5 Mental Illnesses Which Are Heightened By Alcohol Use
Do you ever drink alcohol and then wake up the next day with a banging headache, feeling like you've been run over by a truck? You're not alone. In fact, many people experience this phenomenon known as a hangover. But what you may not know is that drinking alcohol can also amplify the effects of certain mental illnesses. Here are five such mental illnesses.
1. Depression
Depression is a mental illness that affects millions of people around the world. It can be caused by a variety of things, including genetics, traumatic experiences, and chemical imbalances in the brain. Alcohol use can also cause depression and its symptoms worsen once you start quitting alcohol.
In fact, some studies have shown that regular alcohol consumption may double your risk of developing depression. This is because alcohol disrupts the normal functioning of neurotransmitters in the brain which control mood, sleep patterns, and appetite.
Additionally, alcohol use can lead to increased feelings of loneliness and isolation which are common symptoms of depression.
2. Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders are characterized by excessive fear or worry about everyday situations that most people would not typically consider to be dangerous or threatening in any way. These fears often result in physical symptoms such as muscle tension, headaches, and nausea and they can significantly impact one’s ability to function on a day-to-day basis.
Research has shown that heavy alcohol use may increase your risk of developing an anxiety disorder later in life. This is because chronic alcohol use causes changes in brain chemistry which create an imbalance between certain neurotransmitters (chemical messengers) involved in regulating mood, sleep patterns, and appetite.
These changes make it difficult for those with anxiety disorders to regulate their emotions properly which can cause them to drink more heavily as a means of coping with their anxiety-related symptoms. There are many drug recovery centers that focuses on treating the root cause (mental disorders) of alcohol addiction. For example, Lantana Recovery, Charleston center uses CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) and other evidence based treatments to treat the underlying mental issues while dealing wit alcohol abuse.
3. Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Schizophrenia is a mental illness characterized by abnormal thoughts and perceptions along with abnormal social behavior such as hallucinations or delusions (false beliefs). People who suffer from schizophrenia often have difficulty distinguishing reality from fantasy which makes it extremely difficult for them to function normally on a daily basis without help from others or professional treatment options like therapy or medication management programs.
Research has shown that chronic alcohol use may increase your risk for developing schizophrenia later in life because it alters brain chemicals involved in processing sensory input from the outside world along with regulating mood, sleep patterns, and appetite – all factors known to play a role in causing schizophrenia/psychosis symptoms like hallucinations and delusions.
Also, studies suggest that people who consume large amounts of alcohol are more likely than non-alcoholics to develop schizophrenia later on due to long-term changes in brain chemistry caused by frequent drinking over time.
4. Alcohol Use Disorder (Alcoholism)
Alcohol use disorder (AUD), also known as alcoholism, is a chronic disease characterized by an inability to control the amount of alcohol one drinks and/or the negative consequences associated with drinking.
People who have AUD often feel that they are unable to stop drinking despite the fact that their alcohol use has caused significant problems in their personal relationships and/or professional life.
Because there is no cure for AUD at this time, treatment options typically involve some combination of psychotherapy and medication management programs which help those with this mental illness learn how to manage their addiction and cope with the symptoms it causes without relying on alcohol as a means of coping with them.
Studies have shown that people who consume large quantities of alcohol are more likely than non-alcoholics to develop AUD later on due to long-term changes in brain chemistry caused by frequent drinking over time.
5. Bipolar Disorder (Manic Depression)
Bipolar disorder is a mental illness characterized by extreme mood swings between periods of depression and periods of mania (a state of intense euphoria or hyperactivity). During manic episodes, people with bipolar disorder may feel extremely happy or very excited about something while during depressive episodes they may feel extremely sad or hopeless.
In order to treat bipolar disorder, doctors usually prescribe medications called mood stabilizers which help keep these extreme mood swings under control so that patients can lead more normal lives free from symptoms like depression and mania.
Research has shown that heavy alcohol use may increase your risk for developing bipolar disorder later in life because it disrupts the normal functioning of neurotransmitters in the brain which regulate mood, sleep patterns, and appetite – all factors known to play a role in causing bipolar disorder symptoms like depression and mania.
So, if you’re struggling with mental health issues and you drink alcohol, know that it’s only making things worse. Seek help from a professional to get on the path to recovery. If you know someone who is dealing with these problems, be supportive and understanding – addiction is a difficult thing to overcome. Thanks for reading!