Stress and Alcohol Use or is It Alcohol Use and Stress?

Stress and Alcohol Use or is It Alcohol Use and Stress? Does alcohol help with stress or does alcohol create a stressful state in your body? 

The answer is No and Yes.

Source:  NIAAA website, Alcohol Alert #32, from 1996.

Does Stress Influence Drinking?

Studies indicate that people drink as a means of coping with economic stress, job stress, and marital problems, often in the absence of social support, and that the more severe and chronic the stressor, the greater the alcohol consumption.

Some researchers have found that high levels of stress may influence drinking when alternative resources are lacking, when alcohol is accessible, and when the individual believes that alcohol will help to reduce the stress.

Drinking Alcohol and Stress

According to a commentary by NIAAA Director Enoch Gordis, M.D. “Drinking alcohol produces physiological stress, that is, some of the body’s responses to alcohol are similar to its responses to other stressors. Yet, individuals also drink to relieve stress. Why people should engage in an activity that produces effects similar to those they are trying to relieve is a paradox that we do not yet understand.”

Hypnosis and Stress Therapy for Alcohol Dependency is based on the concept of finding the source of the drinking, the stress and then creating a new response that is healthy and productive. When a person that normally drinks to relieve stress has new ways of coping with stressors, they amount of drinking is greatly reduced, if not eliminated.

One Client’s Story

A married woman with teenage sons and in her 40s came to see me reducing alcohol consumption on September 12, 2012.  Since that time we have had six sessions and seeing positive results.

She is not longer drinking from an emotional state of mind, but from the standpoint of choice and that choice has been to have 2-3 glasses,  rather then one bottle and opening a second.  Also, she is learning new stress management techniques. 

Stress and Alcohol Use or is It Alcohol Use and Stress? We offer stress and anxiety management therapy for individuals who are experiencing high levels of stress and anxiety call for consultation on our Stress Management Therapy sessions at 972-974-2094. Contact Us.