There are many ways that cutting back or cutting out alcohol can make a positive impact on our mental health and overall wellbeing.
Drinking alcohol can have a negative effect on your mood, thoughts and feelings. Over time it can contribute to the development, or worsening of, mental health conditions such as anxiety. Cutting back or cutting out alcohol can boost your energy, improve your mood and build positive mental health.
Alcohol is a depressant that disrupts the chemical balance in your brain. It slows down the brain and central nervous system.
In the short-term, this can make you feel less inhibited and more relaxed. These effects wear off quickly and can leave you feeling worse than before.
Good brain function relies on a balance of chemicals and processes that help regulate thoughts and feelings.
Over time, alcohol use can reduce the chemicals in our brains that helps ease anxiety and manage stressful situations
Hangxiety refers to feelings of increased worry that many people have after drinking alcohol.
Alcohol can reduce feelings of stress in the very short term. But after these effects wear off, a ‘rebound’ occurs. A chemical imbalance in the brain can spark stronger feelings of stress and anxiety.
These feelings of anxiety are more likely after a period of excessive drinking.
Your brain needs time to restore the balance of chemicals it needs for proper function.
Hangxiety can be a sign of dependence on alcohol, as the brain becomes accustomed to alcohol being used as a tool to manage stress.
Feeling anxious is something everyone experiences from time to time. It is one way the body tries to keep you safe.
Feelings of anxiety usually come and go, but for some people these feelings can remain for a long time. They might also arise in situations where you wouldn’t expect to feel anxious.
If this starts to happen, it can have a big impact on our everyday lives and may be an indicator of an anxiety disorder.
Whether you already experience anxiety or feelings of anxiety are new to you, alcohol can make things worse. Alcohol can worsen anxiety symptoms by causing:
The Australian guidelines to reduce health risks from drinking alcohol advise that to reduce the risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury:
If feelings of anxiety remain for some time and interfere with your everyday life, seeking support early can help to stop symptoms getting worse.
The support of health professionals is key to treating anxiety. There are also things you can do which can ease anxiety and help you to feel better.
Some changes that help ease anxiety and build positive mental health include:
There are many ways that cutting back or cutting out alcohol can make a positive impact on our mental health and overall wellbeing.
There are lots of changes you can make to help you manage life’s stresses without alcohol.
Reducing the amount you drink can help relieve symptoms of depression and improve your overall mental health.
Be Nice to Brain is a project developed by the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE), endorsed and funded by the Tasmanian Government.
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