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Mental health problems not only result from consuming too much alcohol. They can also cause individuals to drink too much.

There is some evidence linking light alcohol consumption with better overall health in some adults. Between one and three units daily have been found to help protect us from heart disease, dementia, and Alzheimer's Disease, and a small glass of red wine everyday may decrease risk of stroke in women.
But the truth is there is a lot more evidence indicating that drinking too much alcohol brings about serious physical and mental diseases.
Put 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 also help to temporarily relieve the symptoms of more serious mental health conditions.
Alcohol issues are more common among individuals with more severe mental health conditions. This does not necessarily mean that alcohol compels severe mental illness.
Evidence shows that people 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 disorders, such as depression.
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How does drinking affect our moods and mental health?


When we have alcohol in our blood, our mood changes, and our behaviour then even changes. Alcohol depresses the central nervous system, and this can make us less inhibited in our behaviour.
Alcohol can also reveal or magnify our underlying feelings. When drinking, this is one of the reasons that many individuals become aggressive or angry. If our underlying feelings are of anger, anxiety or unhappiness, then alcohol can magnify them.
What about the after-effects?

When the effects have worn off, one of the main conditions linked with using alcohol to deal with anxiety and depression is that people may feel much worse. 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 individuals with more severe mental health problems. If our underlying feelings are of unhappiness, anxiety or anger, then alcohol can magnify them.
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.