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Alcohol Abuse and Co-Occurring Disorders Mental health problems not only result from drinking too much alcohol. They can even cause individuals to drink too much. There is some evidence associating light alcohol consumption with better physical health in some adults. Between one and three units on a daily basis have been found to help defend us from heart disease, dementia, and Alzheimer's Disease, and a small glass of red wine daily may reduce risk of stroke in females. There is far more evidence demonstrating that drinking excessive alcohol results in serious bodily and psychological illnesses. Stated very simply, a major reason for drinking alcohol is to change our mood - or change our mental state. Alcohol can temporarily alleviate feelings of anxiety and depression; it can even help to temporarily relieve the symptoms of more serious mental health issues. Alcohol problems are more common among people with more severe mental health problems. This does not necessarily mean that alcohol compels severe emotional disorder. Drinking to deal with difficult feelings or symptoms of mental illness is sometimes called 'self-medication' by individuals in the mental health field. This is often why individuals with mental health problems drink. It can make existing mental health problems worse. Evidence indicates that individuals who consume high amounts of alcohol are vulnerable to higher levels of mental ill health and it can be a contributory factor in some mental http://www.filedropper.com/alcoholcancausechangesinthestructureandfunctionofthegrowingbrainwfvss , such as depression. rasputin How does drinking affect our moods and mental health? When we have alcohol in our blood, our mood changes, and our behaviour then also changes. How these change depends on how much we drink and how quickly we drink it. http://www71.zippyshare.com/v/ULwuo2rz/file.html depresses the central nervous system, and this can make us less inhibited in our behaviour. http://www.datafilehost.com/d/dca62a2d can also help 'numb' our emotions, so we can avoid difficult issues in our lives. Alcohol can also reveal or magnify our underlying feelings. This is one of the reasons that many individuals become angry or aggressive when drinking. If our underlying feelings are of anxiety, unhappiness or anger, then alcohol can magnify them. What about the after-effects? One of the main conditions connected with using alcohol to deal with anxiety and depression is that people may feel much worse when the effects have worn off. Alcohol is thought to use up and reduce the amount of neurotransmitters in the brain, but the brain needs a certain level of neurotransmitters needs to ward off anxiety and depression. This can lead some people to drink more, to ward off these difficult feelings, and a dangerous cycle of dependence can develop. Alcohol conditions are more common among people with more severe mental health issues. If our underlying feelings are of anger, anxiety or unhappiness, then alcohol can magnify them. One of the main problems connected with using alcohol to deal with anxiety and depression is that individuals may feel much worse when the effects have worn off. Alcohol is thought to use up and reduce the amount of neurotransmitters in the brain, but the brain needs a certain level of neurotransmitters needs to ward off anxiety and depression.