In today’s fast paced world, everyone wants a means to escape. Unfortunately, when one starts using alcohol as a means to escape, its impact on the mental health can be worse. While people may believe that they consume alcohol to reduce stress, anxiety or depression, it only adds to the misery and worsens these conditions. It creates a vicious cycle deteriorating the physical and the mental health even further.
In this blog, we are going to understand the effect of alcohol on the mental health of a person. Let’s begin!!
1. Effects of Alcohol on the Brain.
One of the biggest problems of alcohol is that it disrupts the neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin that are responsible for regulating one’s mood. When it crosses the acceptable threshold, one goes through mood swings, gets irritated easily and may even have depressive episodes. When someone is under alcohol abuse for a long time, it can even lead to decline of cognitive ability, loss of memory and even alcohol-induced psychosis.
2. Alcohol - The most dangerous self-medication.
Unfortunately, in our society, many people turn to alcohol to self-medicate stress, anxiety, depression etc. While they may experience temporary relief, it creates a cyclical behavior aggravating consumption. Ultimately, it worsens the mental health conditions and results in substance induced mental disorders including depression, paranoia, anxiety etc. What starts as a relief may become the trigger for quite a few mental health conditions.
3. Mental Health Disorders and Alcoholism - The complex cycle.
In many cases, alcoholism and mental health disorders coexist- a situation commonly referred to as dual diagnosis. Individuals with mental health issues have a higher propensity to develop alcohol dependence. Conversely, continuous alcohol abuse may lead to the onset of psychiatric conditions. These two conditions reinforce and fuel each other creating a cycle that is difficult to break without professional help.
Now that you understand the complex interplay between alcohol dependency and mental health condition, I hope you make the right choice in breaking the vicious cycle by seeking professional help from the best psychiatrist in your vicinity. All it takes to overcome is a series of right choices. Hope you make one!!
Dharshini S
Psychiatric Social Worker.
