Most people wonder if alcohol helps in reducing anxiety since it is a depressant. The reality is alcohol can become a problem if consumed in an unhealthy manner for coping with anxiety Consuming alcohol for a long period can have adverse effects on the body and mind and might also worsen the signs of anxiety disorder.
Chronic alcoholism damages the body leading to tolerance and dependency which causes withdrawal symptoms if the person wants to quit drinking later. Ultimately, getting into rehab for professional help is the only option as dealing with withdrawal symptoms on our own can be life-threatening.
Detox to Rehab is a support group that helps individuals by offering them a list of reputed rehabs where they can get proper treatment to get out of their addiction problem. They cover difficult topics like dealing with alcohol withdrawal and anxiety to uplift and motivate addicted individuals so that they can have access to all the information in one easy access point. Join them to start your recovery and begin a new sober future.
Effects of alcohol on the brain
Alcohol suppresses the central nervous system’s activity (CNS) and has a sedative effect when taken for the first time. The person feels euphoric and lowers their inhibition. These effects may make the person feel that drinking alcohol is helping them to get relief from anxiety leading to tolerance and dependency.
How does alcohol affect anxiety issues?
An individual with an anxiety problem is three times more likely to experience the onset of an alcohol use disorder at some point in their life than an individual without an anxiety disorder. For some, the beginning of agoraphobia (fear and avoiding places) and social anxiety disorder symptoms might push the person to drink frequently as they start feeling overwhelmed.
Long-term alcohol usage can also result in tolerance, which means a person has to consume more alcohol to achieve the same impact. This results in increasing the number of drinks to achieve the same effect.
Alcohol dependency is no solution for dealing with anxiety and if you are already an alcoholic, talk to support groups and get help for managing your alcoholism.
