What is Alcohol?
Alcohol is a legal drug found in beer, lager, wine and spirits. It is also found in 'Alco-pops' which are usually marketed at younger age groups. In the UK you can legally buy and drink alcohol if you are over 18 years of age. Some research has shown that drinking a small amount of alcohol may have a beneficial effect on health, largely because it thins the blood, so may offer some protection against heart disease and strokes. However, this evidence is not conclusive, and there is far more evidence that alcohol is detrimental to our physical and mental health.
Short-term Effects of Alcohol
People drink alcohol because it affects mood and behaviours. Some short-term effects of alcohol include:
- Feeling happy.
- Feeling relaxed.
- Numbed emotions.
- Loss of inhibitions.
- Feeling more confident, outgoing and sociable.
However, there can also be some negative short-term effects of alcohol, such as:
- Feeling or being sick.
- Exaggerated emotions - eg. anger, aggression, depression.
- Disorientation.
- Loss of memory.
- Engaging in dangerous activities due to loss of inhibitions.
Long-term Effects of Alcohol
Alcohol affects our moods by changing the amounts of chemicals in our brains (neurotransmitters), and this can mean that when the alcohol has worn off we are left with a lack of certain chemicals. These effects can last for a very long time and can cause:
- Depression.
- Tearfulness.
- Anxiety.
- Headaches.
- Poor concentration.
- Alcohol Dependency.
Using Alcohol to Help with Stress, Anxiety, Depression and Other Mental Health Problems
Because of the positive short-term effects experienced by people when they use alcohol, it is understandable that people choose to drink. Having one glass of wine or one beer after a stressful day is unlikely to do you any harm, and may help you to feel relaxed, however, problems begin when drinking alcohol either becomes a regular occurrence or you find yourself dinking large quantities in order to get the desired effects. It is possible to become dependent on alcohol to manage your mood and mental state, and for some people, they experience unpleasant physical and mental effects when they don't use alcohol. Because of this, alcohol can cause common mental health problems such as stress to develop into depression or anxiety disorders if left untreated. Alcohol may also temporarily mask symptoms of other mental health problems such as psychosis or bipolar disorder, which may cause diagnosis and treatment to be delayed, meaning that more intensive treatment may be needed when the underlying problem is eventually identified.
This is why it is important to monitor your alcohol intake, and be aware that there may be underlying problems. If you think you may be using alcohol to manage your mood or mental state, or if you think alcohol may be masking underlying problems, then it may help to talk to someone.
Try the NHS Alcohol Calculator to see if your alcohol consumption is healthy.