunk?

When you drink alcohol, it acts like a sleepy drug for your brain. Think of your nerves as tiny wires that send messages. Alcohol makes these wires go to sleep so they stop working quite right.

Your brain has a special switch called GABA that turns down the volume on your thoughts. Alcohol flips this switch on extra hard, making you feel calm and relaxed. At the same time, it stops another part of your brain from keeping you alert, which is why your legs might wobble.

Your liver is like a busy factory worker trying to clean up the mess. It has to break down all that alcohol before it can stop the sleepy effect. This takes time, which is why you feel drunk for hours after your last sip.