ALCOHOL USE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS

Mental health conditions not only arise from consuming too much alcohol. They can also compel individuals to drink too much.

There is some evidence connecting light drinking with better 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 daily may diminish risk of stroke in females. There is far more evidence demonstrating that drinking excessive alcohol results in serious bodily and mental illnesses. Stated 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 issues. Alcohol issues are more common among people with more severe mental health issues. This does not necessarily mean that alcohol compels severe mental illness. Evidence demonstrates 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 disorders, 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 even 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 even reveal or magnify our underlying feelings. When drinking, this is one of the reasons that many individuals become aggressive or angry. Anger or unhappiness, then alcohol can magnify them if our underlying feelings are of anxiety. What about the after-effects?

When the effects have worn off, one of the main issues associated with using alcohol to deal with anxiety and depression is that people 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 people to drink more, to ward off these difficult feelings, and a dangerous cycle of dependence can develop.

Alcohol problems are more common among individuals with more severe mental health conditions. If our underlying feelings are of unhappiness, anger or anxiety, then alcohol can magnify them. One of the main conditions 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.