Irritation, apathy, fear, guilt - all these emotional states are accompanied by numerous biochemical processes in the brain.
How do so-called “antidepressants” work? They dull the sensitivity of those brain centers that are responsible for emotions, and at the same time they stimulate the production of endorphin hormones, which are neurostimulants. These include serotonin, dopamine - it is their concentration in the blood that increases sharply when a person feels joy, happiness, and love.
What about alcohol? Will it help cope with depression and neurosis, or, on the contrary, will it only worsen psychological problems?
Many studies support the connection between alcohol abuse and an increased risk of developing depressive disorders.
However, one study found no worsening of the condition with moderate alcohol consumption in those who were already depressed compared with non-drinkers.
In this article we will try to understand the ambiguous and multifaceted influence of alcoholic beverages on a person’s mental state.
Let us remind you that we previously provided a list of 15 products to improve your mood.
Why does alcohol improve your mood?
The improvement in mood is explained by its depressive effect, that is, inhibition of the sensitivity of the central nervous system.
This is why the brain, even after a small dose of alcohol, is less “vulnerable” to fear, apathy, and aggression . It’s worth noting right away that all these feelings are the norm for any adult, but modern society is structured in such a way that showing them is a sign of something bad.
This, by the way, is a fairly common problem in psychology - a person simply does not give vent to his emotions, but this does not mean that they disappear without a trace.
And this is precisely the explanation why some people (mostly men) become aggressive and irritable after drinking alcohol - they simply stop restraining their real emotions.
What about depression? Depression symptoms do improve somewhat. But recent research by scientists from Denmark shows that it is more effective for men. But in women, the feeling of apathy when drinking alcohol often increases significantly, but this is already relevant for the extreme stages of intoxication.
In fact, after drinking alcohol, a person can even feel euphoria against the background of drinking. This is due to increased blood flow, since after drinking alcohol, blood pressure increases and the brain, accordingly, receives more nutrients for a certain time. The duration of this action is individual and depends on both the genetic predisposition and the physiology of a particular person. For more information about the mechanism of alcohol’s effect on the brain, see a separate article.
In summary, alcohol really relieves feelings of depression. This is why a person wants to drink something alcoholic to lift his mood.
But how long does this action last? Exactly until ethanol acts as a sedative. After this, the sensitivity becomes nominal, and in some cases the problem worsens.
Symptoms of alcoholic neurosis
Symptoms of alcoholic neurosis:
- Formation of stable dependence.
- Increased sweating, chills.
- Irritability.
- Headaches.
- Sleep disorders.
- Temperature increase.
Systematic consumption of alcohol leads to persistent addiction. The brain stops sending signals to the endocrine system, which controls the production of happiness hormones, without ethanol. Toxins gradually replace neurotransmitters that transmit impulses to the brain. Internal organs suffer. The blood vessels weaken, sweating and chills appear.
After drinking alcohol, constant dissatisfaction appears. Irritability becomes a predominant character trait and does not disappear over time even under the influence of intoxicating drinks. Constant stress leads to long-term depression, which the patient tries to overcome.
Headaches are a constant symptom that accompanies alcoholism.
Oxygen starvation of the brain occurs due to the destruction and blockage of blood vessels that provide blood flow. Imaginary relief comes after a dose of alcohol. Each time the body requires an increasingly larger batch of the drink. Even large volumes of drinking cease to bring pleasure, and the brain gradually stops working, which leads to complete degradation. A person is not aware of himself, loses memory, keeps track of days.
Why does apathy occur the next day after consumption?
With physiology, everything is more or less clear - ethanol is a poison, and if the body does not remove its breakdown products in a timely manner, then the person feels nausea, weakness (since the breakdown and removal of toxins takes up huge amounts of energy), headache, and so on.
But why do you usually have a bad mood the next morning after drinking alcohol?
This is also indirectly related to society, which constantly imposes that drinking alcohol is a harmful attraction, because of which lives, families, and careers are destroyed.
Understanding this nuance operates on a subconscious level. And it is reinforced by a feeling of guilt - this is already a reflex effect on the brain. And they all react to them in their own way. In such cases, some people want to be alone, others show aggression, including towards their loved ones. By the way, all this in total is one of the first symptoms of chronic alcoholism.
In summary, a depressed mood the next day is a feeling of guilt towards others, which is enhanced by poor health.
Description of signs and symptoms
Neurosis in alcoholics is a chronic disorder of nervous activity that has protracted due to the lack of timely treatment.
In other words, this is a psychological and, most importantly, hidden conflict, where the alcoholic tried to independently cope with his psycho-emotional state through excessive drinking. Read more about the psychology of alcoholism here or contact the specialists of our drug treatment clinic for advice - all services are anonymous!
Let's return to the signs and symptoms of neuroses in alcoholics
- Chronic anxiety
- Indecisiveness
- Fatigue quickly
- Lack of life goals
- Inferiority complexes
- Inadequate self-esteem
- There may be loss of consciousness (critical cases)
- Irritability
- Anxiety
The alcoholic tries to smooth out all these symptoms with new doses of alcohol, a strong craving for alcohol appears, since alcohol in this case creates the illusion of well-being, but in fact is a strong poison, one might say that it has an allergic reaction and affects the personality.
Does it help get rid of depression?
Yes, but it only acts as long as it has a sedative effect on the brain. If a person does not suffer from alcoholism, that is, drinks only from time to time, then depression is unlikely to worsen.
But if you try to constantly “forget” depression with the help of alcohol, then the effect will be exactly the opposite .
Moreover, a depression may occur. This is when a person drinks to get rid of depression or to simply have fun, but the next day he also feels guilty. Accordingly, he also “forgets” it with the help of alcohol, and the next day in the same way.
And every day depression will only get stronger due to the growing feeling of guilt . This is why you should not drink alcohol if you have such disorders.
How can this be dealt with? Without the help of loved ones it is very difficult.
Getting rid of chronic depression and alcoholism is possible only in a comprehensive manner. First of all, the dependence on alcohol is eliminated (and it acts almost in the same way as drugs), then the psychological one. If treatment does not take into account both steps, then sooner or later the person will take up alcohol again.
One more nuance: “Why do people try to suppress depression with alcohol?” Because alcoholic drinks are the most accessible means of stress relief for most (and it is, so to speak, “legal”). In fact, it will only help if we are talking about a single dose in small quantities (1 bottle of beer, several glasses of wine - everyone has their own “norm”).
Treatment of the disease
How can you help a person in a state of neurosis?
A person experiencing neurosis needs help from loved ones. The patient needs support both during exacerbation of the disease and during remission.
One of the most effective methods of helping a patient during neurosis is verbal support. To alleviate suffering, a number of rules should be followed when talking with a sick person.
Treatment of neuroses, and especially if we are talking about alcohol addiction, requires two methods, the first is medicinal and the second is psychotherapeutic.
The drug method in the treatment of neurosis is typical, where drug therapy is prescribed depending on the case and form of neurosis, but the psychotherapeutic method is very diverse. The psychotherapeutic method of treating neurosis can be from outpatient to inpatient with the use of travel therapy, and this, again, if there are no medical contraindications.
The first symptoms of neurosis are messages from the psyche about a violation of its normal state. The answer to them is treatment. A patient suffering from neurosis and alcoholism needs the help of a narcologist and psychotherapist. As he recovers, he may need other professionals to help him cope with the effects of his addiction.
Treatment with a psychotherapist allows you to identify the causes of fear and addiction - if a person admits his weakness, he can get rid of it. Drug treatment helps cleanse the body. After prolonged intoxication, the addict recovers. Rehabilitation determines the future life of a patient who has experienced alcoholism and neurosis.
Neuroses (from Greek.
Causes of neurosis
Types of disease
The essence of the concept
Types of neuroses
Hysterical neurosis.
Is it possible to drink if you have neuroses?
Neurosis and depression are radically different concepts. Neurosis is no longer just a psychological state, but a real malfunction of the nervous system.
How does alcohol affect the central nervous system? Essentially, it destroys nerve cells, acting like any other toxin.
it is better to give up alcohol .
In the worst case, this can even provoke a stroke, since the simultaneous load on both the cardiovascular and nervous systems is a good basis for the development of such diseases.
Stages of development of addiction and nervousness
There are three stages of chronic alcoholism. The speed at which addiction forms is determined by several factors:
- reception frequency;
- quantity and strength of alcohol consumed;
- age;
- floor;
- presence of mental illness;
- social conditions;
- individual characteristics.
The course of alcoholism in neurosis can be slow, and sometimes the stages change very quickly, and within them there is a change in personality, the development of alcoholic degradation and an increase in signs of a neurotic disorder.
First stage
Alcohol addiction usually develops slowly. Initially, it is invisible to others. This is precisely the first stage that the patient himself is not aware of. Alcoholic drinks cause a feeling of pleasure, their dose is gradually increased. A person drinks alcohol in any situation; a reason is found more and more often.
Over time, performance begins to decline, during the period between drinking sessions, health worsens, irritability is observed, and sleep disturbance appears. This stage of alcoholism lasts from 1 to 5 years. Sometimes it does not go into the second stage and continues throughout life. Even in this case, neurological disorders occur.
Second stage
The course of the disease directly depends on the stage of alcoholism. This dependence determines the frequency of binge drinking, the amount of alcohol consumed and the consequences of drinking for the alcoholic. It is also important what kind of alcohol the patient prefers - the strength of the drink also determines the stage of addiction. Each of them has its own symptoms.
The classification of alcoholism is influenced by the patient’s age and gender. In women, alcoholism more often than in men affects the state of the nervous system - symptoms of hysteria and psychosis appear more quickly in women. Individual characteristics determine how quickly a person moves from one stage of alcoholism to another.
First stage
Does it worsen other mental disorders?
As already mentioned above - only in case of abuse or if we are talking about chronic alcoholism .
Alcohol can exacerbate obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic attacks, neurasthenia and other psychological disorders.
You also need to understand that whether a person drinks alcohol or not, depression and the factors that provoked it will not go away. Accordingly, the problem will remain and will be complemented by a feeling of guilt from the very fact of drinking alcohol.
Moreover, narcologists claim that most men become alcoholics for precisely this reason, that is, they constantly try to forget about their problems with the help of alcohol. But sooner or later all this comes to dependence on ethanol.
In addition to neurotic disorders, alcohol causes a number of other problems, which you can see in the infographic:
Therefore, if you are suffering from a depressed mood, anxiety or a feeling of weakness, it is better to resort to other methods of improving your well-being.
Neurosis as a result of alcohol consumption
The most harmless mental disorder after heavy drinking is bad mood and anxiety as a manifestation of a hangover. It seems to a person that yesterday he committed some unforgivable act or disgraced himself. There is a premonition of a bad event in the future. But such “pangs of conscience” end after 1–3 days, when the body recovers.
Bad mood is one of the manifestations of mental disorders
Alcoholic neuroses and psychoses that arise from a long history of alcohol use pose a great danger. Their types differ from each other in clinical manifestations: a person can behave violently or, on the contrary, become depressed with suicidal thoughts. All of these conditions require psychiatric help.
Worth seeing: Noogenic neurosis
The symptoms of alcoholic neurosis are different. They depend on the type of personality, the characteristics of his life, state of health, and environment. Psychological manifestations and behavioral deviations are accompanied by a deterioration in general well-being in the absence of pathologies:
- insomnia, disturbance of the sleep-wake schedule;
- decreased performance, inability to concentrate;
- cardiac pain;
- migraine;
- tremor;
- high fatigue.
Alcoholism in combination with neurosis leads to disturbances in interaction with the outside world. The family is often destroyed, or the relationships in it leave much to be desired. A person has problems at work. Due to his addiction, he may become absentee, and neurosis negatively affects relationships with colleagues and superiors.
Alcoholism combined with neurosis leads to conflicts at work and in the family
Hysterical neurosis
Hysterical neurosis often occurs after alcohol, especially when its use has become a habit. The patient is not able to adequately assess the conditions and norms of the world around him. It may seem to a person that everyone is treating him unfairly, exaggerating his craving for alcoholic beverages, making too high demands and unreasonable claims.
Drinking alcohol causes a violent reaction. A person in a state of intoxication begins to have hysterical fits, the impetus for which is usually a conflict or quarrel. The patient may fall to the floor, bang his head against the walls, begin to tear his clothes and pull out his hair. The complexion changes, chest pain and cramps often appear.
Hysterical neurosis is possible after drinking alcohol
After drinking alcoholic drinks, hysterical attacks sometimes pass less vividly. In this case, the patient’s actions outwardly look theatrical and look like attempts to attract attention. A person may burst into tears or start laughing non-stop in the absence of a compelling reason, take a lying or sitting position and make chaotic movements of the limbs.
Hysterical neurosis is often combined with disturbances in the functioning of the sensory organs and speech disorders. The patient is characterized by egocentrism, he always tries to be in the center of attention by any means. Therefore, others get the impression that he enjoys his seizures.
Worth seeing: Neurosis in psychology
Safer methods to improve your emotional state
The simplest option is to force your body to produce serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, and at the same time seek help from a qualified psychologist.
How to stimulate hormone production? To do this, simply review your diet and include brain-healthy foods:
- chocolate;
- fresh vegetables and fruits;
- greenery;
- oatmeal;
- legumes;
- fatty varieties of fish (sea fish is even better);
- citrus.
You should also think about playing sports - during physical activity, the body actively absorbs glucose. Namely, it is transformed into energy and is a kind of “fuel” for the brain.
What about antidepressants? In principle, they act like alcohol, but without signs of intoxication of the body. It makes sense to prescribe them only when it is already difficult for a person to independently control his condition. And this is only 5–10% of all cases of depression. You should resort to such methods only after consultation with your attending neurologist and psychologist. Most of these medications are generally dispensed from pharmacies only with a prescription.
We should not forget that alcohol can “burn” serotonin. Accordingly, if you are going to revise your diet in order to improve your psychological well-being, you will need to completely give up alcoholic beverages. This also applies to nicotine - this substance also has a sedative, albeit subtle, effect.
What else do psychologists recommend doing to get rid of depression? Communication with others. These do not have to be close relatives, friends or even acquaintances. The most ordinary communication on abstract topics is enough. And the more, the better.
Another good option is to go on vacation or simply do what a person wants right at this moment . Head to the beach? A good option. Play a computer game? Good too. Eat a huge cake? It is possible, although you should avoid overeating. The stimulant for the production of serotonin for each person is different, it is not always food. Positive emotions - only when a person feels them, the brain triggers the process of hormone synthesis in increased concentration.
And one more piece of advice – you should try to avoid stressful situations. Put off all conversations, showdowns and everything else for a while. And the longer the “break” is, the better. A person is able to independently normalize his condition - this is how his body works. The main thing is not to aggravate the situation.
Causes of alcoholic depression
Neurosis is a collective concept, as it heads a whole group of functional disorders of mental origin. Its main characteristics are slow mental activity and physical fatigue, which can become chronic.
However, this is only a small part of the general clinical manifestations of neuroses, because the full picture consists of both mental and somatic symptoms.
In addition, neurosis can be combined with other pathologies of the nervous system, provoking the development of serious and dangerous mental conditions.
Predisposing factors for the development of neurosis
Nowadays, there are more and more stress factors in professional activities, family and even on the street. Conflict situations between people are the most common cause of the development of neuroses.
Thus, some unpleasant circumstances can cause psychological trauma with prolonged emotional stress and involvement of mental activity in the pathological process. Psychotherapy for neuroses is based on the attitude of each person to a given state of the nervous system.
Some prefer to exaggerate their suffering, torturing themselves with emotional experiences. Others, on the contrary, try not to pay attention to the “unrest” of the nervous system and immerse themselves in work, religion, other people’s problems, or look for an answer in alcohol.
- constant mental or physical overload (chronic fatigue, lack of healthy sleep and work-rest regime);
- emotional distress (unfavorable family situation, dissatisfaction with life or work that is associated with constant stress);
- indecisiveness (inability to solve problems, lack of independence in decision-making and persistence in overcoming difficulties);
— vulnerability (emotional instability, uncertainty);
— various diseases, injuries;
- bad habits (addiction to alcohol, smoking and drugs).
The reasons that cause depression can be very diverse. For example, liver diseases, metabolic disorders, mental disorders. But the trigger in this case is one: alcohol.
It’s worth saying that you don’t have to drink buckets of alcohol. Moderate and regular consumption also causes alcoholic depression.
In this case, the pathological process begins to proceed at an accelerated pace if there are provoking factors: stress, conflicts and other troubles. At the same time, the initial reaction does not correspond to the situation: emotions are absent where they should be.
Neurosis of the stomach is a dysfunction of this organ. The disease is provoked by physiological and psychological problems. All body systems are endowed with nerve endings.
