Alcohol is a drug used on many occasions with the purpose of improving our mood, forgetting our problems and escaping, 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 mind. cheer up.
In this article We will see what characteristics of alcohol consumption make this substance predispose us to feel in a low mood
Alcohol is a drug that acts as a depressant of the nervous system, in other words, it works as a tranquilizer for the body. The main component of every alcoholic beverage is ethanol or ethyl alcohol which will be present to a greater or lesser degree depending on the type of alcoholic beverage.
The depressant function of alcohol is known; What is not so well known at a popular level is the biphasic effect that occurs. When the dose is low we observe a decrease in anxiety and a disinhibition of cortical activities, producing a state of excitement, with increased breathing and heart rate. It will be when the dose is higher that the depressant effect of the cortical areas will appear and the subsequent 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.
types of alcohol
Not all alcoholic beverages are the same presenting different degrees of alcohol and affecting the individual in different ways.
In fermented beverages, ethanol is obtained through the fermentation of sugars and its alcohol level is between 4º and 16º. Typical examples of this type are beer and wine; In distilled beverages, part of the water from the fermented drinks evaporates 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 consequently the potential for intoxication, and in the mixed drink, the alcohol is mixed with a carbonated drink, causing it to cross the blood-brain barrier more easily.
So, as expected, not all types of alcohol will have the same effect. For example, subjects who consume fermented drinks report feelings of relaxation and feeling more carefree; instead, The consumption of liquor, with a higher level of alcohol, is related to more abrupt changes in mood feeling sadder and observing aggressive behaviors or sensations more frequently compared to those who drink fermented beverages.
Why does drinking alcohol cause low mood?
As we have seen, alcohol affects our behavior to a greater or lesser extent depending on the dose of it that we take, and in the long run, if consumption is continued, the effects that we will observe will be greater, and mental disorders may occur that are not only reduced to the addiction; Mood disturbances may occur
It has been observed that people with alcohol dependence show depressive and anxiety symptoms more frequently than the general population, also presenting these mood symptoms prior to having the addiction. In this sense, alcohol is a depressant of the nervous system 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 a deterioration in judgment. However, it is worth mentioning that after the first minutes of the effects of alcohol, physical and emotional discomfort normally appears, which is reflected in a low mood and a tendency to irritability.
Likewise, other alterations also appear that may be more easily visible or noticeable, such as uncoordinated gait, balance and speech problems.
It is because of all these negative repercussions generated by alcohol consumption 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 absenteeism from work, lower productivity and more propensity for accidents at work).
All the consequences and alterations in the subject’s life They 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 generates in itself, but also by all the losses of well-being and health that continue to consume entails.
This dynamic leads to entering a loop in which the person drinks to forget their problems and to inhibit the depressive and anxiety symptoms they have, but contrary to its purpose, it only makes the situation worse and this discomfort increases.
It will therefore be necessary for the subject to understand that drinking alcohol will not solve or alleviate their problems, but will only worsen their situation, both their mood and their 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 disorder By this we mean that the patient, in order to try to feel better, drinks alcohol, thus making his condition worse.
As with most drugs, if we stop taking alcohol, negative symptoms will appear that give rise to the well-known withdrawal syndrome, in which case mood effects such as anxiety will also appear. That is, stopping drinking alcohol once we are addicted also affects our mental health, and this perspective of having to make an effort not to relapse also contributes to a worsening mood, since there is no clear way out of the addiction. Therefore, it will be necessary to seek professional help to be able to face the addiction we have more effectively.
Another fact that also corroborates the impact that alcohol consumption has on our mood is increased risk of suicide linked to alcoholism In this case, drinking alcohol acts as a risk factor, given that, as we know, depressive, anxiety, impulsivity and aggressive symptoms appear (on this occasion 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 is death. It has been observed that approximately 25% of suicides are related to alcohol consumption.
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