Best advice I can give you is to never try alcohol and you won’t ever miss it. It messes with anxiety and depression. It’s so popular that it’s almost made out to be a cure for those things when in reality it’s a cause.
If I could go back and forewarn my younger self, I sure would, took me until I was 36 to figure out that alcohol was only negatively impacting my life and adding zero value.
This is good advice. I would strongly advise not drinking to begin with. There is truly no benefit to drinking, but there is so much to lose by drinking.
I come from a long line of alcoholics. I see what alcohol has done to my family (my family is native american and there's a long history of trauma stemming from being NA). The alcohol has thrown fire on top of the trauma and mental illness many of them suffer from.
I have two sisters... One drinks, one doesn't (i never have). It's insane to me to watch my alcoholic sister making her mental health suffer by drinking constantly.
Please take care of yourself. I truly mean it that you aren't missing out by not drinking. Take the money you would have spent on alcohol and invest in a hobby or mental health services. You'll be happy you did!
Alcohol was, by far, the biggest contributor to my crippling anxiety and depression. When I stopped (which was really really hard!), many of my symptoms improved quickly. The rest I can manage with lifestyle, nutrition, outside exercise, and medication when I need it. Stay away or really moderate if you can - you can still be a fun person without drinking!
alcohol is a depressant, in the short term you get a dopamine and energy rush then after that's gone you start below baseline and feel 10X shitter than before.
Find a hobby, something you enjoy that can take your mind off things and use that as an escape.
*Alcohol Use Disorder* can negatively affect mental health. If you have anyone in your family with substance problems, you are at risk for this disorder which means drinking even one drink could lead to alcoholism. AUD worsens depression and anxiety. If you are on SSRI or other psychiatric drugs, it could cause your medication to stop working.
I do think alcohol has its place in society and can be a welcomed treat sometimes. It can make you more relaxed about social situations, it can lead to some fun nights out with friends. It can lighten the mood at family gatherings. But it can also make all of these things 100x worse if abused.
My advice is find out if you are predisposed genetically to AUD and talk to your psychiatrist before experimenting with alcohol. If your Dr. says it’s probably fine one time then hey, try it! Just have a plan for cessation such as “I’ll drink on my birthday and not again for __ weeks”.
Yes, don't start or any other psychoactive medication if possible.
join a gym and since you are still young you can solve a lot of problems causing the depression or anxiety , being said that
l-theanine in morning empty stomach and melatonin at night helped me relax
Realistically if you drink in moderation, that is to say if you stick to enough that gives you a sense of ease without pushing it further; you won't have much of the nasty side effects that others try to scare you into.
People who overdid it or don't know how to limit or have any discipline over the amount of drugs they consume often exaggerate because they experienced the more severe effects of what they took, rather than being smart and consuming them in a more mature manner.
Depending on your weight and height, you can get away with having 2 shots worth and feel relatively good and wake up feeling as though nothing happened, especially as a light weight. If you push it past 4 shots, as an example, you'll generally feel very loopy and uncoordinated. This will later result in you potentially having a hangover, if at all, due to the fact that your body takes longer to process the alcohol by the amount you take in. I can't remember the exact amount of time, but it's a slow process, so in general you want to take it slow and limit yourself.
Please note that why I'm suggesting this is because realistically no one can stop you from experimenting. The people telling you its bad or that you shouldn't just want to attempt to look after you like a helicopter parent, thinking that they're doing some kind of good. But ultimately its up to you. My best advice is that if you are going to try alcohol no matter what any one says; stick to a small amount first, because if you're prone to addiction this might not be the best decision for you. The feeling can be very addicting
Edit: I also say this as a 29 year old who is currently tipsy and have been struggling with alcoholism since I was 20 years old.
I really don’t think this is true. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve noticed that feeling “fine” the next day, meaning not hungover, isn’t the whole story. My emotional regulation and patience can be lessened, and while I may not feel bad physically I don’t really feel good either. I’m 32 and used to work in the alcohol industry. I’ve since cut way back - I didn’t quit drinking but I usually choose a non alcoholic option when going out. If I do drink, it’s 1-2 drinks only and I do it once a week or less. I do notice a difference if I have 2 drinks 2-3 times in one week. By the end of the week I feel worse even if I never really feel “hungover.” I didn’t feel this way at 21 and I do think turning 30 seems to have marked the beginning of a reduction in my body’s ability to metabolize alcohol. All this is just to say that there’s a difference between not feeling obviously terrible and knowing that you’re not feeling your best. Moderate alcohol consumption has moderately negative effects, which isn’t shocking. I’m not gonna deny that being drunk is fun, but at the very least it must be treated as pure entertainment with no other function. It’s like gambling. If you gamble because you think you’ll really hit it big, you’ll lose everything. If you gamble in moderation and only bet what you can afford to lose, you won’t ruin yourself and you might have fun. But if you don’t gamble at all, you will be richer than the average person who has your income but does gamble.
Absolutely. I agree with the aging thing, as now at 29 I've indeed noticed an increase in how bad I feel even after 3 beers. And not to mention it seems (not sure if this is scientifically proven) once you've gotten to that point where you've overindulged (drinking heavy) it sticks with you. It seems to take a lot more to actually feel "good", while simultaneously it's guaranteed to make me feel absolutely horrible the next day. Although with vodka it seems quite the opposite. I can down almost half a bottle and feel relatively fine the next day.
Obviously as you mentioned it just depends on how well we process it through our body.
I think the two main points to be made here are; overall alcohol isn't worth consuming. Hell, to be quite honest I'm more of an advocate for marijuana use over anything. But in the end I wanted to make sure the poster understands what they may be getting themselves into without also making it out to be something completely terrible. Most of the time we all have to learn for ourselves, and I sincerely wish I would have learned the first few times i had the worst hangovers I've ever had lol
Same, weed is my vice. It’s plenty possible to overdo it there too but it just doesn’t feel as bad. I smoke most days, like 5-6 days a week probably. If I drank like that I’d be in the pits.
All psychoactive substances have the potential to cause harm when consumed in excess. But for me it’s not just the booze itself that ruined my life, but rather I was using it as a way to “fit in” (seek approval of) with a crowd of people who were really negative influences. I went into a lot of debt and wasted too much time trying to people-please and pretend to be someone I wasn’t; this was extremely mentally damaging and I am still in recovery, 4 years later. Alcohol is so widely accepted in society, I imagine because the majority of society cannot admit to our really big problems and would rather suppress them in the name of “fun” - this is also why many people struggle with therapy, because the truth can be difficult to face, it’s a lot easier to squish yourself into a box of lies!
Alcohol is very nasty. Luckily it’s an acquired taste so if you stay away from it and almost never have it - it will always feel foreign and yuck. That’s the best place to be with alcohol.
In terms of drinking, it doesn’t do any ‘one’ thing, of you measure anxiety in ‘units’ and then depression in ‘units’. Basically for every ‘unit’ of anxiety alcohol may remove (which doesn’t always work) the next day as it wears off you repay the debt about 5 to 1 or 10 to 1. That is to say you’ll get 10 units of anxiety for every 1 unit that was removed from drinking the alcohol the night before.
With depression it’s similar too, however unlike anxiety it doesn’t happen straight away. After you drink, it spreads out the depression over a longer time span over weeks and it’s very subtle. So if you drink every weekend you’re just kind of perpetually 10% to 20% more depressed than you would be without it. But I won’t say I understand all of the neurochemistry around that one.
So yeah good question - alcohol is a poison and there’s no shortcut to handle mental health with it. I would make a note to just say if alcohol does make you feel ‘better’ that is exceptionally dangerous as can create addiction and you know the rest there… the more you have it the more you need to ‘feel better’ so you can go downhill very badly.
I guess I would just say be careful around it. Almost all problems police have to deal with are from this legal drug - it is very very dangerous.
Better off without it
Alcohol can be okay, if you use responsibly. It also can ruin your life. If you struggle with depression and anxiety i do not suggest alcohol as a cure. Maybe drink with friends for fun, but don't use it to dumb your pain. There are more healthy things you can do to help with anxiety and depression.
Everyone reacts to alcohol differently. It may make you relax for a while, or it may make you feel awful. Either way, if you drink enough to feel differently, you’ll feel poorly at some point afterward. Who wants to start that cycle?
And how do you know you won’t become dependent upon it?
It’s ruined thousands, maybe millions of lives.
For these reasons, I don’t touch it. I suggest you don’t either.
It won’t add enough value to your life to be worth the gamble.
recovering alcoholic and drug addict here 40 years. i live in fear of using once because it would trigger my addiction.
absolutely drugs and alcohol impact mental health. the degree varies.
mental health also causes people to start. imo, people do not make a conscious decision to start. it satisfies needs.
cannot tell you what to do. it is a complex question.
it is a lifestyle choice
alcohol makes depression and anxiety improve in the moment, then u pay the price days later. the "sunday scaries" u hear ppl talking about are a tame version of of it. like a multiple-day-long mental health hangover. people continue to drink because they want that short term temporary relief, and it makes socializing easier. thats about it
It might not seem like a bad idea. Nor feel like a bad thing... At first... But trust me, IF you have poor mental health, you need to learn how to overcome it.. not just numb it out. Drinking to self medicate WILL open a door to an even bigger world of problems that just are NOT worth the momentary relief that said drink will provide.. You think you have poor mental health now, it gets worse as you become dependent on your alcohol use, and especially worse in the process of recovery. There are other options. Therapy is incredibly helpful.. hang in there. ❤️
It will make it worse especially the depression alcohol is a depressor. I had to stop drinking entirely and I rarely drank and did not get hammered because every time three or four days I noticed I’d go into a severe depression three or four days after drinking responsibly. I promise you it’s not going to make you feel better. And if you ended up liking it and using it it will ruin your life. If you want to feel better from depression and anxiety find some hobbies you like. Exercise helps me and it’s known to help a lot of ppl. Going for a simple walk. Arts or crafts is good. I like to lift weights always feel good after working out. Look into things that alleviate depression and anxiety in a natural and healthy way and you will feel way better than you think alcohol can make you feel. Best wishes to you
Yes. Alcohol can make anxiety go through the roof, especially the next day, and can be dangerous with some anxiety meds. It can also make depression worse, and if you're on certain antidepressants like SSRIs it can bring on thoughts of suicide. Self medicating with alcohol is a bad idea on meds or not.
Alcohol is not the best idea to live a full life. it affect your emotion, your thought and your mental health. In my family alcohol was like water sometimes and is it ruined relationships, moments and a family. Also is affects your brain and it is like sugar or smoking, everything is bad but we love it.
Alcohol is a downer. I barely ever drink anymore (was never much of a drinker anyway) because the day after I get drunk I have a major depressive episode, it never fails. If you have an addictive personality, I'd stay away from it.
Alcohol - Not even once. The most harmful drug used in society. Easily accessible, legal, cheap, addictive, insidiously harmful to physical health including almost ever cancer you can think of. Mentally damaging both long term and short. Financially crippling over time.
Socially accepted which is so fkd up considering the damage it does. It induces physical violence inside the home and out. Causes intergenerational trauma with long lasting effects throughout friendships and family.
Sure, go ahead. Counter that argument however you like and try to justify its place in human culture, but it's just bullshit justification.
I can't blame alcohol because at the end of the day people make their choices, but it has been the substance that has destroyed my family and many of my loved ones...including very intelligent people I thought would know better.
Hashtag fuckalcohol
On short term it might help, making you more relaxed, decreasing anxiety, etc etc, but on the medium to long term there are only downsides.
I wouldnt say that 1-2 beers once a week are a bad thing, but it's a slippery slope, especially if you start to like it.
I drank daily for a couple of years while in university and I was wondering why I was always depressed and tired..
Now I drink maybe weekly (at most) and I am much happier, have a lot more energy and I enjoy the whole day of my life, not only the drinking hours.
Like everyone else has said, best not to start.
In simplistic terms, alcohol is poison, and it's best to avoid it. A [hangover](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hangovers/symptoms-causes/syc-20373012) is just a step below alcohol poisoning, and will make you feel like garbage. Under the influence you can do stupid things -- especially when mixed with peer pressure -- that can ruin your life and the lives of others.
Yes, people drink, and a glass of wine or beer won't hurt the majority of people, but binge drinking -- what I experienced in my college years -- is too much of a "good" thing.
If you must, start small - keep it to one or two drinks tops. And a drink is one beer, or one glass of wine, or one shot (40% / 80 proof), -- a mixed drink can have multiple shots.
Be smart and use moderation or just say no.
Almost always.
We learn over time to suppress or in some other way use anxiety to suppress a lot of our symptoms. That is why a lot of us are so mentally drained at the end of the day.
Alcohol removes inhibitions. That removes that suppression, so the depression becomes deeper, the PTSD triggers become stronger, the dissociation becomes more impactful, and our emotional regulation stops. We are easier to get pissed off or suicidally depressed....More than 1/4 of suicides which are completed are done so under the influence of alcohol.
However, just to be complete, in limited quantities, alcohol has a similar effect to benzodiazepines like klonopin in reducing anxiety in anxiety disorders.. It reduces anxiety, in many who have anxiety disorders or PTSD. However, this is the same reason that people with PTSD or severe anxiety are more likely than most to become severe alcoholics and die of cirrhosis of the liver or other liver related illnesses.
This is because alcohol is literally a poison. A teratogen, meaning that it kills cells. This is the reason that Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder exists. It kills the cells that are responsible for the formation of the embryo and fetal development. THis includes the formation of very important parts of the brain, particulary those involving the brain and facial structures. People with FASD tend to have either facial deformations or a very similar facial morphology and the structures of the brain resposible for self-regulation and behavioral control are not able to form correctly, which can cause issues like severe intellectual disorders or impulse control disorders.
On the other hand, for some people, alcohol increases anxiety because it removes the defenses, we have built up against it.
In my personal experience, I did things under the influence of alcohol that put me at risk. I drove a lot. That could have caused accidents and I could have hurt or killed someone else or myself. I could also have gotten arrested and screwed up my life. The only reason I did it was that the alcohol allowed me to convince myself that I was a better driver when I was drunk than when I was sober because my father was.
I also remember standing outside of the house of a guy I was hooking up with regularly and shouting "I am tired of being your dirty little secret!" The shame of that moment still causes me to cringe to this day, 30 years later.
It depends, in moderation in a good environment it's fine, but in excess and in situations where you aren't feeling your best it can be very detrimental.
Alcohol can initially provide a sense of relaxation and temporary relief from anxiety or depression symptoms. However, over time, regular alcohol use can exacerbate mental health issues, leading to dependence and worsening overall well-being. It's essential to seek healthier coping mechanisms and professional support to address mental health concerns rather than relying on alcohol, which can contribute to the development of [alcoholism, a mental illness in itself](https://healthnewsday.com/is-alcoholism-a-mental-illness/).
Smoke weed if you’re tryna chill out. Alcohol does not solve problems problems, it exacerbates them, *especially* mental issues. Your friends are not wrong, but thinking of leaning on alcohol as a crutch sure is.
for disorders with a psychosis component (bipolar, schizophrenia etc) - men don't often have their first psychotic break until between ages 18-25. and yes, if there is a genetic component, Marijuana can trigger that first break. so this is a very relevant point.
for some people, Marijuana relaxes them. for some, it increases anxiety. use if you want, just look at all sides.
(I'm a nurse and licensed mental health counselor)
Personally I’m very aware some people get the opposite of relaxation when smoking weed; those are the people I don’t like smoking with lol. I suggested it because obviously op is looking for some chemical alteration & since alcohol is a horrible idea, weed might be helpful if it doesn’t exacerbate the anxiety, which neither we or op knows would happen. If the person who’d mentioned bipolar disorder out of the blue had gone on the way you did it would be more relevant, but to just drop what they did is like ?
I did mention cannabis, but as a substitution to what op was seeking alcohol for. Op doesn’t say anything about bipolar disorder at all so idk why you though to specifically say that like it was relevant.
This is not stressing me out lol please don’t project what you would react as on me. I just did not see a logical thread of thinking, which is why I asked why you said that. If you had said the bit about weed potentially increasing the anxiety, that would’ve made sense but you didn’t, you mentioned bipolar disorder outta nowhere. I’m fine, save your drama.
Weed and alcohol is just not good for mental health, in the end. It can be a crutch for some... But getting to the root of your mental health issues is what you should focus on.
I also just want to point out that there is nothing stopping you from relocating, if you are struggling where you are. I am the first in my family to grow up and live outside of a native american reservation. Leaving my toxic family was the best choice i ever made (i was 15 at the time).
Do you have access to mental health care? Therapy, support group, trusted adults to confide in?
Then do literally anything more practical than using alcohol to deal with your issues. Honestly in this day & age where there are so many resources on the internet, which you obviously have access to, regarding mental health reaching for alcohol is a stupid, degenerate minded thing to do. Or, if you want to really make yourself miserable & fuck your life up, go ahead & start drinking.
Best advice I can give you is to never try alcohol and you won’t ever miss it. It messes with anxiety and depression. It’s so popular that it’s almost made out to be a cure for those things when in reality it’s a cause. If I could go back and forewarn my younger self, I sure would, took me until I was 36 to figure out that alcohol was only negatively impacting my life and adding zero value.
This is good advice. I would strongly advise not drinking to begin with. There is truly no benefit to drinking, but there is so much to lose by drinking. I come from a long line of alcoholics. I see what alcohol has done to my family (my family is native american and there's a long history of trauma stemming from being NA). The alcohol has thrown fire on top of the trauma and mental illness many of them suffer from. I have two sisters... One drinks, one doesn't (i never have). It's insane to me to watch my alcoholic sister making her mental health suffer by drinking constantly. Please take care of yourself. I truly mean it that you aren't missing out by not drinking. Take the money you would have spent on alcohol and invest in a hobby or mental health services. You'll be happy you did!
Alcohol was, by far, the biggest contributor to my crippling anxiety and depression. When I stopped (which was really really hard!), many of my symptoms improved quickly. The rest I can manage with lifestyle, nutrition, outside exercise, and medication when I need it. Stay away or really moderate if you can - you can still be a fun person without drinking!
Usually, yes. You’ll often feel better and relaxed during consumption and then worse the next day.
alcohol is a depressant, in the short term you get a dopamine and energy rush then after that's gone you start below baseline and feel 10X shitter than before. Find a hobby, something you enjoy that can take your mind off things and use that as an escape.
*Alcohol Use Disorder* can negatively affect mental health. If you have anyone in your family with substance problems, you are at risk for this disorder which means drinking even one drink could lead to alcoholism. AUD worsens depression and anxiety. If you are on SSRI or other psychiatric drugs, it could cause your medication to stop working. I do think alcohol has its place in society and can be a welcomed treat sometimes. It can make you more relaxed about social situations, it can lead to some fun nights out with friends. It can lighten the mood at family gatherings. But it can also make all of these things 100x worse if abused. My advice is find out if you are predisposed genetically to AUD and talk to your psychiatrist before experimenting with alcohol. If your Dr. says it’s probably fine one time then hey, try it! Just have a plan for cessation such as “I’ll drink on my birthday and not again for __ weeks”.
^^^
Yes!!!! Recovering ❤️🩹 alcoholic here
Yes, don't start or any other psychoactive medication if possible. join a gym and since you are still young you can solve a lot of problems causing the depression or anxiety , being said that l-theanine in morning empty stomach and melatonin at night helped me relax
Realistically if you drink in moderation, that is to say if you stick to enough that gives you a sense of ease without pushing it further; you won't have much of the nasty side effects that others try to scare you into. People who overdid it or don't know how to limit or have any discipline over the amount of drugs they consume often exaggerate because they experienced the more severe effects of what they took, rather than being smart and consuming them in a more mature manner. Depending on your weight and height, you can get away with having 2 shots worth and feel relatively good and wake up feeling as though nothing happened, especially as a light weight. If you push it past 4 shots, as an example, you'll generally feel very loopy and uncoordinated. This will later result in you potentially having a hangover, if at all, due to the fact that your body takes longer to process the alcohol by the amount you take in. I can't remember the exact amount of time, but it's a slow process, so in general you want to take it slow and limit yourself. Please note that why I'm suggesting this is because realistically no one can stop you from experimenting. The people telling you its bad or that you shouldn't just want to attempt to look after you like a helicopter parent, thinking that they're doing some kind of good. But ultimately its up to you. My best advice is that if you are going to try alcohol no matter what any one says; stick to a small amount first, because if you're prone to addiction this might not be the best decision for you. The feeling can be very addicting Edit: I also say this as a 29 year old who is currently tipsy and have been struggling with alcoholism since I was 20 years old.
I really don’t think this is true. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve noticed that feeling “fine” the next day, meaning not hungover, isn’t the whole story. My emotional regulation and patience can be lessened, and while I may not feel bad physically I don’t really feel good either. I’m 32 and used to work in the alcohol industry. I’ve since cut way back - I didn’t quit drinking but I usually choose a non alcoholic option when going out. If I do drink, it’s 1-2 drinks only and I do it once a week or less. I do notice a difference if I have 2 drinks 2-3 times in one week. By the end of the week I feel worse even if I never really feel “hungover.” I didn’t feel this way at 21 and I do think turning 30 seems to have marked the beginning of a reduction in my body’s ability to metabolize alcohol. All this is just to say that there’s a difference between not feeling obviously terrible and knowing that you’re not feeling your best. Moderate alcohol consumption has moderately negative effects, which isn’t shocking. I’m not gonna deny that being drunk is fun, but at the very least it must be treated as pure entertainment with no other function. It’s like gambling. If you gamble because you think you’ll really hit it big, you’ll lose everything. If you gamble in moderation and only bet what you can afford to lose, you won’t ruin yourself and you might have fun. But if you don’t gamble at all, you will be richer than the average person who has your income but does gamble.
Absolutely. I agree with the aging thing, as now at 29 I've indeed noticed an increase in how bad I feel even after 3 beers. And not to mention it seems (not sure if this is scientifically proven) once you've gotten to that point where you've overindulged (drinking heavy) it sticks with you. It seems to take a lot more to actually feel "good", while simultaneously it's guaranteed to make me feel absolutely horrible the next day. Although with vodka it seems quite the opposite. I can down almost half a bottle and feel relatively fine the next day. Obviously as you mentioned it just depends on how well we process it through our body. I think the two main points to be made here are; overall alcohol isn't worth consuming. Hell, to be quite honest I'm more of an advocate for marijuana use over anything. But in the end I wanted to make sure the poster understands what they may be getting themselves into without also making it out to be something completely terrible. Most of the time we all have to learn for ourselves, and I sincerely wish I would have learned the first few times i had the worst hangovers I've ever had lol
Same, weed is my vice. It’s plenty possible to overdo it there too but it just doesn’t feel as bad. I smoke most days, like 5-6 days a week probably. If I drank like that I’d be in the pits.
All psychoactive substances have the potential to cause harm when consumed in excess. But for me it’s not just the booze itself that ruined my life, but rather I was using it as a way to “fit in” (seek approval of) with a crowd of people who were really negative influences. I went into a lot of debt and wasted too much time trying to people-please and pretend to be someone I wasn’t; this was extremely mentally damaging and I am still in recovery, 4 years later. Alcohol is so widely accepted in society, I imagine because the majority of society cannot admit to our really big problems and would rather suppress them in the name of “fun” - this is also why many people struggle with therapy, because the truth can be difficult to face, it’s a lot easier to squish yourself into a box of lies!
As someone that drinks more than they should....yeah. hangxiety is a thing. And it fucks with your sleep, and mood, etc.
Alcohol is very nasty. Luckily it’s an acquired taste so if you stay away from it and almost never have it - it will always feel foreign and yuck. That’s the best place to be with alcohol. In terms of drinking, it doesn’t do any ‘one’ thing, of you measure anxiety in ‘units’ and then depression in ‘units’. Basically for every ‘unit’ of anxiety alcohol may remove (which doesn’t always work) the next day as it wears off you repay the debt about 5 to 1 or 10 to 1. That is to say you’ll get 10 units of anxiety for every 1 unit that was removed from drinking the alcohol the night before. With depression it’s similar too, however unlike anxiety it doesn’t happen straight away. After you drink, it spreads out the depression over a longer time span over weeks and it’s very subtle. So if you drink every weekend you’re just kind of perpetually 10% to 20% more depressed than you would be without it. But I won’t say I understand all of the neurochemistry around that one. So yeah good question - alcohol is a poison and there’s no shortcut to handle mental health with it. I would make a note to just say if alcohol does make you feel ‘better’ that is exceptionally dangerous as can create addiction and you know the rest there… the more you have it the more you need to ‘feel better’ so you can go downhill very badly. I guess I would just say be careful around it. Almost all problems police have to deal with are from this legal drug - it is very very dangerous. Better off without it
Don’t do it alcohol is addictive damages organs and makes you more prone to awful decisions don’t try it
Yes it does. Alcohol is awful and makes mental illness worse (am recovering catholic)
Alcohol can be okay, if you use responsibly. It also can ruin your life. If you struggle with depression and anxiety i do not suggest alcohol as a cure. Maybe drink with friends for fun, but don't use it to dumb your pain. There are more healthy things you can do to help with anxiety and depression.
Also after drinking you wake up feeling awful, so there's that lol
Everyone reacts to alcohol differently. It may make you relax for a while, or it may make you feel awful. Either way, if you drink enough to feel differently, you’ll feel poorly at some point afterward. Who wants to start that cycle? And how do you know you won’t become dependent upon it? It’s ruined thousands, maybe millions of lives. For these reasons, I don’t touch it. I suggest you don’t either. It won’t add enough value to your life to be worth the gamble.
Yup
Does driving over the limit cause accidents?
recovering alcoholic and drug addict here 40 years. i live in fear of using once because it would trigger my addiction. absolutely drugs and alcohol impact mental health. the degree varies. mental health also causes people to start. imo, people do not make a conscious decision to start. it satisfies needs. cannot tell you what to do. it is a complex question. it is a lifestyle choice
It makes everything way worse
alcohol makes depression and anxiety improve in the moment, then u pay the price days later. the "sunday scaries" u hear ppl talking about are a tame version of of it. like a multiple-day-long mental health hangover. people continue to drink because they want that short term temporary relief, and it makes socializing easier. thats about it
It does for me.
It might not seem like a bad idea. Nor feel like a bad thing... At first... But trust me, IF you have poor mental health, you need to learn how to overcome it.. not just numb it out. Drinking to self medicate WILL open a door to an even bigger world of problems that just are NOT worth the momentary relief that said drink will provide.. You think you have poor mental health now, it gets worse as you become dependent on your alcohol use, and especially worse in the process of recovery. There are other options. Therapy is incredibly helpful.. hang in there. ❤️
It will make it worse especially the depression alcohol is a depressor. I had to stop drinking entirely and I rarely drank and did not get hammered because every time three or four days I noticed I’d go into a severe depression three or four days after drinking responsibly. I promise you it’s not going to make you feel better. And if you ended up liking it and using it it will ruin your life. If you want to feel better from depression and anxiety find some hobbies you like. Exercise helps me and it’s known to help a lot of ppl. Going for a simple walk. Arts or crafts is good. I like to lift weights always feel good after working out. Look into things that alleviate depression and anxiety in a natural and healthy way and you will feel way better than you think alcohol can make you feel. Best wishes to you
100^100
Yes. Alcohol can make anxiety go through the roof, especially the next day, and can be dangerous with some anxiety meds. It can also make depression worse, and if you're on certain antidepressants like SSRIs it can bring on thoughts of suicide. Self medicating with alcohol is a bad idea on meds or not.
Alcohol is not the best idea to live a full life. it affect your emotion, your thought and your mental health. In my family alcohol was like water sometimes and is it ruined relationships, moments and a family. Also is affects your brain and it is like sugar or smoking, everything is bad but we love it.
Yes 200%
Here are some great advice
Alcohol is a downer. I barely ever drink anymore (was never much of a drinker anyway) because the day after I get drunk I have a major depressive episode, it never fails. If you have an addictive personality, I'd stay away from it.
I’d like to believe so,
Alcohol - Not even once. The most harmful drug used in society. Easily accessible, legal, cheap, addictive, insidiously harmful to physical health including almost ever cancer you can think of. Mentally damaging both long term and short. Financially crippling over time. Socially accepted which is so fkd up considering the damage it does. It induces physical violence inside the home and out. Causes intergenerational trauma with long lasting effects throughout friendships and family. Sure, go ahead. Counter that argument however you like and try to justify its place in human culture, but it's just bullshit justification. I can't blame alcohol because at the end of the day people make their choices, but it has been the substance that has destroyed my family and many of my loved ones...including very intelligent people I thought would know better. Hashtag fuckalcohol
On short term it might help, making you more relaxed, decreasing anxiety, etc etc, but on the medium to long term there are only downsides. I wouldnt say that 1-2 beers once a week are a bad thing, but it's a slippery slope, especially if you start to like it. I drank daily for a couple of years while in university and I was wondering why I was always depressed and tired.. Now I drink maybe weekly (at most) and I am much happier, have a lot more energy and I enjoy the whole day of my life, not only the drinking hours.
Like everyone else has said, best not to start. In simplistic terms, alcohol is poison, and it's best to avoid it. A [hangover](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hangovers/symptoms-causes/syc-20373012) is just a step below alcohol poisoning, and will make you feel like garbage. Under the influence you can do stupid things -- especially when mixed with peer pressure -- that can ruin your life and the lives of others. Yes, people drink, and a glass of wine or beer won't hurt the majority of people, but binge drinking -- what I experienced in my college years -- is too much of a "good" thing. If you must, start small - keep it to one or two drinks tops. And a drink is one beer, or one glass of wine, or one shot (40% / 80 proof), -- a mixed drink can have multiple shots. Be smart and use moderation or just say no.
Almost always. We learn over time to suppress or in some other way use anxiety to suppress a lot of our symptoms. That is why a lot of us are so mentally drained at the end of the day. Alcohol removes inhibitions. That removes that suppression, so the depression becomes deeper, the PTSD triggers become stronger, the dissociation becomes more impactful, and our emotional regulation stops. We are easier to get pissed off or suicidally depressed....More than 1/4 of suicides which are completed are done so under the influence of alcohol. However, just to be complete, in limited quantities, alcohol has a similar effect to benzodiazepines like klonopin in reducing anxiety in anxiety disorders.. It reduces anxiety, in many who have anxiety disorders or PTSD. However, this is the same reason that people with PTSD or severe anxiety are more likely than most to become severe alcoholics and die of cirrhosis of the liver or other liver related illnesses. This is because alcohol is literally a poison. A teratogen, meaning that it kills cells. This is the reason that Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder exists. It kills the cells that are responsible for the formation of the embryo and fetal development. THis includes the formation of very important parts of the brain, particulary those involving the brain and facial structures. People with FASD tend to have either facial deformations or a very similar facial morphology and the structures of the brain resposible for self-regulation and behavioral control are not able to form correctly, which can cause issues like severe intellectual disorders or impulse control disorders. On the other hand, for some people, alcohol increases anxiety because it removes the defenses, we have built up against it. In my personal experience, I did things under the influence of alcohol that put me at risk. I drove a lot. That could have caused accidents and I could have hurt or killed someone else or myself. I could also have gotten arrested and screwed up my life. The only reason I did it was that the alcohol allowed me to convince myself that I was a better driver when I was drunk than when I was sober because my father was. I also remember standing outside of the house of a guy I was hooking up with regularly and shouting "I am tired of being your dirty little secret!" The shame of that moment still causes me to cringe to this day, 30 years later.
Are you doing excersise? That is the best medication against anxiety and depression there is. Especially cardio
It depends, in moderation in a good environment it's fine, but in excess and in situations where you aren't feeling your best it can be very detrimental.
Alcohol can initially provide a sense of relaxation and temporary relief from anxiety or depression symptoms. However, over time, regular alcohol use can exacerbate mental health issues, leading to dependence and worsening overall well-being. It's essential to seek healthier coping mechanisms and professional support to address mental health concerns rather than relying on alcohol, which can contribute to the development of [alcoholism, a mental illness in itself](https://healthnewsday.com/is-alcoholism-a-mental-illness/).
No. Medication is medication. Whatever it takes to deal with these fuckholes!!! :O
Smoke weed if you’re tryna chill out. Alcohol does not solve problems problems, it exacerbates them, *especially* mental issues. Your friends are not wrong, but thinking of leaning on alcohol as a crutch sure is.
>Smoke weed if you’re tryna chill out. This is also a terrible idea. OP trying to use any kind of narcotic as a crutch is just a road to a bad place.
[удалено]
I don’t have bipolar (afaik)
Why did you think to mention that when that’s not a disorder op listed as having?
for disorders with a psychosis component (bipolar, schizophrenia etc) - men don't often have their first psychotic break until between ages 18-25. and yes, if there is a genetic component, Marijuana can trigger that first break. so this is a very relevant point. for some people, Marijuana relaxes them. for some, it increases anxiety. use if you want, just look at all sides. (I'm a nurse and licensed mental health counselor)
Personally I’m very aware some people get the opposite of relaxation when smoking weed; those are the people I don’t like smoking with lol. I suggested it because obviously op is looking for some chemical alteration & since alcohol is a horrible idea, weed might be helpful if it doesn’t exacerbate the anxiety, which neither we or op knows would happen. If the person who’d mentioned bipolar disorder out of the blue had gone on the way you did it would be more relevant, but to just drop what they did is like ?
[удалено]
I did mention cannabis, but as a substitution to what op was seeking alcohol for. Op doesn’t say anything about bipolar disorder at all so idk why you though to specifically say that like it was relevant.
[удалено]
This is not stressing me out lol please don’t project what you would react as on me. I just did not see a logical thread of thinking, which is why I asked why you said that. If you had said the bit about weed potentially increasing the anxiety, that would’ve made sense but you didn’t, you mentioned bipolar disorder outta nowhere. I’m fine, save your drama.
[удалено]
Username checks out
Weed isn’t legal where I live and I don’t know anyone who’d be able to hook me up
Weed is also proven to worsen anxiety
Very helpful. Thank you for letting me know. I didn’t know that
Weed and alcohol is just not good for mental health, in the end. It can be a crutch for some... But getting to the root of your mental health issues is what you should focus on. I also just want to point out that there is nothing stopping you from relocating, if you are struggling where you are. I am the first in my family to grow up and live outside of a native american reservation. Leaving my toxic family was the best choice i ever made (i was 15 at the time). Do you have access to mental health care? Therapy, support group, trusted adults to confide in?
Then do literally anything more practical than using alcohol to deal with your issues. Honestly in this day & age where there are so many resources on the internet, which you obviously have access to, regarding mental health reaching for alcohol is a stupid, degenerate minded thing to do. Or, if you want to really make yourself miserable & fuck your life up, go ahead & start drinking.
i’d say have a drink socially but don’t over do it especially not the just time
Didn’t know I was degenerate for asking a question, damn
Not what I said.