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JOIN FREE GROUP Does Drinking Alcohol Reduce Anxiety?
Last update: March 4, 2024
Anxiety is a common mental health condition characterized by feelings of stress or worry. For many who suffer from this condition, social interactions and the challenges of everyday life can feel unmanageable, leading to significant disruption and other difficulties. While the occasional feeling of stress or worry is certainly normal and part of the human condition, anxiety that feels more intense and debilitating often points to the presence of a generalized anxiety disorder. Untreated or self-treated anxiety can lead to negative consequences, including a decline in the individual's overall quality of life. 
Image via Unsplash by kekoss Drinking alcohol has a depressive effect on the central nervous system. The first drink might cause a sedative feeling in the individual, decreasing their inhibitions and even creating a sense of euphoria. The result of these feelings might appear like a cure for anxiety, as the person no longer experiences anxious or worried feelings. For some with anxiety, a social situation can feel much more enjoyable when they have had a drink or two. Unfortunately, the alcohol effects are limited and can cause anxiety to worsen over time. When someone self-medicates with alcohol, they may try to maintain the positive feelings by drinking more and more. Excessive or heavy drinking can lead to significant health problems, including damage to the liver, brain, and heart. Chronic alcohol consumption can also create dependence, which means a person might struggle in any social situation without having at least one drink. In many people, using alcohol worsens anxiety when the effects subside. In a study of American war veterans participating in a treatment program for alcohol dependency, 98% of those using alcohol as a treatment for anxiety reported feeling at least one anxious symptom while drinking or withdrawing from drinking. The most common symptom among participants was heart palpitations, while others experienced at least one panic attack. In this situation, alcohol can act as an anxiogenic, or something that creates feelings of anxiety. As a result, the person experiencing anxiety might get into a vicious cycle where the thing they use to manage their condition causes it to worsen.
Table of contents 1. Alcohol and Anxiety 2. Can Alcohol Cause Anxiety? 3. Generalized Anxiety Disorder 4. Social Anxiety Disorder
Alcohol and Anxiety
Some people feel embarrassed or ashamed of their overwhelming anxious feelings, leading them to try to treat the symptoms of anxiety on their own. Have you ever felt uncomfortable in a social situation and used an alcoholic beverage to feel more relaxed and comfortable? If so, you're certainly not alone, but doing so can be a form of anxiety self-treatment. While the feelings of drinking to cope with anxiety might feel positive at first, they often change to negative swiftly. According to research performed in the department of psychiatry at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, the correlation between high levels of anxiety and alcohol abuse is significant. Many people who struggle with alcohol abuse or overuse also experience major mood and anxiety problems. Their data showed that few observations in the field of psychology have been documented as consistently or for as long as the association between the chronic misuse of alcohol and anxiety and its generally negative effects.Can Alcohol Cause Anxiety?
Image via Unsplash by kekoss Drinking alcohol has a depressive effect on the central nervous system. The first drink might cause a sedative feeling in the individual, decreasing their inhibitions and even creating a sense of euphoria. The result of these feelings might appear like a cure for anxiety, as the person no longer experiences anxious or worried feelings. For some with anxiety, a social situation can feel much more enjoyable when they have had a drink or two. Unfortunately, the alcohol effects are limited and can cause anxiety to worsen over time. When someone self-medicates with alcohol, they may try to maintain the positive feelings by drinking more and more. Excessive or heavy drinking can lead to significant health problems, including damage to the liver, brain, and heart. Chronic alcohol consumption can also create dependence, which means a person might struggle in any social situation without having at least one drink. In many people, using alcohol worsens anxiety when the effects subside. In a study of American war veterans participating in a treatment program for alcohol dependency, 98% of those using alcohol as a treatment for anxiety reported feeling at least one anxious symptom while drinking or withdrawing from drinking. The most common symptom among participants was heart palpitations, while others experienced at least one panic attack. In this situation, alcohol can act as an anxiogenic, or something that creates feelings of anxiety. As a result, the person experiencing anxiety might get into a vicious cycle where the thing they use to manage their condition causes it to worsen. 
