The Link Between Stress and Alcohol

The Link Between Stress and Alcohol Addiction Alcohol Use Print The Link Between Stress and Alcohol By Buddy T facebook twitter Buddy T is an anonymous writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Learn about our editorial policy Buddy T Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Daniel B. Block, MD on November 17, 2019 twitter linkedin Daniel B. Block, MD, is an award-winning, board-certified psychiatrist who operates a private practice in Pennsylvania. Learn about our Medical Review Board Daniel B. Block, MD Updated on January 06, 2020 Witthaya Prasongsin / Moment / Getty Images More in Addiction Alcohol Use Binge Drinking Withdrawal and Relapse Children of Alcoholics Drunk Driving Addictive Behaviors Drug Use Nicotine Use Coping and Recovery In This Article Table of Contents Expand Common Types of Stress General-Life Stressors Catastrophic Events Childhood Stress Ethnic Minority Stress Coping With Stress Stress and Resilience Alcohol's Effect on the Stress Response Alcohol’s Role in Stress Stress and Alcoholism Recovery View All Back To Top Life can be full of stress. Situations arise in everyday living that causes us to experience sadness, anger, fear, anxiety, and excitement. Physiologically, stress is defined as anything that challenges the body to function in its usual fashion. Injury, illness, or exposure to extreme temperatures can cause stress to the body. Grieving, depression, fear, and even sexual activity can cause psychological stress. The human body has developed a complex and extensive process of adapting to harmful or dangerous situations created by stress to keep a physiological balance, a state known as homeostasis.?? When the body experiences stress, or even perceived stress, it mobilizes a variety of physiological and behavioral changes via the nervous and endocrine systems to achieve a goal of maintaining homeostasis and coping with stress. Many people who experience stressful situations or perceived threats will turn to alcohol to cope with that stress. The problem with that is alcohol itself can cause stress on the bodys physiological balance. Researchers have found that alcohol takes a psychological and physiological toll on the body and may actually compound the effects of stress.?? Drinking alcohol may seem to provide some reliefâ€"positive feelings and relaxationâ€"in the short term, but as stressful events continue long-term, heavy alcohol consumption can lead to medical and psychological problems and increase the risk of developing alcohol use disorders.?? Common Types of Stress Researchers have identified four main categories for causes of stress:?? General life stressCatastrophic eventsChildhood stressEthnic minority stress General-Life Stressors Some examples of general life stressors include major changes like moving, starting a new job or getting married or divorced. Illness, a death in the family or problems at home or work can also be significant causes of stress. Drinking too much alcohol can cause some general life stress, such as losing a job, causing relationship problems or causing legal problems. Catastrophic Events Studies have found that alcohol consumption increases within 12 months following a major disaster, either man-made or natural. Some studies have found that alcohol abuse disorders increase after catastrophic events like September 11, Hurricane Katrina, or the Oklahoma City bombing.?? However, other studies have found that catastrophe-induced increases in alcohol consumption tend  to wane after a year and other studies have found no increases in alcoholism following major disasters.?? Childhood Stress Maltreatment during childhoodâ€"emotional, sexual or physical abuse or neglectâ€"can have long-lasting effects, resulting in a significant percentage of all adult psychopathology.?? Abuse during childhood increases the risk for alcohol use disorders in both adolescence and in adulthood. This is particularly true for children who grow up in alcoholic homes, researchers report. Ethnic Minority Stress Stress resulting from a persons minority status can range from mild to severe and can be emotional or physical. Stressors can range from being overlooked for promotion on the job to becoming the victim of a violent hate crime, for example. Determining how much minority-related stress is linked to increased alcohol consumption has been difficult for researchers to determine due to other risk factors among minority groupsâ€"such as drinking patterns and differences in alcohol metabolism.?? Coping With Stress When the body experiences stress, it quickly shifts its normal metabolic processes into high gear, relying on the intricate hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis system to change the levels of hormonal messengers throughout the body.?? The HPA axis system targets specific organs to prepare the body to either fight the stress factor or to flee from it - the bodys fight-or-flight response. The hormone cortisol plays an important role in the bodys response to stress by increasing energy by increasing glucose levels and by increasing nutrient supplies by mobilizing fat and protein metabolism.?? A healthy bodys response to stress includes a quick spike in cortisol levels followed by a rapid decrease in those levels when the threat or stress is over. Stress and Resilience Resilience is the ability to cope with stress. Someone who is resilient is able to adapt to the psychological and physiological factors involved in the bodys stress response. Research has found that people who have a positive, optimistic outlook and have good problem-solving and coping skills tend to deal with stress effectively.?? People who exhibit impulsivity, novelty seeking, negative emotions and anxietyâ€"traits also linked to an increased risk for substance abuse disordersâ€"have difficulty dealing with stress. People who do not handle stress well and are therefore at risk for developing alcohol use disorders include: Those with a history of family alcoholismChildren whose mother drank during pregnancyPeople who experienced childhood abuse or neglectThose with other mental health issues?? Alcohols Effect on the Stress Response The bodys HPA systems work  hard to maintain a delicate physiological balance, but when alcohol is added to the mixture it puts the body at even greater risk for harm. Alcohol causes higher amounts of cortisol to be released altering the brains chemistry and resetting what the body considers normal.?? Alcohol shifts the hormonal balance and changes the way the body perceives stress and changes how it responds to stress. Alcohol prevents the body from returning to its initial hormonal balance point, forcing it to set a new point of physiological functioning (see image above). This is called allostasis.?? The establishment of a new balance point puts wear and tear on the body and increases the risk of serious disease, including alcoholism. Alcohol and Cortisol Studies have found that cortisol interacts with the brains reward or pleasure systems, which can contribute to alcohols reinforcing effectsâ€"forcing drinkers to consume  greater amounts to achieve the same effect. Cortisol also can promote habit-based learning, increasing the risk of becoming a habitual drinker and increasing the risk of relapse. Additionally, researchers have linked cortisol to the development of metabolic disorders and to the development of psychiatric disorders such as depression.?? Alcohol’s Role in Stress Studies have found these factors of how stress relates to alcohol use:?? Men and women who report high levels of stress drink moreStressed men are 1.5 times more likely to binge drink than womenMen are 2.5 times more likely to have alcohol use disorders Stress and Alcoholism Recovery Stress can continue to have an effect even after someone stops drinking. The HPA axis, the system that deals with stress response, has been traced to symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.?? Many newly sober people begin drinking again to relieve the symptoms of withdrawal. Therefore researchers are trying to develop medications that will return balance to the bodys stress-response system to alleviate alcohol withdrawal symptoms and help prevent relapse in recovering alcoholics. The research into the relationship between stress and alcohol can help healthcare providers by identifying patients who are most at risk of alcohol relapse in early recovery and help patients deal with how stress can motivate them to drink.