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Alcoholism and Common Mental Health Issues Mental health issues not only arise from drinking too much alcohol. They can also provoke people to drink too much. There is some evidence linking light alcohol consumption with better overall health in some adults. Between 1 and 3 drinks daily have been found to help protect against heart disease, dementia, and Alzheimer's Disease, and a small glass of red wine everyday may reduce risk of stroke in females. There is a lot more evidence indicating that drinking too much alcohol leads to significant physical and psychological illnesses. Stated very simply, a major reason for drinking alcohol is to change our mood - or change our mental state. Alcohol can temporarily alleviate feelings of anxiety and depression; it can even help to temporarily relieve the symptoms of more serious mental health issues. Alcohol problems are more common among individuals with more severe mental health issues. This does not necessarily mean that alcohol compels severe emotional disorder. Drinking to deal with difficult feelings or symptoms of mental disorder is sometimes called 'self-medication' by people in the mental health field. This is often why people with mental health issues drink. It can make existing mental health conditions worse. Evidence indicates that individuals who consume high amounts of alcohol are vulnerable to higher levels of mental ill health and it can be a contributory factor in some mental diseases, such as depression. rasputin How does drinking affect our moods and mental health? When we have alcohol in our blood, our mood changes, and our behaviour then even changes. How these change depends on how much we drink and how quickly we drink it. Alcohol depresses the central nervous system, and this can make us less inhibited in our behaviour. It can even help 'numb' our emotions, so we can avoid difficult issues in our lives. Alcohol can also reveal or magnify our underlying feelings. When drinking, this is one of the reasons that many individuals become aggressive or angry. If our underlying feelings are of unhappiness, anger or http://www.autism-community.com/members/joincost9/activity/1225122 , then alcohol can magnify them. What about the after-effects? When the effects have worn off, one of the main conditions connected with using alcohol to deal with anxiety and depression is that individuals may feel much worse. Alcohol is thought to use up and reduce the amount of neurotransmitters in the brain, but the brain needs a certain level of neurotransmitters needs to ward off anxiety and depression. This can lead some people to drink more, to ward off these difficult feelings, and a dangerous cycle of dependence can develop. Alcohol issues are more common among people with more severe mental health conditions. If our underlying feelings are of anxiety, unhappiness or anger, then alcohol can magnify them. One of the main problems connected with using alcohol to deal with anxiety and depression is that individuals may feel much worse when the effects have worn off. Alcohol is thought to use up and reduce the amount of neurotransmitters in the brain, but the brain needs a certain level of neurotransmitters needs to ward off anxiety and depression.