Heavy drinking might feel like a quick fix for stress or a way to lift your mood, but it can actually make anxiety and depression worse in the long run. Alcohol messes with your brain chemistry, including the levels of serotonin (the “feel-good” chemical). When you drink a lot, it throws off these chemicals, and instead of relieving anxiety, it often leads to feeling even more anxious or down when the buzz fades. This is the ‘Hangxiety’ that so many people feel a day or two after. Annoying isn’t it? (When the aim was to cheer ourselves up).
Plus, alcohol is a depressant, which means it slows down your brain’s functioning. While you might feel relaxed at first, heavy drinking can make it harder for your brain to handle stress over time. This can lead to a cycle where you start feeling anxious or depressed even on days you’re not drinking, which can make you want to drink more just to feel okay. It's a tough cycle to break, especially when alcohol becomes a go-to for feeling better.
There’s also the social and emotional toll. Drinking too much can lead to tension in relationships, mistakes at work, or even moments you don’t fully remember, which can bring on guilt, embarrassment, and low self-esteem. This all adds up, making it harder to feel positive about yourself and your life.
With CBT, you can start to see these connections between heavy drinking and mental health. By learning healthier coping skills and getting support, you can break the cycle, reduce anxiety and depression, and feel stronger without needing alcohol.
Every day, I see more and more people coming to me for help in reducing their drinking levels. Through our sessions, I help them gain mastery over themselves and their choices, ultimately leading to a much calmer, happier future.
If you’d like to book a free assessment to see if I can help you -then the booking calendar is on my website at:
Look forward to seeing you soon!
Karen Khan
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