Sober Up Fast – Is It Even Possible?
Sober up fast? Is that even possible? The short answer is, “NO.” But what about throwing up, taking a walk around the block, drinking coffee, or taking a cold shower? Doesn’t that work? Still, “No.” In fact, the only thing that can sober a person up is TIME. Why time?
It has to do with how the body processes alcohol.
But First – About “That” Drink
By “that” drink, I’m referring to the concept of a “standard drink.” This concept is used to define the amount of ethyl alcohol in an alcoholic beverage – whether it’s a cocktail, a glass of wine, can of beer, or other type of drink.
Each of the drinks shown in the image below is considered one standard drink. This means each beverage (drink) contains the same amount of ethyl alcohol as is contained in the drink pictured before it and the drink shown after it.
Common “Standard” Drinks. All contain the same amount of ethyl alcohol chemicals. It is the ethyl alcohol chemicals that changes the way the brain works and can result in drinking behaviors.
And why does this matter?
Ethyl alcohol is a chemical. And this chemical interrupts the brain’s normal electro-chemical signaling process (aka neural network | neural circuitry). This process is how neurons in the brain (aka brain cells) “talk” to one another and then to and from neurons throughout the body via the nervous system.
It is this chemical that makes a person feel good when they drink an alcoholic beverage because of how it works in areas of the brain responsible for a person’s feelings of pleasure. It is also what makes a person exhibit drinking behaviors when they drink too much. And that’s due to the impact of ethyl alcohol on other areas of the brain like those responsible for motor control, memory, and reasoned thinking (described more fully below).
Now Back to How the Body Processes Alcohol & Why Sober Up Fast Isn’t Possible
It’s not commonly understood that alcohol is not processed like other foods and liquids through the digestive system. Instead, it passes through the stomach and enters the bloodstream through the walls of the small intestine.
Because alcohol dissolves in water, the bloodstream carries it throughout the body, which is 60-70% water. As the alcohol flows through the bloodstream, it is absorbed into body tissues and organs that are high in water concentration and highly vascularized (meaning lots of blood vessels). One such organ is the brain.
Once alcohol reaches the bloodstream, it’s only way out is through the liver.
Enzymes produced only in the liver break down (metabolize) the ethyl alcohol so it can leave the body. These liver enzymes can only metabolize a certain amount of ethyl alcohol per hour, which means ethyl alcohol leaves the bloodstream more slowly than it enters.
Therefore, the only thing that can sober a person up is TIME.
As a General Rule It takes the liver about one hour to metabolize (get rid of) the ethyl alcohol in one standard drink. So, after a person drinks six drinks, it will take their liver six hours to rid the body and clear the brain of ethyl alcohol chemicals – even if the drinks were consumed back-to-back in a short period of time.
This rate of metabolism explains why a person’s Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) can continue to rise long after that individual has stopped drinking or passed out. Their liver is still processing the ethyl alcohol even 
though the person is not ingesting any more of it.
While Waiting Their Turn Out The Liver…
these ethyl alcohol chemicals interrupt the brain’s normal cell-to-cell communication process. These changes, in turn, are what cause a person to engage in drinking behaviors, such as saying mean things, getting into a fist fight, or having unprotected sex.
This cell-to-cell communication interruption explains why a person may “choose” to drink and drive because they “feel fine.” And it’s likely true. At the point they gather their keys and head out, they may be “fine.”
But as the ethyl alcohol backs up in the body, waiting its turn to be processed out of the liver, the blood alcohol concentration continues to rise, and those chemicals are further interrupting normal brain functioning.
Ethyl alcohol chemicals interrupt the brain’s electro-chemical signaling process and can change thoughts, feelings & behaviors when the amount exceeds the liver’s ability to metabolize.
This interruption causes that person to slur their words, ignore the speed limit, delay their braking reflexes, and find their vision is blurred.
Keeping in mind the general rule that it takes the liver about one hour to rid the body of the ethyl alcohol in one standard drink, you can judge how compromised your loved one or friend is based on how much they’ve had to drink over what period of time.
You may also want to get an even better sense of your loved one’s blood alcohol concentration level after one of their drinking sessions. This will help you gauge how long it will likely take their liver to rid their brain and body of ethyl alcohol, which is what allows their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to return to “normal.” One way to do this is to go to the NIAAA Rethinking Drinking website, select Calculators, and then select Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) Calculator.
Other Variables That Can Change Things
Frustratingly, however, there’s a wrinkle in the simplicity of all this that I need to explain. It is the personal, individual variables and the way in which those variables affect how a person’s liver, brain, and body “handle” ethyl alcohol.
- People who weigh less, for example, have less body water as compared to someone who weighs more. Thus, drink for drink, a person who weighs less will have more alcohol concentration in their body water than someone who weighs more.
- People who have lower amounts of the liver enzymes that metabolize ethyl alcohol will take longer to metabolize the same amount as someone else. The stage of brain development also has an influence on how alcohol works in one person’s brain as compared to another’s.
- There are other variables, as well, such as taking medications, lack of sleep, stress, or the existence of a mental illness that can also influence how much is “too much” for one person as compared to another or for the same person from one drinking episode to the next.
Low-risk Drinking if You Choose to Drink
If you choose to drink, here are what are referred to as “low-risk” or “normal” drinking limits:
- For women: no more than 7 standard drinks in a week with no more than 3 of those 7 on any one day
- For men: no more than 14 standard drinks in a week with no more than 4 of those `4 on any one day.
The idea is that staying within these limits will help your liver keep up with metabolizing the ethyl alcohol chemicals in the alcoholic beverages you drink AND at the same time help you avoid the other health consequences of drinking too much.
Worried About a Drinking Pattern?
Whether you are concerned about your own drinking pattern or someone else’s and want to learn more about the number of standard drinks in common cocktails or drink containers, check out NIAAA’s website, Rethinking Drinking “Calculators” option. You’ll also find tips for cutting down on their site.
You may want to read my latest book, 10th Anniversary Edition If You Loved Me, You’d Stop! The first half explains alcohol use disorders (drinking problems) – how they’re developed, changed and/or treated. The second half explains what happens to family members and friends and what they can do to help their loved ones, as well as what they can do to take back control of their physical and emotional health and the quality of their lives.
I also offer free zoom or phone calls to answer your specific questions. If you’d like to schedule one, please send me an email to lisaf@BreakingTheCycles.com.
Lisa Frederiksen
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Lisa, powerful explanation about how the body/brain deals with alcohol intake/absorption.