Alcohol and Mental Health
Mental health conditions not only result from drinking too much alcohol. They can even provoke people to drink too much.
There is some evidence connecting light alcohol consumption with improved overall health in some adults. Between one and three units daily have been found to help defend us from heart disease, dementia, and Alzheimer's Disease, and a small glass of red wine everyday may decrease risk of stroke in females.
However there is a lot more evidence showing that drinking too much alcohol results in serious bodily and mental disorders.
Put very simply, a major reason for drinking alcohol is to change our mood - or change our mental state. Alcohol can temporarily alleviate feelings of anxiety and depression; it can even help to temporarily relieve the symptoms of more serious mental health conditions.
Alcohol problems are more common among people with more severe mental health issues. This does not necessarily mean that alcohol provokes severe mental disorder. Drinking to deal with difficult feelings or symptoms of mental disease is sometimes called 'self-medication' by people in the mental health field. This is often why people with mental health problems drink. But it can make existing mental health conditions worse.
Evidence demonstrates that individuals who consume high amounts of alcohol are vulnerable to higher levels of mental ill health and it can be a contributory factor in some mental disorders, such as depression.
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How does drinking affect our moods and mental health?
When we have alcohol in our blood, our mood changes, and our behaviour then also changes. How these change depends on how much we drink and how quickly we drink it. Alcohol depresses the central nervous system, and this can make us less inhibited in our behaviour. It can also help 'numb' our emotions, so we can avoid difficult issues in our lives.
Alcohol can also reveal or magnify our underlying feelings. This is one of the reasons that many individuals become angry or aggressive when drinking. If our underlying feelings are of anxiety, unhappiness or anger, then alcohol can magnify them.
What about the after-effects?
When the effects have worn off, one of the main conditions connected with using alcohol to deal with anxiety and depression is that individuals may feel much worse. Alcohol is thought to use up and reduce the amount of neurotransmitters in the brain, but the brain needs a certain level of neurotransmitters needs to ward off anxiety and depression. This can lead some individuals to drink more, to ward off these difficult feelings, and a dangerous cycle of dependence can develop.
Alcohol issues are more common among people with more severe mental health issues. If our underlying feelings are of anger, anxiety or unhappiness, then alcohol can magnify them.
One of the main problems connected with using alcohol to deal with anxiety and depression is that people may feel much worse when the effects have worn off. Alcohol is thought to use up and reduce the amount of neurotransmitters in the brain, but the brain needs a certain level of neurotransmitters needs to ward off anxiety and depression.
There is some evidence connecting light alcohol consumption with improved overall health in some adults. Between one and three units daily have been found to help defend us from heart disease, dementia, and Alzheimer's Disease, and a small glass of red wine everyday may decrease risk of stroke in females.
However there is a lot more evidence showing that drinking too much alcohol results in serious bodily and mental disorders.
Put very simply, a major reason for drinking alcohol is to change our mood - or change our mental state. Alcohol can temporarily alleviate feelings of anxiety and depression; it can even help to temporarily relieve the symptoms of more serious mental health conditions.
Alcohol problems are more common among people with more severe mental health issues. This does not necessarily mean that alcohol provokes severe mental disorder. Drinking to deal with difficult feelings or symptoms of mental disease is sometimes called 'self-medication' by people in the mental health field. This is often why people with mental health problems drink. But it can make existing mental health conditions worse.
Evidence demonstrates that individuals who consume high amounts of alcohol are vulnerable to higher levels of mental ill health and it can be a contributory factor in some mental disorders, such as depression.
rasputin
How does drinking affect our moods and mental health?
When we have alcohol in our blood, our mood changes, and our behaviour then also changes. How these change depends on how much we drink and how quickly we drink it. Alcohol depresses the central nervous system, and this can make us less inhibited in our behaviour. It can also help 'numb' our emotions, so we can avoid difficult issues in our lives.
Alcohol can also reveal or magnify our underlying feelings. This is one of the reasons that many individuals become angry or aggressive when drinking. If our underlying feelings are of anxiety, unhappiness or anger, then alcohol can magnify them.
What about the after-effects?
When the effects have worn off, one of the main conditions connected with using alcohol to deal with anxiety and depression is that individuals may feel much worse. Alcohol is thought to use up and reduce the amount of neurotransmitters in the brain, but the brain needs a certain level of neurotransmitters needs to ward off anxiety and depression. This can lead some individuals to drink more, to ward off these difficult feelings, and a dangerous cycle of dependence can develop.
Alcohol issues are more common among people with more severe mental health issues. If our underlying feelings are of anger, anxiety or unhappiness, then alcohol can magnify them.
One of the main problems connected with using alcohol to deal with anxiety and depression is that people may feel much worse when the effects have worn off. Alcohol is thought to use up and reduce the amount of neurotransmitters in the brain, but the brain needs a certain level of neurotransmitters needs to ward off anxiety and depression.
