Myth. Alcohol relaxes and relieves stress

.

When experiencing negative emotions and stress, a person often turns to alcohol, trying to find a means of salvation in it.

People turn to alcohol to cope with stress

Stress is a state in which a person experiences experiences that vary in strength and duration. Stress factors can be either global and difficult to overcome (major armed conflicts, natural disasters) or minor (subjective personal experiences). All of them have a negative impact on the human body, his behavior, and mental state.

Is it possible to relieve stress with alcohol?

Stress is the mobilization of all body systems to change life circumstances. In order to survive this stress, the body produces a special hormone - cortisol.

Since the main task of cortisol is to help a person survive in an emergency situation, it forces the body to mobilize as much as possible:

1. speeds up reactions to stimuli;
2. increases heart rate and depth of breathing;
3. sometimes it sharpens attention and improves the functioning of perception channels, which is why a state of increased anxiety and even a feeling of fear arises.

It is difficult for the body to remain in such a mobilized state for a long time, which is why there is a desire to get rid of the effects of stress.

There are many ways to relieve tension, but smoking and alcohol are the fastest: after ethanol, which is contained in any alcoholic drink, enters the bloodstream, in the first minutes a person actually experiences relaxation, since alcohol blocks the production of cortisol . But this does not mean that alcohol brings relief from stress.

Rather, the effect of ethanol could be compared with the effect of anesthesia: outwardly it is similar to a state of sleep, but in essence does not bring rest to the body, but on the contrary, more often causes torment. This is what happens to a person when he drinks alcohol:

1. Ethyl alcohol worsens the condition of the blood. You can clearly see this by dropping alcohol into a glass of water to which blood has been added. Cloudiness and flakes will instantly appear in the liquid: in the same way, blood thickens in the circulatory system and clots and blood clots form.
2. Clots and blood clots interfere with blood circulation. They do not allow blood to flow properly to the organs: as a result, brain cells begin to starve from a lack of oxygen and nutrients, which they do not receive. This is a state of oxygen starvation and is perceived as a state of mild euphoria characteristic of a drinker.
3. Ethanol destroys the cerebral cortex. The feeling of intoxication is caused not only by oxygen starvation, but also by the complete destruction of brain cells. First, neural connections are disrupted, which is why a person’s coordination of movement worsens, speech becomes difficult and movements become slow. Then he completely loses control of himself, because the cells of the cerebral cortex are literally destroyed under the influence of alcohol.

Thanks to alcohol, it is not the reaction to stress that disappears, but the normal functioning of the brain in general. Getting rid of a problem with the help of alcohol could be compared to removing any organ instead of treating it.

Stress as a reason for drinking

It's sad, but frequent relief from fatigue and stress by drinking alcohol leads to the formation of a persistent habit. Usually adherents of such therapy firmly believe that they can do without alcohol, but they simply don’t want to, but they themselves do not realize that they have lost the ability to cope with difficulties without alcohol. In such a situation, narcologists talk about the development of psychological dependence on strong drinks.

Many women know firsthand the situation when a husband relieves stress with alcohol. Moreover, the situation is usually not so difficult to drink, and the spouse simply uses any difficulty as a reason to drink alcohol. In such situations, it is useless to prove to your spouse that he is sick. The ideal option would be maximum spiritual contact. You need to talk more with the person, try to convey to him that it will not be possible to correct the situation with alcohol, because problems need to be solved, and not washed down with alcohol.

What are the dangers of abuse?

Many people who have consumed strong drinks claim that in this way you can not only distract from your experiences, but also aggravate them. And certainly, if there is any problem, along with sobering up, the painful perception of the problem itself returns, and a feeling of anxiety is added to it.

Doctors are also convinced that drinking alcohol is not a way to overcome stress, much less depression. But they explain it from a scientific point of view. For more information about the connection between alcohol and depression, see a separate article.

In addition to preventing the production of cortisol, alcohol also helps produce the pleasure hormone dopamine in greater quantities than usual.

Getting used to receiving a dose of pleasure in such a simple and quick way, the brain forgets how to produce it under other conditions . Thus, a person exposed to stress and accustomed to neutralizing it with alcohol ceases to feel pleasure from any joys in life, except from alcohol intoxication. And without drinking alcohol, he almost constantly feels stressed.

It turns out that a person is faced with a choice: either he is forced to almost constantly be in a state of stress, or become an alcoholic. Thus, alcohol necessarily aggravates the problem of the reaction to stress, and not only in the short term: stress, panic attacks and depressive states develop into chronic ones.

Neurosurgeon scientists claim that the expression “withered brain” appeared for a reason: drinking alcohol in any quantity smooths out the convolutions of the cerebral cortex, which loses its cells with every gram of alcohol-containing liquids drunk. As a result of this, the more ethanol a person has consumed during his life, the smaller the brain becomes in volume in old age.

The effect of alcohol on the central and peripheral nervous system – Neurology

M. O'Connor et al. (2002) examined children aged 5–13 years who had heavy exposure to alcohol in utero:

• 87% were diagnosed with mental disorders,
• 61% had impaired consciousness,
• 26% had major depressive syndrome and its combination with adaptation disorders,
• 35% have biopolar disorders.

S. Tapert and S. Brown (2000) found that early onset of substance use, as well as the presence of alcoholics among relatives, are the cause of poor neuropsychological functioning already at a young age.

Visual-spatial deficits have been identified in children from families where fathers have alcoholism. They perform tasks on attention and visual-spatial orientation worse than their healthy peers.

Most researchers confirm the negative impact of alcohol on cognitive functions - weakening of thinking, memory (both short-term and operational), cognitive activity and the ability to concentrate, which leads to a deterioration in adaptive capabilities, pronounced professional and social decline.

This is most clearly seen at a young age and in women, as well as in persons with organic damage to the central nervous system. Numerous epidemiological studies have shown that drinking alcohol significantly increases the risk of cerebrovascular accidents and especially hemorrhagic cerebral stroke.

In addition, patients with alcoholism showed increased:

1. incidence of encephalo- and cerebropathies,
2. polyneuropathy and polyneuritis,
3. encephalomyelopathy.

We invite you to read: Do-it-yourself return of alcohol to EGAIS

K. Schott et al. (2002) studied alcoholic polyneuropathy using the H-reflex. Its sensorimotor signs were detected in 12% of alcohol abusers, symptoms of damage to the autonomic nervous system - in 50%.

At the same time, with electromyography, a pathological delay in the reflex, which is a sign of nerve damage, was detected in 60% of cases. R. Pihl et al. (1997), who examined men with alcoholism, recorded an increased level of aggressiveness in them. V.G. Postnov and S.A. Potapov (1996), who studied this phenomenon in persons who committed crimes against individuals while intoxicated, found widespread (up to 85%) involvement in the pathological process of the subcortical structures of the cerebral hemispheres.

The most common was a combination of symptom complexes affecting the subcortical prefrontal and right hemisphere brain structures. The results of numerous studies of the brain in alcoholic patients using X-ray CT and MRI methods have confirmed the presence of pronounced structural changes.

Thus, M. DeBellis et al. (2002), using MRI of the brain in adolescents who abuse alcohol, found that in patients of both sexes, the volume of the hippocampus on both sides was smaller than in healthy adolescents. On this basis, they suggested that the hippocampus is most sensitive to the toxic effects of alcohol.

Macroscopically, they noted a decrease in brain size in patients with alcoholism compared to the control group, and during histological examination they found that chronic alcohol consumption causes dose-dependent degeneration of vasopressin-producing neurons: for every 100 g of alcohol consumed daily, about 13.5% of neurons are lost.

Moreover, degeneration correlates to a greater extent with the toxic effects of alcohol rather than with its cumulative effect. More general changes in the form of neuronal damage and gliosis were identified using the isotope magnetic resonance method by D. Meyerhoff et al. (1997) in the midbrain of alcohol abusers.

A number of studies (Klosinski W., Habrat B., 1997; Pfefferbaum A., Rosenbloom M., Deshmukh A., Sullivan EV, 2001; Rosse RB, Riggs RL, Dietrich AM et al., 1997] revealed cortical atrophy - in 69%, atrophy of the corpus callosum - in 61.9%, cerebellar atrophy - in 30.9%, widening of the cortical grooves, III and lateral ventricles - in 50%, vasogenic changes - in 26.1% of patients.

More often, pathological changes were localized in the corpus callosum. According to some data, cortical atrophy was most pronounced in the frontal lobes, and its degree correlated with the intensity of alcohol abuse.

R. Emsley et al. (1997) found severe brain atrophy with predominant damage to subcortical structures in alcoholic patients with Korsakoff syndrome.

Alcoholic encephalopathy is associated with structural damage localized in the para- and periventricular areas of the gray matter of the Sylvian aqueduct, in the walls of the third ventricle, cerebellum, mamillary bodies and thalamus.

Diffuse changes in the brain that occur in Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome include petechial hemorrhages, vascular endothelial proliferation, parenchymal necrosis, demyelination, gliosis, and varying degrees of neuronal loss.

Long-term alcohol use results in a decrease in brain activity due to brain atrophy, and its recovery requires many months and years. Along with this, patients with Korsakoff's syndrome have a deficiency of white matter in both hemispheres and the anterosuperior part of the cerebellar vermis.

Alcohol disrupts the functioning of serotonergic neurons and causes their significant reduction and degeneration. The greatest loss of neurons is in the area of ​​the mamillary bodies, the caudal part of the pons and the reticular formation (80-90%).

According to B. Butterworth (2004), alcohol-induced brain damage occurs as a result of the combined effects of alcohol, thiamine deficiency and liver pathology. According to the results of studies by Y. Maezawa et al. (1996), the ADH21/ADG21 genotypes are associated with brain atrophy in patients with alcoholism.

Experiments on rats studied the effect of chronic alcohol intoxication on the brain (utzke J., De Beum R., Schreiber R., De Vry Spanagel R.; 1998). They revealed degeneration of neurons in the central and peripheral nervous system, which the authors associate with deregulation of the expression of the microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP 2) gene.

A more detailed histological analysis of the brain of alcoholized rats in connection with RNA function was carried out by M.D. Kalatoreshvili (1999). He found that in the motor, sensorimotor zones of the cortex of the caudate nucleus and amygdala, most neurons had significant structural changes in the nucleus, nucleoli and cytoplasm, up to the formation of “shadow cells”.

In the famous work of A.I. Ugriumova et al. (1986) indicate that signs of chronic alcoholic encephalopathy in humans are fibrosis of the pia mater, the walls of the meningeal vessels and the substance of the brain, atrophic processes in the form of a decrease in the number of neurons and the appearance of dark, wrinkled nerve cells.

Exacerbation of alcoholic encephalopathy develops during acute alcohol intoxication against the background of chronic alcohol consumption and alcohol withdrawal syndrome. In this case, common cerebral circulation disorders are detected: vascular permeability increases up to the development of diapedetic hemorrhages.

In alcoholic encephalopathy, a significant increase in the activity of brain creatine phosphokinase was found, proportional to the severity of neurological symptoms after acute alcohol intoxication, and in patients in a delirious state.

↑ Does the condition change when drinking alcoholic beverages

Alcoholic drink in small doses is very beneficial for the body. It is able to reduce the excitability of nerve cells, which allows a person to relax and relieve fatigue. Once in the blood, ethanol increases the production of endorphins, which are responsible for mood. Scientists have found that a small dose of alcohol has a positive effect on the body. Alcohol can also be used to prevent senile dementia, problems with the cardiovascular system, and erectile dysfunction.

If the dose increases, alcohol will harm the internal organs of a person. It is capable of killing living cells. For clarity, you can remember that all medical instruments are wiped with alcohol in order to destroy bacteria and microorganisms. The liver fights the toxins that alcohol produces. If a large amount of them enters the blood, the liver cannot function properly, which leads to the gradual accumulation of toxins, and, subsequently, to the destruction of the organ. After the liver, the brain begins to suffer, first of all, the alcoholic cannot concentrate clearly and clearly express his thoughts.

Unfortunately, with chronic alcoholism, the immune system fails. Hence, alcoholics develop various chronic diseases, the most common being cancerous tumors in the stomach, liver, and esophagus.

Alcohol also affects the reproductive system. Reproduction itself does not suffer, but the consequences of alcoholism affect the development of the child. Alcohol can cause birth defects, or chronic diseases can occur as the baby grows.

Beware of alcoholism

It should be noted that there is an indisputable fact that frequent uncontrolled consumption of strong drinks can lead to alcohol addiction. Stress and alcohol - a possible combination has only a short-term effect. When drinking ethanol, you may experience a feeling of relaxation; you renounce your problems, drowning them out with drinking. But each time the effect will be less and less, and the problems from the amount of drinking will not go away - this fact will affect the already vulnerable psyche even more.

Soon the body will become so accustomed to the intake of alcohol-containing substances that it will look for a reason to return to the method of solving problems with the help of “intoxicants”.

The main thing is that such people always have an excuse for their addiction: “I drink because of stress. I’m so unhappy, no one loves me.”

Alcoholism occurs unnoticed

Uncontrolled consumption of strong drinks leads to disastrous consequences:

• liver cancer;
• cardiovascular diseases;
• causeless memory loss;
• nervous disorders;
• depression.

The stress tolerance of abstainers and alcoholics is very different. People suffering from alcoholism are aggressive, disabled, and may have a number of chronic diseases. The worst thing is that some individuals simply do not know other ways to relax and get rid of stress.

How to relieve stress without alcohol

The habit of dealing with stressful situations with alcohol is very dangerous. It is very important to stop harming your body during life’s difficulties and relieve stress without alcohol. To learn how to resolve stressful situations without alcohol, you need to understand what it gives you. If you analyze everything, it becomes clear that alcohol does absolutely nothing to help cope with stress. This is just an ethanol dope, and not pleasure at all. How to replace alcohol during stress in order to restore psycho-emotional states without harm to the body?

1. Cold and hot shower. Water treatments will safely relieve irritability and fatigue. For those who prefer a bath, you can add essential oils to the water for a calming effect.
2. Tasty food. It will help you take your mind off your problems and give you a feeling of confidence.
3. Intellectual or spiritual program. Watching your favorite movie, TV show, reading a book - all this will help you relax and take your mind off your problems better than any strong drink.

You can go to the gym or swim in the pool, go to a museum, exhibition or theater. Meditation or relaxation has a very positive effect on relaxation. If you can’t cope with difficulties on your own, then you need to talk to a psychologist, talk with him about pressing problems, and not drown them in alcohol, destroying your own health.

First of all, let's answer the question, what is stress? Stress is the body's reaction to negative emotions. A demanding boss, fussy colleagues, traffic jams, bad relationships with parents, family quarrels - all these are stress factors. The consequences usually make themselves felt at the end of the day, the person is in a bad mood and may even lash out at loved ones.

Myth No. 1 . Stress can be relieved with pills and alcohol.

Medicines slightly alleviate a person’s condition, but do not completely relieve him of the problem; alcohol gives a temporary effect, and after that the person again begins to think about the unresolved problem. Weak people without a core begin to relieve stress with alcoholic drinks.

Nowadays, people are concerned about their health and many do not take medications; they are looking for ways to relieve stress without them.

On the website kak-sdelat-vse.com we will tell you how to relieve stress without drugs and alcohol.

The problem is getting worse

Scientists from the American city of Chicago concluded that alcohol worsens the problem, and brings calm only for a while. Everything happens in such a way that alcohol calms the nerves by lowering the level of the stress hormone - cortisol. But although your hormone levels decrease, the effects of the tension you experienced during your nervous breakdown remain for a long time.

Alcohol further fuels and prolongs the feeling of dissatisfaction, and can also lead to an uncontrollable surge of aggression, during which a person can do a lot of stupid things. The experiment was applied to male volunteers. They were put in an awkward situation: they had to speak in front of a huge audience without warning. Before the event, each volunteer was given a dose of the drug.

In the first case, it was alcohol. For those who were injected with an alcohol-containing drug, making a speech in front of an audience was not difficult; in appearance and sensations, people did not experience stress. But the heart rate pressure indicators said the opposite; moreover, the person continued to experience stress. In the second case, vitamin preparations were administered intravenously. The placebo effect of the second case exceeded all expectations - according to the indicators, people were not even alarmed. While speaking, they behaved easily and naturally.

Myth: Alcohol relieves stress

The main thing is to know when to stop

Adherents of the theory that stress relief and alcohol have a close relationship can cite several facts about how the method helps relieve nervous tension. The main thing is to know when to stop:

• to get the desired relaxation, you should drink just a little, just 50 g of wine or cognac is enough;
• Drinking a little cognac will help normalize blood pressure;
• A glass of wine drunk in the evening before bed will promote good and healthy sleep;
• a couple of glasses of champagne perfectly lifts the mood;
• adding a few drops of cognac to coffee invigorates and tones the circulatory system;
• After an exhausting day filled with nervous experiences, a glass of light beer saves you.

Why do people drink alcohol