Fehling says that drinking “puts downward pressure” on our moods. People then “get into a kind of loop” between drinking and depression, and the two conditions influence each other.
When alcohol reaches the brain, it triggers many changes, including the release of feel-good chemicals in the body. This is why alcohol can take our brains out of pain in the first place. can exacerbate negative emotional states.”
The full effects of overdose appear about 72 hours after the alcohol leaves the bloodstream. This is when withdrawal symptoms such as increased anxiety, irritability, restlessness, agitation, and sleep disturbances peak, among others.
Also, because alcohol drains both dopamine and gamma-aminobutyric acid (our “safe” neurotransmitters) from the brain, “our own natural chemistry to produce feelings of joy and hope is Very few,” says Goodwin.
Drinking spikes during COVID
What hasn’t solved the problem is the fact that heavy drinking has increased in recent years, largely due to the coronavirus pandemic.
When COVID-19 struck, it brought with it the combined stressors of illness and uncertainty, and many people were instantly overwhelmed with stress. And many people who were “social drinkers” started drinking more alcohol to cope with it. In fact, a report led by researchers at Harvard University affiliated with Massachusetts General Hospital found that excessive drinking in the United States increased by 21 percent during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Another study published in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Nearly half of those who reported drinking more during the pandemic said stress was to blame. Other reasons for the increase included boredom and the availability of alcohol.
