Why then do people say that anxiety sufferers should avoid alcohol lest their anxiety increase? That doesn't seem logical, when alcohol does such a great job of instantly calming your nerves as you pucker up and ask that hot guy in sales for a big, wet kiss?
Well it turns out that although alcohol, in the short term, reduces anxiety, in the long term, alcohol actually makes anxiety worse:
Here's what you can expect from alcohol"
Short term effects of alcohol
- Alcohol is a depressant because it acts quickly to depress the central nervous system, giving a feeling of relaxation for a short period of time.
- Alcohol increases the chemical inhibitory neurotransmitter Gamma-aminobutyric acid (or "GABA"), which has the effect of stopping the anxious feelings being produced.
- Alcohol's chemical effect therefore makes it a fast acting "anxiolytic" -- i.e. an anxiety reducer.
- Alcohol withdrawal symptoms are experienced as anxiety. This can fuel more alcohol intake, which results in a vicious cycle of anxiety and alcohol consumption. Patients with panic disorder who are alcohol dependent are unable to distinguish panic symptoms, with the exception of tremor, from alcohol withdrawal.
http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa26.htm"> (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism No. 26 PH 352 October 1994)
- http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa26.htm"> GABA is the major inhibitory (i.e. calming) neurotransmitter system in the central nervous system. It has been shown that long-term exposure to alcohol reduces the levels and function of the GABA-benzodiazepine (or "GBzR") receptor in the central nervous system. In other words, long-term consumption actually reduces the anxiolytic function in the brain, making us less able to cope with anxiety in the long run.
(Reduced levels of the GABA-benzodiazepine receptor in alcohol dependency in the absence of grey matter atrophy) - http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa26.htm"> Serotonin Depletion. Alcohol consumption over a long period of time leads to a depletion of serotonin in the brain. As serotonin is a 'happiness' hormone this can lead to depression, and depression is often linked to anxiety.
(The Role of Serotonin in Alcohol's Effects on the Brain)
Unless you are in a coma or are a sociopath, everyone has a certain degree of anxiety. Anxiety is normal, but anxiety disorders are not. Yet anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., afflicting 40 million adults. And alcohol is an easily accessible form of self-medication for your anxiety. But it could also end up becoming your only source of relief and your worst enemy.
So, as you toast the new year with that third (or tenth) glass of mulled wine, ask yourself, is this getting get me through another inane conversation with that woman in accounting who insists on showing me photos of her cats, or do I need this just to get through another terrifying day on earth?
Happy, healthy holidays, and safe drinking to everyone"
Dr AnnabelleRC
Author of A Life Lived Ridiculously
1
