From Buzz to Burnout: How Alcohol Affects the Brain and Body

Jan 29, 2026

Charles Knowles, surgeon and recovering alcoholic, reflects on how drinking shaped his life and the medical harms of alcohol. Andrew Stelzer, reporter on the California sober trend, explores people using cannabis or psychedelics instead of booze. They discuss why alcohol can feel good then harmful, substitution strategies, social sobriety, and the rise of zero-proof social spaces.

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ANECDOTE

Teen Drinking Turned Social Life Around

Charles Knowles discovered alcohol in his teens and it turned him from an outcast into the life of the party.
That early social transformation kickstarted decades of heavy drinking that later harmed his mental health.

ANECDOTE

Crisis On Holiday Sparked Recovery

On a family vacation in Florida, Charles hit a crisis point after heavy drinking and contemplated suicide.
That moment, plus AA and therapy, prompted him to stop drinking and begin recovery.

INSIGHT

Alcohol's Biphasic Brain Effects

Alcohol produces a biphasic response: early stimulant effects followed by sedative effects as blood levels rise.
High early tolerance and strong positive initial response increase risk of later dependence.

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At the best of times, alcohol makes us feel great — relaxed and gregarious, warm and fuzzy, happy and confident. But at the worst of times, it can morph into a serious problem, damaging our relationships, our health, and our lives as a whole.

As we close out Dry January, a popular movement to abstain from drinking for a month, we explore our relationship with alcohol. Why we consume it, how it affects us, and when it’s time to quit.

We talk with surgeon and recovering alcoholic Charles Knowles about how booze affects our brains and health, and what finally pushed him to go sober for good; we hear about a trend known as “California sober,” and why so many people are embracing it; and we find out how zero-proof cocktail bars are helping some people socialize while sober.

Charles Knowles was barely a teen when he discovered the power of alcohol to transform him from a shy outsider into the life of the party. But as he got older, and sank deeper into drinking, alcohol stopped being fun — and started affecting his health and his life. We talk with Knowles, a surgeon and physician, about what makes some people more vulnerable to problematic drinking, how alcohol affects our brains, and how his life changed once he stopped drinking. Knowles’ new book is “Why We Drink Too Much: The Impact of Alcohol on Our Bodies and Culture.”
For a lot of former drinkers, "sobriety" means total abstinence — no alcohol, or any other substances that produce a similar buzz. But recently, a new, more permissive version of sobriety has been gaining popularity: "California sober." It involves embracing cannabis and psychedelics as a means of avoiding alcohol and hard drugs. Reporter Andrew Stelzer tracks the origins of this phenomenon, why some people find it helpful, and what researchers have to say about it..
One of the hardest parts about sobriety for a lot of people is dealing with the social impact. Not only is alcohol a social lubricant — it’s often at the center of social events themselves. But recently, some entrepreneurs have been creating alternatives in the form of zero-proof cocktail bars. Pulse reporter Alan Yu visits Philadelphia’s Bar Palmina to find out who goes there, and why.