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Stress and Alcohol

 
Stress and alcohol can produce a very bad combination. The phrase "She drove me to drink" used to be very popular. This saying refers to the observation that stress often leads to self-medicating via alcohol consumption. A vicious cycle can form; stress leads to increased drinking, and the increased drinking can cause more stress.

There are positive effects in moderate alcohol consumption, however. Research has confirmed that one or two drinks a day can actually aid problem solving and mental function under stress. So stress and alcohol in moderation can be ok. However, it is now confirmed through various studies that in larger quantities, it may exacerbate stress, particularly when it is consumed over longer periods of times.

The hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal glands are all stimulated by overindulgence of alcohol consumption. Cortisol is increased in production in the body as one result. Adrenaline is also increased. Both of these, even though they do not cause stress by themselves, do play a big role in symptoms.

Concentration is more difficult when faced with extreme stress. Heavy drinking also makes concentration impossible. This means people who have stress and alcohol get a double whammy at precisely the moment it's most important for them to have a clear mind.

Chronic drinking can lead to symptoms resembling ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). The children of those drinkers, the research concludes, have a higher rate of incidence of actual ADHD.

Although the excuse for some adult drinking may be to escape the stress of parenting, it has just the opposite effect. Stress and alcohol actually contribute to the stress of parenting rather than relieving it. This dependence on a mood altering substance may be a factor in producing adult stress via their children's symptoms.

Exercise works to reduce the physical problems stress causes. However, high alcohol consumption leads to reduced exercise. After consuming a large quality of alcohol, few people want to go lift weights. Stress and alcohol are not a good combination but alcohol and exercise are a combination that just doesn’t happen.

High amounts of alcohol consumption also has a tendency to minimize appetite, so drinking alcohol to excess hurts you both by adding calories to your diet and subtracting nutrients. This doubly-negative effect will be experienced once again by an alcohol drinker. Stress and alcohol will result in your body having less of what it needs to deal with the pressure of daily living.

Drinking to deal with financially-related stress can be expensive, thus making it more difficult to deal with the root problem. Intoxication makes it tough to even balance a checkbook. But those are only the immediate effects; drinking can kill brain cells and reduce intelligence in the long-term. Thus, with stress and alcohol you may lose the ability to think your way out of your problems.

Stress and alcohol causes a downwards spiral. Heavy drinking may be encouraged by stress, and this may make it harder to work on the internal and external factors that initially caused the stress. Though the amount varies from person to person, when a person drinks more then the equivalent of two or three alcoholic drinks per day, the results aren't usually good.

Looking out for other methods of dealing with the stress is the solution to this vicious cycle. But, in most cases, this can be like trying to hit a moving target - both the symptoms and the underlying motivators are subject to change. An example of a good beginning would be a proper diet, along with exercise. Make sure that you keep your problems in perspective as well.

But, as with all psychological problems, accepting that it exists is the first necessary step.