| by Susan Carlin
Stress is a common feature of today's busy lifestyle.
The root cause of stress isn't always the obvious factors, such
as work load or personal commitments. Sometimes it may be caused
by a lack of control, loss of self-confidence or inability to
say 'No'. .
At times pressures can become overwhelming and
it can be tempting to turn to alcohol to relieve stress. It is
a common belief that drinking alcohol can 'calm the nerves', and
it is true that it can temporarily make us feel more relaxed.
However, drinking excessive levels can induce rather than reduce
stress responses - the activity of drinking alcohol can actually
produce the effects similar to those they are trying to relieve.
There are some indicators to highlight whether
drinking is becoming a problem such as, drinking alone, feeling
irritable if you can't have a drink or maybe hiding your drinking
from friends and family.
Drinking alcohol is often used in place of more
effective stress management such as talking through problems with
colleagues, friends of family and learning to express feelings
rather than bottling them up. Identifying the cause of the stress
is the starting point for making positive changes.
People sometimes have negative beliefs about
their ability to cope based on past experiences. Talking to a
qualified therapist can help to indentify areas of difficulty,
challenge unhelpful beliefs, and highlight new ways of thinking
about problems. A therapist can also support you towards a healthier
relationship with alcohol, while enabling you to develop more
productive ways of coping with stress.
Go to the alcohol
problems page for answers to common questions about alcohol
use. Our stress resources
page provides more information about dealing with stress.
|
Case
Study
Jane came to see me as she was concerned about the amount of alcohol
she was consuming on an almost daily basis. It became apparent
that Jane used alcohol as a way to 'de-stress' and unwind of an
evening and began to think it was the
only way she could achieve this. This however, was actualy causing
her further problems.
With regular sessions we were able to explore the issues which
were causing her to feel under pressure, whilst reducing her consumption
of alcohol. We also looked at
alternative ways to relax without using alcohol. Within a short
space of time Jane was feeling both physically and emotionally
better.
This impacted on her ability to focus on work and home life and
deal with challenges with less anxiety.
Jane says that she now feels more calm and confident in herself
and has a much healthier relationship with alcohol. |
