<p>It could be that you’re just tired or whatever that day and you think it’s because of your drinking. Alcohol simply doesn’t affect people like that. Very few substances really change the way the brain works for any length of time after they’re out of your system and alcohol is not one of them unless it is severely abused.</p>
<p>I drink with extremely responsible people. Hell in no way my drinks were severely abused.</p>
<p>Maybe it is in my head. I don’t know.</p>
<p>…I meant alcohol only causes long-term problems if it is severely abused…as in if you’re an alcoholic. It has nothing to do with the quality of the drinks. Wow.</p>
<p>It’s in your head bro.</p>
<p>Too lazy to find the study, but I do remember one that claimed that alcohol killed off the developing neurons in the hypothalamus that are crucial to long-term memory. Doesn’t affect the adult neurons (as much, at least), but does stunt/kill the newer ones.</p>
<p>So IMHO, OP’s observations may actually be real and not placebo. Would be interesting to run a study on this, methinks, although it might be difficult to double-blind properly.</p>
<p>No personal experience whatsoever, though.</p>
<p>Oh, and re: painkiller choice. None of the top three (NSAIDs, Tylenol, or aspirin) are completely safe. NSAIDs (ie ibuprofen) screwed with your stomach lining, Tylenol with your liver, and aspirin thins your blood. Guess what substance screws with your stomach lining, messes with your liver, and also thins your blood?</p>
<p>Yeah. Alcohol</p>
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<p>See that? I misconstrued a simple sentence. An obvious clue that i have lost some IQ points. AHHHHH!!! I’m so scared.</p>
<p>Of course you get a “5 point IQ drop” when you get wasted once in six months. It’s like trying to run a marathon with no practice beforehand. Suicidal.</p>
<p>Alcohol will certainly not ruin you and your brain if you drink responsibly, even if you drink often. And it’s not something that you should run away from. (oh dear USA, why is your drinking age 21 
? bye bye beer )</p>