ALCOHOL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS
Mental health problems not only result from consuming too much alcohol. They can even compel individuals to drink too much.
There is some evidence associating light alcohol consumption with better health in some adults. Between one and three units on a daily basis have been found to help protect us from heart disease, dementia, and Alzheimer's Disease, and a small glass of red wine everyday may decrease risk of stroke in females.
There is a lot more evidence showing that drinking too much alcohol leads to significant bodily and mental illnesses. 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 also help to temporarily relieve the symptoms of more serious mental health issues. Alcohol issues are more common among individuals with more severe mental health issues. This does not necessarily mean that alcohol provokes severe mental illness. Drinking to deal with difficult feelings or symptoms of mental illness is sometimes called 'self-medication' by individuals in the mental health field. This is often why people with mental health issues drink. It can make existing mental health conditions worse. Evidence shows that people 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 illnesses, such as depression.
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. Alcohol depresses the central nervous system, and this can make us less inhibited in our behaviour. Alcohol can even reveal or magnify our underlying feelings. This is one of the reasons that many people become aggressive or angry when drinking. If our underlying feelings are of unhappiness, anxiety or anger, then alcohol can magnify them. What about the after-effects?
One of the main issues linked with using alcohol to deal with anxiety and depression is that individuals 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. This can lead some people to drink more, to ward off these difficult feelings, and a dangerous cycle of dependence can develop.
Alcohol issues are more common among individuals with more severe mental health conditions. If our underlying feelings are of unhappiness, anxiety or anger, then alcohol can magnify them. One of the main problems associated 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.