Stress And Alcohol |
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Reaching for a drink, like reaching for a cigarette, is a very common reaction to varying degrees of stress, from social shyness to major life problems. Drinking well within the limits, in sensible moderation, is sociable and can probably actually help alleviate mild stress, but it’s when it becomes a firm habit, an established reflex, that warning signals should start to sound.
Most of the alcohol we drink is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream: nearly all of it has to be burned up by the liver (at the rate of l unit of alcohol per hour) and the rest leaves the body through the pores of the skin or as urine. Excess alcohol produces excess hydro- cortisone and other stress-related hormones, so that after the initial feeling of relaxation conveyed by a drink, a state of apparent stimulation follows.
It is for just this sensation of combined relaxation and stimulation that most people drink, but contrary to popular belief alcohol is not in fact a stimulant - it's a depressant, in the sense that it depresses certain functions of the brain, which can affect coordination, concentration, judgment and self-control. Drinking alcohol may seem to alleviate stress to begin with, but excess consumption can quickly create stress problems of its own, for example by interfering with sleep patterns, leading to hangovers, or causing accidents, and, when taken to extremes, resulting in severe addiction which can lead to stresses of its own, such as problems at work, deterioration of home life, loss of self-esteem, all probably of a much more serious nature than those the drink was first intended to relieve.
It has been suggested that men are more likely to drink to help them cope with problems at work (or with lack of work), and women because of problems in relationships. Whichever, it is a firmly established fact that alcohol abuse is no long-term remedy for stress, but rather, just the opposite.
Excess drinking can harm the body in a number of ways, and of these, those specially related to stress are high blood pressure, stomach ulcers and problems with the muscles and nervous system. Others include hepatitis (inflammation of the liver), cirrhosis (permanent scarring of the liver) and some forms of cancer.
In the light of these hard facts it is very well worth taking a close, really objective look at your drinking habits, to make yourself aware not only of just how much you drink on a regular basis, but when you do so. If, for example, you consistently mix yourself a stiff gin and tonic when you get home from the office, and after a really hard day there's a tendency to make this two, then three . . . it would be a good idea to make yourself a mug of tea, or pour yourself a refreshing tumbler of mineral water topped with ice cubes and a twist of lemon instead.
As far as quantity is concerned, it could be enlightening and valuable to note in your diary how many alcohol units you consume during the course of a week, based on the calculation:
1 alcohol unit = 1/2 pint beer; a glass of wine; a single measure of spirits.
This exercise is only worthwhile if you are really honest with yourself! Count up your total units for the week and then compare it with the recommended 'safe' alcohol consumption level, which should carry no long-term health risk:
Men: up to 21 units Women: up to 14 units
(Women are more easily affected by drink than men because 10 per cent more of men's body weight is made up of water, which dilutes alcohol.) Drinking over 36 units for men, and over 22 for women, means that damage to health is likely.
Remember - you won't just be doing your overall health a lot of good, you will also be avoiding the dual error made in drinking to relieve stress: failing to find a reliable long-term remedy for stress, and instead, building up a new set of stressors.
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