Alcohol interacts with anxiety in
many ways. The occasional use of alcohol in moderate amounts is notorious for
lessening anxiety and functioning as a social lubricant. Inhibitions and
anxiety-related social restraints are loosened up. Many of the same brain cell
mechanisms that allow anxiety-reducing medications (e.g., benzodi-azepines) to
work are the same ones that allow alcohol to calm us. Unfortunately, these
benefits can quickly be outweighed by the downsides of alcohol use, including:
1. Alcohol works on many other areas of
the brain, adding poor balance, impaired memory, impaired judgment, and
difficulty with analytical thinking to the list of its actions. These
impairments can leave us feeling vulnerable and anxious.
2. While we may feel calmed as we drink,
anxiety can come rushing back in the morning, along with added concerns about
the evening's indulgence.
3. The frequent use of alcohol can lead
to a deep sense of sadness and, in some people, panic attacks.
4. If a person becomes addicted to
alcohol, she may feel quite anxious and agitated when she stops drinking. This
withdrawal syndrome is part of the reason the addict keeps drinking in spite of
obvious (to others) and serious problems it causes the person.
Source: The Anxiety Answer Book by: Laurie A. Helgoe, PhD, Laura R. Wilhelm, PhD, Martin J. Kommor, MD
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