âAlcohol is a depressant which alters the chemicals in our brain,â she says. âAt first we might feel more relaxed and confident as our body produces extra dopamine when we drink, creating that initial buzz, but afterwards it becomes depleted of it, which then subsequently lowers our mood. Long term, our bodies get used to the dopamine we create for it through alcohol consumption, so to compensate it makes less of it.â Put simply, at a time when many are down in the dumps anyway, alcohol is actually having a negative impact on how we feel, rather than lifting the dayâs stresses away.