Short-Term Effects of Alcohol

Short-term effects of drinking can make your night out (or the next morning) rougher than expected. Did you know that beyond your hangover, drinking can make you weaker, both physically and mentally? If you’ve been searching “how can I improve my memory” – it might be time to listen to the articles and drink less. But for real, check out these very real and pretty eye-opening short-term effects of drinking…

What you may feel while you’re drinking:

• Poor judgement (sober you knows drunk driving to grab snacks can turn into punishment under the UCMJ, but does drunk you?)
• Slowed reaction times and reflexes (a buddy tossing you a beer is super chill until you lose a tooth)
• Feeling warm, sweating a lot and having bad breath (that’s a good look…right?)
• Blurred vision, dizziness and slurred speech
• Altered views and emotions (maybe headbutting the wall because your team lost wasn’t the best idea after all)

What you may feel the day after drinking:

• Hangovers, nausea and vomiting (there go the extra calories you needed to bulk up)
• Lowered immune system, even up to 24 hours after drinking (meaning your buddy’s cold is more likely to become your cold)
• Dehydration (oof, you know all about that dreaded early morning sprint to get water)
• Disturbed sleep (no time to make up for those lost zzz’s on duty or in the field)
• Memory loss (seeing what texts you shot out the night before can cause some serious anxiety the next day)

If you’ve been wondering how to take back control of your nights out and live with no regrets, it’s time to set some personal drinking limits and own it! To find out how, check out Tips for Cutting Back.