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Alcohol and Mental Health

There is some evidence associating light drinking with improved health in some adults, but growing evidence suggests that too much alcohol can have a negative effect on our mental as well as our physical health. 

 

What is the relationship between alcohol and mental health?

 

There is some evidence associating light drinking (less than 7 units a week) with improved physical, emotional and mental health in some adults. But growing evidence suggests that alcohol – or too much of it – can have a negative effect on our mental as well as physical health.

Mental health problems are not only the consequences of too much drinking. Mental Health problems can also cause people to drink too much.

 

At the simplest level, we often drink because we wish to alter our mood – or change our mental state. Alcohol can temporarily alleviate feelings of anxiety and depression, or even more serious mental health problems. Alcohol alters the chemistry of a person’s brain, helping to ease some negative feelings.

 

Drinking to deal with difficult feelings or symptoms is sometimes referred to among people in the mental health field as ‘self medication’. But drinking too much is not a good strategy for managing mental health. It can make your problems worse.

 

Evidence shows that people who consume high amounts of alcohol are vulnerable to higher levels of mental ill health. Many people believe that alcohol can be one of the factors that causes some mental illness. For example, the World Health Organisation says that sufficient evidence now exists to assume that alcohol plays a contributing role in the development of depression.

 

People with more severe mental health problems tend to have more alcohol problems than the rest of the population. This does not necessarily mean that alcohol causes severe mental illness. It may be more linked to what is called ‘self-medication’.

 

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How does drinking affect our moods and mental health?

 

When we have alcohol in our blood, our mood changes, and our behaviour then also changes. The type and amount of change depends on how much we drink and how quickly we drink it.

Alcohol depresses the Central Nervous System, and this can have the effect of making us less inhibited in our behaviour. It can help us ‘numb’ ourselves – and avoid coping with difficult feelings.

 

Alcohol can also reveal or magnify our underlying feelings. This is one of the reasons that many people become angry or aggressive when drinking. If our underlying feelings are of anxiety, anger or low mood, then alcohol can exaggerate them.

 

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What about the after-effects?

 

One of the main problems associated with using alcohol to deal with anxiety and depression is the after effect, which may cause people to feel worse. Alcohol is thought to use up and lessen the neurotransmitters that the brain needs to ward off anxiety and depression naturally. This means that you can often feel a lot worse when the alcohol wears off. It often leads some people to start drinking again, and a dangerous cycle can develop.

 

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How much is ‘too much’ to drink?

 

The Government has suggested “Sensible Drinking” limits as three to four units a day for men and two to three units a day for women. The tables below explains what a 'unit' of alcohol actually is:

 

Beer, lager and cider

 

 

A pint of beer / ordinary strength ale
(e.g. John Smith's, Boddingtons, Guinness) 		2.3 units
A pint of ordinary (4%) strength lager
(e.g. Carling Black Label, Fosters) 		2.3 units
A pint of strong lager
(e.g. Stella Artois, Kronenbourg 1664) 		3 units
A 440ml can of strong lager (e.g. Stella Artois, Carlsberg Export, Grolsch) 2.2 units
A pint of ordinary strength cider
(e.g. Dry Blackthorn, Strongbow) 		3 units

 

 

Wine

 

 

A standard 175ml glass of red or white wine around 2 units
A large 250ml glass of red or white wine around 3 units

 

 

Spirits and alcopops

 

 

A small (25ml) measure of spirits 1 unit
A large (35ml) measure of spirits 1.4 units
A double measure of spirits 2 units
A 275ml bottled alcopop (e.g. Smirnoff Ice, Bacardi Breezer, WKD, Reef); 1.5 units

 

  

Used with permission from www.howsyourdrink.org

 

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What can I do other than drinking, to help me cope with feelings or symptoms?

 

There are plenty of ways to look after and improve your mental health. Firstly, if you think you may be experiencing mental health problems, it is vital to seek help from your doctor.

 

Other ways of helping yourself include:

 

  • taking regular exercise
  • eating well
  • keeping in touch with friends and loved ones
  • asking for help when you need it
  • sharing your problems and feelings with others
  • taking a break from your regular routine from time to time.

 

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Written in 2006

 

Donate to the Mental Health Foundation

 

The Mental Health Foundation relies on donations to continue helping thousands of people survive, recover from and prevent mental health problems. 

 

If you have found this information useful and would like to make a donation to enable us to help more people please go to our donation page.

 

 

 

 

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