💡 Missed the last article in the series?
Read “The Three Phases of Alcohol-Induced Anxiety”
Feeling low could be enough to make us reach for a drink.
For a while, it could work. We felt lighter, more interested in the evening or less bothered by whatever had been going on in our head.
Then the alcohol wore off.
The next day we felt flat, tired, irritable or disappointed in ourselves. So when evening came around, another drink looked like the quickest way to feel better again.
So alcohol and low mood can start feeding each other.
Why alcohol can make a low mood worse
Alcohol changes brain activity while we’re drinking and as it wears off. It also affects sleep, even when it helps us fall asleep faster.
So the lift we feel at the beginning can be followed by a poorer night’s sleep, less energy and a lower mood the next day.
If that happens once, we might put it down to a hangover. If it keeps happening, we can start thinking this is just how we are.
And because alcohol changes the feeling again so quickly, it gets the credit for the lift without taking the blame for what came afterwards.
Why ordinary things can start feeling flat
Alcohol can also change how motivated we feel and how much enjoyment we get from everyday things.
When alcohol becomes the quickest and strongest way we change how we feel, the things we normally enjoy might not seem to do much anymore. Food is just food. A good result at work doesn’t give us much of a lift. A quiet evening feels empty.
Then we drink and feel something. That seems to prove alcohol was what we were missing.
But repeated heavy drinking may be part of the reason everything else has started feeling so dull. The brain chemistry article explains that part in more detail.
This flat feeling is one reason stopping can feel disappointing at first. We expected life to improve, but our brain might need time before everyday life starts feeling enjoyable again.
Then there’s the regret
The way alcohol affects our brain is only part of it.
We might wake up knowing we drank more than we planned. Maybe we sent a message, started an argument or lost another morning. Other times, nothing dramatic happened. We’re simply tired of doing the same thing again.
That regret and shame can pull the mood down even further. Then the thought comes up: “I need a drink so I can stop feeling like this.” So the thing that helped create the low mood starts looking like the way out of it.
What may change when alcohol is gone
When we stop drinking, we stop repeating that same up-and-down feeling.
Sleep might improve. Mornings may not feel like such a shock. We’re no longer adding a hangover, broken promises and another night we need to recover from.
Our interest in everyday things might return slowly. We could notice ourselves enjoying food, finishing a job, laughing properly or looking forward to something without alcohol being involved.
It probably won’t happen in a straight line. A good day can be followed by a flat one. But at least we’re not making a flat day worse by drinking again.
What if the depression is still there?
Alcohol can cause or worsen depression, but it isn’t the only reason people become depressed.
If low mood continues, becomes more intense or makes it hard to function, we should take it seriously and get some help. The underlying problem may have been there before the drinking, or it could be something we need help with now.
And if we feel unsafe or think we might harm ourselves, we need urgent local emergency or crisis help.
Stopping alcohol still helps. It takes alcohol out of the way, so we can get a better idea of what’s really going on and get the right help.
We don’t have to decide whether every low feeling came from alcohol. We can remove the alcohol, give our brain and body time, and deal with whatever is still there.
— Brent
Next in the Series →