How alcohol affects your mental health
After a tough day, many people open a bottle of beer or wine to relax and de-stress. While it may make you feel better initially, drinking alcohol regularly can make stress and anxiety worse.
Here, I explain how alcohol can affect your mental health, and share other healthier ways to relax at the end of a long day.
Stress and alcohol
Many people turn to alcohol as a quick fix to reduce stress. Alcohol affects the chemicals in your brain – slowing down (depressing) how your brain and central nervous system functions. It affects the part of your brain that controls inhibition (the process of restraining your impulses or certain behaviours because of factors such as your morals or lack of confidence).
This is why after a drink or two you may feel less anxious and more confident, or ‘lose your inhibitions’.
In the short term, you may feel more relaxed. But, in reality, having a drink is often used as a distraction from dealing with what’s causing you stress or anxiety.
How alcohol affects your brain
The chemical changes in your brain can mean more negative feelings start to take over, such as anxiety, depression, anger, or aggression.
This is because alcohol affects the neurotransmitters in your brain. These are chemicals that send messages from one nerve in your brain to another. Alcohol stops them from working correctly and has a negative impact on your mental health and wellbeing.
Healthier ways to relax
Take time to unwind and relax in healthier ways at the end of a stressful day. You could do the following.
- Do some exercise. This could be a class, sports club, or simply a brisk walk.
- Practice yoga or stretching to unwind. Put on some calm music and move and stretch your body, gently and slowly. Breathe deeply while you do this.
- Listen to some calming music.
- Cook. Many people find chopping, slicing, and cooking relaxing. Try a new recipe and make time to create your favourite meal.
- Have a relaxing bath. Use essential oils, candles, and bubbles to connect and stimulate all your senses.
Try some of these strategies out and see what works for you.
Breaking the habit
If you’ve been having a drink most days as your way to relax, it can be hard to break that habit. So start by aiming to have just one smaller drink with your dinner in the evening. Try to resist the temptation to reach for the bottle as soon as you get home. This is an effective way to cut back.
Social anxiety and alcohol
Social anxiety disorder or social phobia is when you feel afraid of social situations. You may worry about what people think of you or find it very uncomfortable to talk to others. You may even go out of your way to avoid these situations.
Alcohol lowers your inhibitions, so when you drink you may say and do things more freely than when you’re sober. If you’re feeling nervous or anxious at a party, you might use alcohol to help you feel more confident and less afraid.
This might seem helpful in the short term, as you may feel more relaxed. But overall, it’s a temporary solution that can be harmful to your health.
Alcohol alters your perceptions – you may miss cues, misinterpret how you’re feeling, or become upset. That’s why people may argue with their partners, friends, or even strangers when they’ve had too much to drink. It can also increase the risk of your social anxiety carrying on over time.
Long-term mental health effects of alcohol
Alcohol affects your brain’s chemistry and increases the risk of feeling anxious or depressed. If you’ve been drinking more and noticed you’ve been feeling low, giving up alcohol could help.
After giving up alcohol, you may notice you feel brighter and you’re getting on with your life better. But if your low mood doesn’t improve and affects your quality of life, it’s important to contact your GP for help and support.
Signs that alcohol is harming your mental health include:
- finding it hard to sleep after drinking
- having a low mood
- feeling tired and hung-over regularly
- feeling worried and anxious in places and with people that you wouldn’t normally have any worries about
Alcohol and anxiety
Aside from the well-known physical symptoms of a hangover, you may have noticed that you feel more anxious the day after drinking. Not only is alcohol a depressant, which can make you feel low, you may worry that you did or said something you shouldn’t have. You may also feel angry or disappointed in yourself for drinking too much.
Tips to cut down alcohol
- Stay within the weekly alcohol unit recommendations – this means not drinking more than 14 units of alcohol a week, spread out over three days or more.
- Don’t drink on an empty stomach. Make sure you have a good meal before you drink.
- Have several drink-free days each week.
- Switch to lower strength or alcohol-free drinks.
- Keep a diary of your drinking and check in with it every few weeks to track how you’re doing.
If you need help
It’s easy for drinking to become a habit – which can quickly become an addiction. If you think you’re addicted to alcohol, there are plenty of places you can turn to for help and support. If you think you need to talk to someone about how much alcohol you’re drinking, help is available – make an appointment to see your GP for advice and support.
Alcoholics Anonymous has a free helpline – 0800 9177650 – and can help you find support groups and meetings near to where you live.
-
Sources Sources
- Anker J, Kushner MG. Co-occurring alcohol use disorder and anxiety: bridging psychiatric, psychological, and neurobiological perspectives. Alcohol Res 2019; 40(1). doi: 10.35946/arcr.v40.1.03
- Alcohol Toxicity and withdrawal. MSD Manual – Professional Version. Msdmanuals.com, last updated December 2022
- Alcohol and depression. Royal College and Psychiatrists. Rcpsych.ac.uk, published February 2024
- Alcohol – problem drinking. NICE CKS. Cks.nice.org.uk, last revised July 2023
- Anxiety and panic attacks. Mind. mind.org.uk, last reviewed February 2021
- Social anxiety disorder. BMJ Best Practice. bestpractice.bmj.com, last reviewed August 2021
- Alcohol and Mental health. Mental Health Foundation. Mentalhealth.org.uk, updated February 2022
- UK Chief Medical Officers’ Alcohol Guidelines Review Summary of the proposed new guidelines. Department of Health, published January 2016
- Tips for cutting down. Alcohol Change UK. Alcoholchange.org.uk, accessed August 2024
About our health information
At Bupa we produce a wealth of free health information for you and your family. This is because we believe that trustworthy information is essential in helping you make better decisions about your health and wellbeing.
Our information has been awarded the PIF TICK for trustworthy health information. It also follows the principles of the The Information Standard.
Did you find our advice helpful?
We’d love to hear what you think. Our short survey takes just a few minutes to complete and helps us to keep improving our healthy lifestyle articles.
Legal disclaimer
This information was published by Bupa's Health Content Team and is based on reputable sources of medical evidence. It has been reviewed by appropriate medical or clinical professionals and deemed accurate on the date of review. Photos are only for illustrative purposes and do not reflect every presentation of a condition.
Any information about a treatment or procedure is generic, and does not necessarily describe that treatment or procedure as delivered by Bupa or its associated providers.
The information contained on this page and in any third party websites referred to on this page is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice nor is it intended to be for medical diagnosis or treatment. Third party websites are not owned or controlled by Bupa and any individual may be able to access and post messages on them. Bupa is not responsible for the content or availability of these third party websites. We do not accept advertising on this page.
