When you drink alcohol, it doesn’t just stay in your stomach — it quickly slips into your bloodstream. From there, it travels straight to your brain, where things start to change. Alcohol interferes with the signals your brain cells send to each other. That’s why focusing, thinking clearly, and moving naturally becomes harder. It also messes with the chemicals that control sleep, making you feel relaxed — and often sleepy. But the effects don’t stop there. Alcohol slows down the messages to your muscles, which is why standing straight or walking steadily becomes difficult. Your liver works hard to break down the alcohol, but it can only handle a small amount at a time. Drink too much, and your liver can’t keep up — that’s when you feel even more drunk.