Why does alcohol negatively affect our mood?

Alcohol is a drug used on many occasions with the purpose of improving our mood, forgetting our problems and evading ourselves. but far from contributing to the well-being of the subject, the consumption of this substance will only worsen their situation, negatively affecting their state of cheer up.

In this article We will see what characteristics of alcohol consumption make this substance predispose us to feel in a low mood.

• Related article: "The 5 types of alcoholism (and associated disorders)"

psychological effects of alcohol

Alcohol is a drug that acts as a depressant of the nervous system, in other words, it works as a tranquilizer of the organism. The main component of all alcoholic beverages is ethanol or ethyl alcohol. which will be presented to a greater or lesser degree depending on the type of alcoholic beverage.

The depressant function of alcohol is known; What is not so popularly known is the biphasic effect that occurs. When the dose is low we observe a decrease in anxiety and a disinhibition of the cortical activities, producing a state of arousal, with increased respiration and heart rate. It will be when the dose is higher that the depressant effect of the cortical zones will appear and the consequent decrease in consciousness and loss of motor coordination.

Repeated consumption will cause an alteration of neurotransmitters such as GABA and serotonin, which worsens negative mood symptoms.

• You may be interested: "The 8 types of sadness: characteristics, possible causes and symptoms"

types of alcohol

Not all alcoholic beverages are created equal, presenting these different degrees of alcohol and affecting differently in the individual.

In fermented beverages, ethanol is obtained through the fermentation of sugars and its degree of alcohol is between 4º to 16º, as typical examples of this type we have beer and wine; in the distilled beverages, part of the water in the fermented beverages is evaporated to increase the concentration of the ethyl content, which is between 20º and 42º; in liqueurs, the fermented drink is mixed with fruit, thus increasing the sugar and therefore the potential for intoxication and in the combined alcohol is mixed with a soft drink causing it to cross the barrier more easily hematoencephalic.

So, as expected, not all types of alcohol will affect you the same. For example, subjects who consume fermented beverages report a feeling of relaxation and feel more carefree; instead, the consumption of liquors, with a higher alcohol content, is related to more abrupt changes in mood, feeling sadder and observing more frequently aggressive behaviors or feelings with respect to those who drink fermented.

• Related article: "5 signs of poor mental health that you should not overlook"

Why does drinking alcohol cause a low mood?

As we have seen, alcohol affects our behavior to a greater or lesser extent depending on the dose of alcohol that we take, and in the long run if consumption is continued, the affectations that we will observe will be greater, being able to present mental disorders that are not only reduced to addiction; mood disturbances may occur.

It has been observed that people with alcohol dependence show more frequently than the general population depressive and anxiety symptoms, also presenting these mood symptoms prior to having the addiction. In this way, alcohol is a nervous system depressant, but this does not mean that the person becomes totally passive or emotionally turned off.

It can generate psychological changes in several directions, such as leading to an increase in aggressive behavior, emotional lability, or impaired judgment. However, it is worth mentioning that after the first few minutes of alcohol effects, a physical and emotional discomfort usually appears, which is reflected in a low mood and a tendency to irritability.

Similarly, other alterations also appear that may be more easily visible or perceptible, such as an uncoordinated gait, balance and speech problems.

It is because of all these negative repercussions generated by the consumption of alcohol that all areas that are part of the life of the person who drinks too much will be affected, from family and friends, to work (there is greater work absenteeism, lower productivity and more propensity to accidents at work).

All the consequences and alterations in the life of the subject will also affect your mood even when there is no longer a large excess of alcohol in the body, thus being affected not only by the symptoms that alcohol consumption in itself generates, but also by all the losses of well-being and health that continuing to consume entails.

This dynamic leads to entering a loop in which the person drinks to forget about her problems and to inhibit the symptoms. depression and anxiety that he has, but contrary to his purpose, he only manages to worsen the situation and that this malaise increase.

It will therefore be necessary for the subject to understand that drinking alcohol will not solve or alleviate their problems for him, but it will only worsen his situation, both his mood and his quality and quantity of sleep. It has been seen that individuals who did not initially present depressive pathology finally, due to alcohol consumption, have developed a depressive disorderBy this we mean that the patient, to try to feel better, drinks alcohol, thereby making her condition worse.

As with most drugs, if we stop drinking alcohol, negative symptoms will appear that lead to well-known withdrawal syndrome, also presenting in this case affectations of mood such as anxiety. In other words, stopping drinking alcohol once we are already addicted also affects our mental health, and this perspective of having that striving not to relapse also contributes to a worsening mood, since there is no clear way out of the addiction. Therefore, you will need to seek professional help to be able to deal more effectively with the addiction we have.

Another fact that also corroborates the effect that alcohol consumption produces on our state of mind is increased risk of suicide linked to alcoholism. In this case, drinking alcohol acts as a risk factor, since, as we know, symptoms of depression, anxiety, impulsive and aggressive (on this occasion a violence directed at oneself), which together with the destructuring and affectation of the different areas of the subject's life, produce a fatal combination that leads some people to believe that the only way out it is death. It has been observed that approximately 25% of suicides are related to alcohol consumption.

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My name is Thomas Saint Cecilia and I specialize in cognitive-behavioral psychology for adults and adolescents. I offer face-to-face and online sessions.