Alcohol is sometimes used by people to manage symptoms of anxiety and depression, but excessive drinking is likely to make those symptoms worse. Managing your drinking and getting the right support are crucial to good mental health.
Northern Ireland’s favourite coping mechanism seems to be Alcohol and many drink to help manage stress, anxiety, depression or other mental health issues also known as “self medicating”
Although alcohol can help us relax and give us a brief feeling of euphoria, the effects are short-lived and the long-term negative consequences of using alcohol in this way can be quite harmful:
• Overuse of alcohol can worsen the symptoms of many mental health problems. In particular, it can lead to low mood and anxiety
• 65% of suicides have been linked to excessive drinking, 70% of men who kill themselves have drunk alcohol before doing so and one third of suicides among young people take place while the person is intoxicated.
• Post-drinking hangovers can be particularly difficult, with the usual headache and nausea being accompanied by feelings of depression and/or anxiety
• Using alcohol in this way can mean avoiding or suppressing issues.
If you come to rely on alcohol to manage your issues, that reliance can itself become a problem. You may well find that your drinking starts to get in the way of other activities and puts a strain on your relationships – which can undermine your mental wellbeing.
A report revealed in 2018 that 50% of people in NI suffered from Mental Health. It found that two thirds of young people here regularly felt stressed and a third went as far as saying they often felt hopeless.
Depression and heavy drinking have a mutually reinforcing relationship – meaning that either condition increases a person’s chances of experiencing the other. Managing your alcohol intake is one way of reducing your risk of developing depression.
If you struggle with depression and anxiety, or other mental health problems, but would like to drink, the best advice is to stick within the Chief Medical Officers’ guidelines by not having more than 14 units of alcohol per week. That means about six pints of lager, or a bottle and a half of wine, spread out over three or more days and with a few days off.
Some people find that it’s best for them to stop drinking, in order to improve their symptoms. Only you will know what works best for you, but you may wish to discuss it with your doctor.
If you are taking any kind of medication for a mental or physical health condition it’s always worth asking your doctor or your pharmacist whether you can drink alcohol while you’re taking it, and whether they’d advise changing your drinking habits in any way.
There can be long-term negative consequences of using alcohol to cope.
Long-term heavy drinking can also cause physical changes to the brain, leading to difficulties reasoning, remembering and understanding. These changes are sometimes referred to as alcohol-related brain damage (ARBD), alcohol-related brain injury (ARBI), or even ‘wet brain’.
If you are feeling anxious, low or experiencing any other symptoms of mental health problems, you deserve support. You can speak to your GP, Therapist or get advice and help at Extern Reachout NI.
