There is some evidence associating light drinking with improved overall health in some adults. Between one and three units daily have been found to help protect us from heart disease, dementia, and Alzheimer's Disease, and a little glass of red wine everyday may decrease risk of stroke in females.
However there is much more evidence showing that drinking too much alcohol brings about severe 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 problems.
Alcohol conditions are more common among individuals with more severe mental health conditions. This does not necessarily mean that alcohol causes severe mental illness. Drinking to deal with difficult feelings or symptoms of emotional disorder is sometimes called 'self-medication' by people in the mental health field. This is often why individuals with mental health conditions drink. But it can make existing mental health issues 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 even 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 angry or aggressive when drinking. 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 conditions linked 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 individuals to drink more, to ward off these difficult feelings, and a dangerous cycle of dependence can develop.
Alcohol conditions are more common among people with more severe mental health problems. If our underlying feelings are of anger, anxiety or unhappiness, then alcohol can magnify them.
One of the main problems linked 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.
