Self-Medication With Alcohol is Widespread

We received this press release from the UK’s Mental Health Foundation.

National Opinion Poll on Alcohol Use

National opinion poll research carried out to identify reasons for drinking shows that people say alcohol makes them feel relaxed (77 per cent), happy (63 per cent), more able to fit in socially (44 per cent) and more confident (41 per cent). The results also reveal that drinking alcohol makes people feel less anxious (40 per cent), less depressed (26 per cent) and more able to forget their problems (30 per cent). This is consistent with the theory that people use alcohol to cope with feelings of stress, anxiety and depression.

Evidence outlined in the ‘Cheers?’ report also shows that people who drink high volumes of alcohol are vulnerable to mental ill health. Over the last 50 years, alcohol consumption has doubled in the UK, mirroring an increase in the number of people experiencing mental ill health. Regular drinking changes the chemistry of the brain and depletes the neurotransmitters the brain needs to prevent anxiety and depression naturally. According to the World Health Organisation, enough evidence exists to show alcohol can contribute to depression.

According to the Mental Health Foundation, physical health concerns related to increasing alcohol consumption are being reflected in Government policy developments, yet very little attention has been given to the links between alcohol and mental health, with little debate about why people drink alcohol.

Dr Andrew McCulloch, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation, said:

The research confirms our worries that people are drinking to cope with emotions and situations they can’t otherwise manage, to deal with feelings of anxiety and depression.

Drinking alcohol is a very common and accepted way of coping — our culture allows us to use alcohol for ‘medicinal purposes’ or ‘dutch courage’ from an early age. But using alcohol to deal with anxiety and depression doesn’t work as alcohol can weaken the neurotransmitters that the brain needs to reduce anxiety and depressive thoughts. This is why lots of people feel low when they have a hangover.

The Mental Health Foundation believes that the public has a right to information about the hazardous effects that alcohol misuse can have on their mental as well as physical health. The report makes a number of Government policy recommendations.

Key Facts About Alcohol Consumption

• The UK ranks 22 out of 185 countries in alcohol consumption.
• 38 per cent of men and 16 per cent of women drink above recommended limits and can be classed as having an alcohol use disorder.
• 1.1 million people in the UK are dependent on alcohol.
• 70 per cent of men who commit suicide have drunk alcohol before doing so.
• Almost a third of suicides amongst young people are committed when a young person is intoxicated.

National Opinion Poll Findings

• 88 per cent say they would find it difficult to give up alcohol completely
• 77 per cent say alcohol makes them feel relaxed
• 63 per cent say alcohol makes them feel happy
• 51 per cent say alcohol makes them feel less inhibited
• 41 per cent say alcohol makes them feel more confident
• 44 per cent say alcohol makes them able to fit in socially
• 40 per cent say alcohol makes them feel less anxious
• 31 per cent say alcohol makes them able to make friends more easily

The Science: How Alcohol Affects the Mind and Body

Alcohol is a toxic substance. The initial impact of a drink — the “winding down” or relaxing feeling — is a reflection of immediate chemical changes occurring in the brain’s nerve cells in response to alcohol. As more alcohol is consumed, increasingly sensitive parts of the brain become affected and behaviour changes accordingly. The first drink for many people (although not all) depresses the parts of the brain that are associated with inhibition, increasing talking and self-confidence and reducing social anxiety. As more alcohol enters the bloodstream, the areas of the brain associated with emotions and movement are affected, often resulting in exaggerated states of emotion such as anger, withdrawal, depression or aggressiveness, and uncoordinated muscle movements. Alcohol then depresses the nerve centres in the area that controls sexual arousal (which increases) and performance (which doesn’t).

About the Mental Health Foundation

The Mental Health Foundation is the leading UK charity working to improve services for both people with mental health problems and people with learning disabilities. It is the only charity to fund and work with both service users and providers and plays an important role in funding research and new approaches to promotion, treatment and care.

Additional Information About Gauging Your Alcohol Consumption

Also see our self-tests called the Michigan Alcohol Screening Test (MAST) and the CAGE Questionnaire.