Alcohol & Anxiety - Understanding The Problem

Is alcohol really a safe way to deal with anxiety

? Is there a better way?

We all know that a drink can calm our nerves. For those of us who suffer from anxiety and panic attacks, a couple of beers can be the fastest way to stop an episode. But do we really know what is going on inside our bodies, and where this can lead?

Here's the pathway to alcohol hell & and the way back:

1. The Road to alcohol hell

Picture office worker Mark -- an anxiety and panic attack sufferer since his early teens. Mark soon discovers that having a few drinks stops his anxiety attacks in their tracks. He feels better equipped to deal with the stresses of everyday life, and starts to use alcohol as his "quick fix".

Everything seems to be much better, but Mark has started to drink every day. Soon, he can't deal with even the slightest stress without a drink, let alone his panic attacks. As Mark's drinking becomes heavier, it starts to affect other areas of his life.

His boss doesn't appreciate his mood-swings and bad behavior, and Mark loses his job. His wife can't handle the strain any more, and she leaves him. This piles more stress on our poor friend, and he suffers more panic attacks as a result. So of course he hits the bottle even more, and the spiral continues.

What Mark didn't realize was what was happening inside his body.

With each drink, the alcohol quickly depressed his central nervous system, increasing the chemical inhibitory neurotransmitter "GABA", which has the effect of stopping the anxious feelings being produced. The alcohol is a fast-acting "anxiolytic", or anxiety-reducer.

Unfortunately, the long-term alcohol use reduced the levels of the "GBzR" receptor in Mark's central nervous system. This actually reduced the anxiolytic function in Mark's brain over time. So whilst in the short-term the alcohol helped him relax, in the long run it actually made everything worse.

2. The way back from alcohol hell

But what should Mark have done in his situation?

To break the cycle, you must understand what is happening in your brain when you drink to relieve anxiety.

by: Robert G Clarkson

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