Alcohol and mental health

Lots of people drink to relax, to feel less anxious and less depressed. But using alcohol in this way can easily lead to all kinds of difficulties. Some people use alcohol as a way of avoiding life's problems but this can easily lead to addiction.

Quick links on this page:

Alcohol, mood and mental health
What is mental health?
Alcohol and sleep
Alcohol and stress
Anxiety and depression
Alcohol-related brain damage
Alcohol and prescribed medications
Alcohol and suicide
Need to talk

Alcohol, mood and mental health

Low or moderate amounts of alcohol can amplify emotions both positive (e.g. joy, happiness) and negative (e.g. anger, depression).

Meanwhile, heavy use can actually cause anxiety and depression. More worryingly, there is a strong link between alcohol and suicide.

What is mental health?

Mental health means our ability to enjoy life and cope with its challenges. In a nutshell, are we able to get on and do the things we want to do? It's not a by-word for 'mental illness'. A mental illness is a problem that affects mental health (just like a broken leg affects physical health).

Alcohol and sleep

Sleep is the body's natural 'maintenance time'. Getting enough of it – and particularly enough deep sleep – is essential for mental and physical well-being.

When we're under pressure, it can be difficult to nod off at nights. To combat this, lots of people like to take a drink or two before bed. This is unfortunate. Although a nightcap can indeed make it easier to fall asleep, alcohol actually makes for a poor night's sleep.

Not only does it make it more likely that we'll have to get up in the middle of the night for the toilet, drinking alcohol disturbs our brain rhythms and stops us getting enough of the deep sleep we need to feel rested and refreshed in the morning. Being tired all the time makes life more difficult to cope with and contributes to stress.

Alcohol and stress

Using alcohol to deal with stress is a bad idea. Drinking alcohol stops us from sleeping properly and being short on sleep makes life more difficult all round. Hangovers, meanwhile, make it even harder for us to function properly. All of this just leads to more stress and the more stress we're under, the more likely it is that we'll develop a serious problem with our mental or physical health.

Anxiety and depression

Alcohol can actually cause anxiety and depression. Alcohol uses up the brain's stores of the natural chemicals it draws on to reduce anxiety and lift mood. If a person then drinks more to try and relieve symptoms of low mood and anxiety, these problems will be made worse (even though they might feel 'better' for a short time).

It's easy for people to become trapped in a cycle of drinking to relieve symptoms which are then made worse, then drinking more to compensate, becoming more depressed and anxious and so on.

Alcohol-related brain damage

Sustained heavy drinking over long periods can cause brain damage and memory loss.

Alcohol and prescribed medications

Mixing alcohol and prescribed medication (e.g. benzodiazepines) can lead to memory loss and risky situations, such as potential overdoses and accidents due to loss of self-control.

Alcohol and suicide

As well as affecting our judgement, alcohol can amplify emotions both positive (e.g. joy, happiness) and negative (e.g. anger, depression).

The Mental Health Foundation reports that as many as 65% of people who complete suicide have been drinking excessively before doing so and of that figure 70% of those are men.

Need to talk to someone?

If you are feeling distressed, in a state of despair, suicidal or need emotional support, contact Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 (local rate call). Your call will be confidential and will be taken by a trained Samaritans volunteer. The phoneline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

If you are depressed or experiencing low mood, you can also phone and speak to a Breathing Space advisor between 6pm and 2am any day of the week on 0800 83 85 87 (calls are free of charge).

For more information on mental health and well-being including tips on how you can improve your mental health, visit www.wellscotland.info.

Next page: Alcohol and Sexual Health