Teen Drinking & Mental Health: What You Need to Know (And How to Check Yourself)

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If you’re in high school or college, it can feel like everybody drinks. Maybe it’s at parties, hanging out after a game, or even just chilling in someone's backyard.

At first, it might seem like a normal part of growing up and experimenting. But here’s the thing: alcohol impacts a developing brain differently than it does an adult’s.  While alcohol is not great for adult bodies and minds either, the impact is more problematic for a body and mind that is still going through a very important stage of development.   It’s not just about bad hangovers or making cringey decisions you regret the next day. Drinking now can affect your mood, memory, and mental health for years. It's also responsible for around 4300 deaths of young people under age 21. 

How Alcohol Impacts a Teen Brain

  • Your brain’s still under construction – The part that controls decisions, impulse control, and planning (your prefrontal cortex) isn’t done developing until about age 25. Alcohol slows that growth.

  • Mood rollercoaster – It can feel like alcohol takes the edge off anxiety or sadness, but when it wears off, it can make those feelings worse.

  • Dependency risk is higher – The earlier you start drinking regularly, the more likely your brain will wire itself to need alcohol later.

Short-Term Mental Health Effects

  • Feeling more anxious or depressed after drinking

  • Trouble sleeping and feeling drained the next day

  • Taking risks you normally wouldn’t — fights, unsafe sex, driving drunk, accidents

  • Forgetting what happened (blackouts)

Long-Term Mental Health Effects

  • Increased risk of alcohol or drug addiction

  • Memory and focus problems that stick around

  • Higher risk for depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts later in life

  • Trouble building healthy relationships or handling stress without alcohol

Quick Self-Check: How’s Your Drinking?

Answer honestly — this is just for you. If you say “yes” to 2 or more, it’s worth talking to someone you trust.

  1. Have you ever blacked out or forgotten parts of a night from drinking?

  2. Do you drink to feel less anxious, sad, or bored?

  3. Have friends or family commented on how much or how often you drink?

  4. Do you drink alone or before events to “loosen up”?

  5. Have you tried to cut back but couldn’t?

  6. Do you ever end up drinking more than you planned?

  7. Have you gotten into trouble (school, legal, relationship) because of drinking?

If You See a Problem, Here’s What You Can Do

  • Talk to someone safe – A friend you trust, a school counselor, a coach, or a family member who won’t freak out but will help you find support.

  • Know it’s not “weak” to ask for help – Needing help is actually a sign you want better for yourself.

  • Take breaks from drinking – Even just 30 days off can help you see how alcohol is affecting you.

  • Learn healthier ways to cope – Exercise, music, art, journaling, talking things out — they can all boost your mood without wrecking your brain.

You don’t have to wait until you “hit rock bottom” to make a change. If alcohol is starting to control your choices, your mood, or your future — that’s reason enough to check in with yourself and reach out for help.

Your mental health is worth more than the temporary escape alcohol offers.

It’s worth your focus in class, your game-winning play, your music, your art, your dreams. Alcohol fades fast, but your goals and identity stay with you.

If you ever catch yourself wondering whether it’s helping or hurting — that’s your cue to pause, ask the hard questions, and remember you’re allowed to choose something better.

I wish you well on your Journey💛💛

Cristina Chinchilla, LCSW

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