If you're dealing with anxiety, you may drink alcohol to make yourself feel less nervous. Once you get used to drinking to calm your anxiety, you'll develop co-occurring disorders.
According to the University of Minnesota Medical School, nearly 20-40% of people who suffer from anxiety or depression also struggle with alcohol use disorder. When you're anxious, alcohol can make you feel relief. However, over time, you build an alcohol dependence, resulting in two disorders.
Over time, your way of coping can lead to an alcohol disorder. Luckily, you can break the cycle through a comprehensive dual diagnosis treatment.
Why Do People With Anxiety Drink Alcohol?
If you feel anxious, you may drink alcohol to help you reduce the physical and emotional symptoms of anxiety. Here is why anxious people may drink alcohol:
Alcohol Becomes a Form of Self-Medication
Dealing with untreated anxiety often makes you feel like you're always on edge. One way you can cope with it is drinking alcohol, unfortunately. Instead of looking for professional treatment, you get into a self-medicating pattern, where you use alcohol to manage the symptoms.
Alcohol Calms Anxiety for a While
Alcohol works as a depressant. Once you consume it, it slows your nervous system, so you won't feel worry or racing thoughts for a while. If you're usually anxious, this calm can provide relief. Since you get the calming effects within minutes and with no effort, it's easy for you to develop reliance on alcohol.
Alcohol Seems to Make Social Interactions Easier
If you have social anxiety, alcohol will help you feel less self-conscious when you're in social functions. When you're afraid of social interactions, you'll find that it becomes easier to talk to people when you're drunk.
Stress and Trauma Can Make Your Co-Occurring Disorders Worse
Chronic stress and unresolved trauma can increase your anxiety. Once you're constantly anxious, you're likely to drink alcohol so that it can help you forget about your problems.
How Does Drinking Alcohol Affect Anxiety?
Although alcohol can give you a sense of temporary calm if you have anxiety, the two problems become worse over time. Here is how you can notice the alcohol and anxiety pattern:
The "Hangxiety" Rebound
When alcohol leaves your body, it makes your nervous system more activated. As a result, you may experience the following symptoms the next day:
- Shame
- Irritability
- Restlessness
- Racing thoughts
These are signs of hangxiety. Since you don't want to stay with these negative symptoms, you'll take more alcohol to get relief. It creates a cycle that becomes hard for you to break.
Poor Sleep Will Make Your Anxiety Worse
While alcohol can make you sleep faster, it stops you from enjoying a deeper, restorative sleep. If you don't reach deep sleep, your body has a harder time feeling restored. You also won't be able to regulate your emotions well.
Over time, poor sleep worsens your anxiety symptoms. You'll wake up feeling more stressed, increasing your urge to drink again.
You Develop Tolerance and Withdrawal
When you drink alcohol repeatedly, over time, your brain adapts. You'll need more alcohol to feel calmer. As you take more alcohol, your tolerance for it increases without you noticing.
If you decide to stop drinking alcohol, you'll experience withdrawal symptoms, such as:
- Shakiness
- Sweating
- Irritability
- Severe anxiety
The anxious feelings you were escaping will return stronger. To break this cycle, you'll need dual-diagnosis treatment in Atlanta. Your healthcare providers will offer integrated care solutions that ensure you get treatment for both anxiety and alcohol use disorder at the same time.
How Can You Treat Co-Occurring Disorders?
Proper treatment for alcohol and anxiety will require you to address both conditions at the same time through dual diagnosis treatment. Here is how it can help you:
Integrated Assessment and Care
Integrated treatment starts with a comprehensive evaluation. Your healthcare providers will look at your:
- Trauma
- Sleep
- Medical history
- Anxiety symptoms
- Drinking patterns
This assessment allows them to look at the whole picture. Once they do, they'll come up with an integrated care plan that ensures they resolve both your anxiety and AUD.
Therapy
You'll go through therapies that will help you manage anxiety without having to use alcohol. For example, your doctors may decide to use cognitive behavioral therapy. It'll help you identify the situations that trigger your anxiety and drinking patterns.
Medical and Recovery Support
Depending on your situation, you may need drugs for anxiety and your alcohol disorder. If you're facing withdrawals, your doctors may advise that you get medically supported withdrawal management.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Alcohol Interact With My Anxiety Medications?
Yes. Alcohol can interact with the anxiety medications your doctor prescribes. When you drink while you're taking these drugs, you may feel drowsy and dizzy. You may also have memory problems.
You may also experience dangerous changes in breathing and heart rate. To protect your health, don't assume that it's safe to mix your anxiety drugs with alcohol.
What Questions Should I Ask a Dual Diagnosis Treatment Center Before Enrolling?
If you're seeking dual diagnosis treatment, ask the providers if they help people with co-occurring disorders. Once you confirm that they offer the treatment, ask them how they handle their integrated treatment.
You can also inquire about the therapies they use for treatment. Before you leave, ask about how they handle their financing.
Can Anxiety and Alcohol Problems Return After Treatment?
Yes, you can have a relapse. This setback will often happen when you are experiencing high stress or grief. Once you're done with treatment, always schedule ongoing therapy and get more support to avoid a relapse.
How Can Family Members Support Someone With Anxiety and an Alcohol Use Disorder?
If your loved one is battling anxiety and alcohol use disorder, talk to them using nonjudgmental language. As you talk to them, encourage them to get professional dual diagnosis treatment.
Access a Comprehensive Dual Diagnosis Treatment for Your Anxiety and AUD
Anxiety will make you rely on alcohol to feel relief. Once the two happen together, you may end up suffering from co-occurring disorders. For better outcomes, you'll need a dual diagnosis treatment that addresses both issues.
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