> Recently, I tried a "semi-dry July", where I told myself I would drink only once a week (with no limit on that day, i.e. binge drinking allowed).
I appreciated this part isn't the emphasis of your story, but I feel I should point out that the above approach is worse for your liver than having a couple of drinks everyday.
That aside, there's been a few studies (though I can't recall how scientific they were) which follows a group of drinkers who abstain for a month, and visa versa, to monitor the after effects drinking has on a persons cognitive abilities. Those studies also supported your anecdotes.
I appreciated this part isn't the emphasis of your story, but I feel I should point out that the above approach is worse for your liver than having a couple of drinks everyday.
That aside, there's been a few studies (though I can't recall how scientific they were) which follows a group of drinkers who abstain for a month, and visa versa, to monitor the after effects drinking has on a persons cognitive abilities. Those studies also supported your anecdotes.