The Surprising Way Alcohol Makes Your Brain More Anxious

Alcohol use changes your brain chemistry in a way that makes you more anxious. It also changes how you think- which can make you more anxious. And when you’re drunk, you might do stuff that makes you more anxious later…whether you or a family member has a problem with alcohol use, it’s important to know how it affects the brain and the practical steps you can take to escape the cycle.
But, I am not a substance abuse counselor, it’s out of my wheelhouse so I was super grateful when Amber Hollingsworth offered to make a video for my channel all about how alcohol use has the surprising side effect of making your brain more anxious.
Amber is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Master Addiction Counselor (MAC), she’s super freaking passionate about helping individuals and families overcome addiction and has worked in every level of care since 2004. So I hope you love what she has to say… Here's Amber.

0:00 Introduction
01:01 Alcohol Abuse/Dependence and Anxiety
06:40 Put the Shovel Down

Click the link below to access the transcript:

Therapy in a Nutshell and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health.
In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction.

Copyright Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC

[Sunmoonandstars]

When I quit drinking, my anxiety went down by about 90%. For me, alcohol use caused anxiety, which I medicated with alcohol, which made me more anxious. It was a vicious cycle I’m happy to be out of!!!

[mirabelben]

Anxiety happens when you think you have to figure out everything all at once . Breathe . You're strong . You got this . Take it day by day .

[WisconsinWanderer]

Most of my problems stemmed from my drinking. And I’ve lost so many friends and family from alcohol abuse. So glad I’m free from that chapter in my life!! Merry Christmas everyone ☮️❤️

[briannal]

I quit drinking for about 6mos and I felt amazing. This past summer I started drinking again and I noticed how much worse it made my panic attacks. I will be quitting for good now ❤

[PutTheShovelDown]

Thank you for allowing me to be a guest on your channel! ❤❤❤

[onefordespair]

Recovering alcoholic here. Everything she said hit the nail right on the head.

[rebeccaoprea]

When we lack connection or control, we seek substances or substitutes.

[MrMisuma]

I’ve been drunk 3-5 times the last 20 years. I was invited to a christmas party a few weeks back and got drunk and my anxieties flew through the roof all weekend. Not worth it, at all.

[joescemo]

Alcohol caused me to have my 1st anxiety/panic attack where i legitimately thought i was going to die that day. I never suffered from anxiety until that day, and boom everything came crashing down on me at an instant. After that day, i would have severe anxiety the following day after binge drinking, unable to leave home, drive etc. It was horrendous. I am now 1 year Alcohol free and anxiety is ALMOST absent, still get little bouts but nothing compared to when being a weekend binger. And it happened in my late 20s btw so i think age and length of drinking plays a role.

Stay strong my friends.

[nightsonrepeat]

2 months sober here. I have had anxiety issues since I was 16.. I am now 36... but I never truly worked on my coping skills, and I used alcohol and avoidance to beat my anxiety... until the past couple of years that worked. Once it got to a point with drinking where it barely helped.. so that's when I knew I needed to change. I tapered off over a month.. and have been sober 2 months now. The anxiety is still there, but I am much more in control. I dropped from 217 to 190 pounds. Started a low dose of zoloft and have been practicing my coping techniques.. I am never turning back to alcohol, and I am changing my life for the better.

[aquaticplantsavage]

I'm 3 days sober and you've helped me a lot with your videos. I sometimes only watch a minute or two then pause it. I'm anxious watching your videos but i'm getting more comfortable. Thanks again and Happy New Years to you.

[jh]

This is so true, I have never had a bad relationship with alcohol. But even with 1 or 2 alcoholic beverages I noticed I had more nightmares and I woke up restless.

[janelandry]

Trapped - that’s exactly how I feel. Thanks for this message.

[glamdawling]

A few weeks ago I overdrank when I *thought* I wasn’t anxious anymore. What was making me anxious earlier in the day came back with a vengeance. I ended up embarrassing myself by crying and acting out of character and felt like crap the next day. Lesson learned!

[catweasel]

Alcohol is a great coping mechanism for anxiety to start with but I’ve found it’s a horrible way to solve anxiety long term.

[veryberry]

This is what killed my mom. She had a traumatic upbringing, but while I was growing up I think she tried to keep all her issues hidden. But then my parents divorced, I wasn't able to help the way I should have because of my own trauma cycles, and I remember finding empty bottles of vodka under her bathroom sink. She'd come home in the evenings with a vacant smile on her face, and you couldn't talk to her about anything because no one was home. I was in my 20s and 30s, but it still terrified me...and angered me. I know I'd still get like that if she was alive now, but learning all these things does so much to help me understand what SHE was dealing with.

[parkerrose]

My father was a bartender. All the memories I have of him was him drinking. He also smoked/ He died at age 54. That was in 1973. I remember being in the car with him driving drunk. There were no seat belts then. (In the 50's and 60's)
My older sister says I'm crazy and he didn't drink that much. I grew up with the whole family in denial. I left home at18 because I couldn't stand the fighting and yelling from his temper when he was drunk. When they told me he died I was married and living in another state. I was sure it was from a car accident or shooting. But it was a heart attack.
I still fight with my sister about this. Is everyone asleep? Maybe he could have gotten help, but no one listened to a" dumb kid" like me.

[babybluecheeks]

I'm a recovering alcoholic, 4 months sober. The hangovers would give me crazy anxiety, but I also have ADHD and alcohol used to help dull my ADHD, now I'm sober I can't turn my brain off I'm constantly thinking and over think which in turn gives me anxiety 🤦‍♀️.

[fimearscarba]

such a sad truth and even sadder the battle to quit.great video

[kentowakai]

I love my work. I get to administer Vivitrol to my patients that are struggling. It's really cool watching them pick up all the broken pieces and start putting their life together.