Table of Contents
Alcohol & anxiety
Can alcohol cause anxiety
Many people may use alcohol to get rid of anxiety, but unfortunately, an excess amount of alcohol can lead to anxiety, so if you are asking can alcohol cause anxiety? yes, it can.
But, how alcohol can cause anxiety? furthermore, is there is a way to avoid anxiety or it always stuck with drinking? what is the treatment instead of using alcohol?
Can alcohol cause anxiety?
Researchers suggest that there’s a link between alcohol and anxiety, because, heavy drinking can interfere with neurotransmitters in the brain that maintain mental health.
Alcohol also lowers serotonin hormone levels (hormone of happiness).
More drinking to alleviate the anxiety, the worse the anxiety will be as your body builds up a tolerance and it will be less effective, so it’s considered a vicious cycle.
Reducing alcohol intake can improve people’s self-confidence, mental, physical, and social lifestyle according to a 2017 study.
How can alcohol cause anxiety?
- Mood changes
Because, alcohol can lower serotonin levels, it affects the mood of the person as he can feel depression and anxiety.
- Drop in blood sugar levels
Hence, Alcohol can decrease your blood glucose levels which in turn can cause dizziness, confusion, nervousness, irritability which can lead to anxiety.
- Nervous system alertness
To avoid the sedative effect of alcohol, your nervous system keeps you in a state of hyperreactivity to counteract the sedation.
This hyperreactivity can cause insomnia, light sensitivity, and anxiety as well.
- Increased heart rate
furthermore, Consuming alcohol can cause tachycardia (increased heart rate) and palpitations which can make you feel more anxious.
- Dehydration
You will be dehydrated which will appear as nausea, dizziness, fatigue, and muscle weakness.
These symptoms will not cause anxiety but they will make you feel more anxious as a whole sense of illness.
Lifestyle modifications for alcohol and anxiety
- Regular exercise
- Decrease caffeine intake
- Regular sleeping
- Finding useful activities to occupy spare time
- Eating a healthy diet
- Can alcohol cause anxiety? yes, so avoid it.
- Speaking with the family
- Removing alcohol from your home or the place that you spend your time in.
- Attend therapy as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
Treatment of anxiety and alcohol
After you know can alcohol cause anxiety or not, what about the treatment?
Doctors may prescribe
- benzodiazepines, as they are CNS depressants but only for short term use (addiction liability), but still, benzodiazepines effects in some people are the same effects caused by alcohol, which makes some people return to drinking alcohol.
- Antidepressants as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) or tricyclic antidepressants (TCA)
Symptoms that require visiting a doctor
- Feeling nervous or anxious
- Increased heart rate
- Hyperventilation
- Inability to focus
- Difficulty in sleeping
- Fatigue all over time
- Sweating, shaking or tremors
Conclusion
- Firstly, Can alcohol cause anxiety? sure it can make you more anxious, so you have to stop it immediately.
- Furthermore, Alcohol lower your serotonin levels in the body which makes you depressed and nervous.
- Anxiety can’t be relieved by alcohol, Therefore, you should see psychiatry, taking medications like antidepressants, attending therapies can help you as well.
- Changing your lifestyle can make you feel better and it also can help you stop drinking alcohol.
Sources
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/