Mental health problems caused by alcohol

drinking beer

Nobody starts drinking alcohol to become an addict. It is the eventual process that leads them to the way.

There can be many reasons for them to start drinking alcohol like stress and peer pressure. But how they cope with the drinking is what decides where it takes them. And because alcohol addiction is a widely spread problem, so it means most people are not dealing well with alcohol. This can be because of stressed lifestyles or various kinds of problems that people face in today’s time.

Whatever might be the reason for alcohol addiction, the problem is that it is not easy to get out of it. Which is why there are alcohol rehab centres that help the addicts in getting rid of the addiction while curing most of the health damages that are done by alcohol. There are also home alcohol detox programs that can help in resolving the habit of excessive drinking. But it is tough for an addict to even realise that they need to seek help. This is because of the effect of alcohol on their minds.

There are several mental health issues that alcohol causes. Due to these issues, the person’s usual behaviour changes and they turn into a completely different person. This behavioural change is the symptom that helps their family and friends in realising that there is something wrong with them. That further helps them in getting rid of the problem.

Some of the most common mental health problems caused by alcohol are:

Losing Interests

When alcohol addiction takes over a person’s mind, they lose interest in almost everything. Because of this, they are not able to focus on their work. They also start losing interest in all the activities which they otherwise found interesting. The only thing they are able to concentrate on is drinking alcohol.

Depression

Alcohol helps in curing the stress by releasing hormones that make a person feel happy or “high.” This disables the person’s natural stress coping skills. So whenever they feel sad or stressed, they move to alcohol. This gives them a short-term high and ultimately leads to depression as the person no more have natural coping skills for any kind of stress. And if a person is already dealing with depression, then alcohol worsens the condition.

Memory Issues

This is one of the long term damages done by alcohol. The problem starts with forgetting small things and grows to an extent where the addict might forget everything. Because of this, their lives are affected badly and they also suffer loss at work. And the fact that this problem remains with them for a long time, makes it even scarier.

Bipolar Disorder

As mentioned above, alcohol gives the drinker a sudden “high” in the mood. Which means it influences their emotions. So when a person consumes it in large quantities, alcohol starts giving them severe mood swings. They might be feeling extremely high in a moment and in the next moment, they might feel severely low. This becomes a cycle as when they feel low, they drink more and that gives them mood swings.

Some of these damages can stay with the addict for the long term, even if they get rid of the addiction. This is why people should avoid drinking in more than recommended quantities and stay away from addiction. Mental health therapy is available for support.