We will keep mentioning the link between alcohol and anxiety until we’re blue in the face. Too many of us drink when we’re stressed in order to block it all out. But over time, and even shortly thereafter, drinking leads to increased anxiety, as you’ll find in the exercise “Alcohol & Anxiety” in the Drinker’s Helper app.
This recent study, however, focused on finding evidence showing the connection going the other way: when anxiety causes harmful drinking patterns.
Studying 2,000 participants over three years, researchers at the University of Bristol found that generalized anxiety disorder (the official name of the diagnosis for the most common form of anxiety) was associated with harmful drinking behavior, and that the effect persisted for several years. This was true despite the fact that many participants didn’t seem to consciously use alcohol to self-medicate for anxiety when stressed.
If your anxiety causes you to drink, then one logical way to get yourself back on track is to learn new coping skills for anxious moments. Here are some of the tactics we use when we’re in a panic:
Make (or look at an existing) gratitude list, to remember the big stuff that matters that is going well
Take a break through a bath or a walk to mentally re-set
Focus on breathing deeply and slowly (one study recently confirmed that breathing exercises helped people calm down and reduced their desire to drink when exposed to stress)
Logically question the anxious thought, seeing where we might be exaggerating the ‘danger’ in the situation
Remind ourselves that life’s too short to spend worried all the time, and there’s always something new to worry about
We know how important is is to address the anxiety and depression that can lead us to drink, which is why we have several courses of exercises dedicated to helping members in Drinker’s Helper improve their mental health.
If you’re looking to cut back or quit drinking, we’d love to help. Drinker’s Helper is an app that provides motivational exercises (like those about anxiety and depression), drink tracking and insights into why you drink, and a support group of your peers to help you make needed changes. Try it free for a week before joining!
