There is some evidence linking light drinking with improved overall health in some adults. Between one and three drinks on a daily basis have been found to help protect against heart disease, dementia, and Alzheimer's Disease, and a little glass of red wine everyday may reduce risk of stroke in females.
That being said there is a lot more proof indicating that drinking too much alcohol brings about serious bodily and mental diseases.
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 also help to temporarily relieve the symptoms of more serious mental health problems.
Alcohol conditions are more common among people with more severe mental health issues. This does not necessarily mean that alcohol provokes severe emotional disorder. 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 individuals with mental health problems drink. It can make existing mental health problems worse.
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 emotional 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 individuals become angry or aggressive when drinking. If our underlying feelings are of unhappiness, anger or anxiety, then alcohol can magnify them.
What about the after-effects?
One of the main issues connected 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 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 issues. If our underlying feelings are of anger, unhappiness or anxiety, then alcohol can magnify them.
One of the main conditions 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.
