“You need a drink!”

How many times have you said or heard those words? The idea that alcohol has the power to improve our lives and take away all of the troubles that ail us is prolific in our culture. Yet, I have never met anyone who truly found relief and healing inside a bottle. In fact, it’s usually the complete opposite. Have you ever stopped to think about the impact of alcohol on our mental well-being? It turns out that our assumption that alcohol can solve our problems is one of the biggest mental health mistakes we all make. We see alcohol as a harmless escape from daily stresses, a social lubricant, or a way to relax. I know I did it for years. I kept turning to alcohol for relief as my mental health deteriorated, convinced that it was what was keeping me together. It turns out that it was instead the very thing that was tearing me apart.

You know what's ironic? Despite being a depressant, we turn to alcohol in search of happiness. Alcohol is not a magic potion. You can’t pop a top, take a swig, and experience instant euphoria and relief from anxiety. And the clincher – the high from alcohol only lasts 20 minutes. After that, it’s all downhill my friend. Even if you drink more. You’re never getting back up to the top of that mountain. Instead, each drink just pulls you further and further down. Alcohol might temporarily numb our feelings and make us feel relaxed and euphoric, but in the long run, it intensifies our detachment, isolation, and selfishness, worsening any underlying emotional and mental health issues we may have.

Even though most of us know alcohol is a depressant, we still turn to it to make a hard day better or to help us loosen up and connect with others. It seems like the perfect solution, right? Well, not quite. Studies have shown that relying on alcohol to deal with stress, anxiety, or emotional pain can actually lead to increased feelings of detachment, isolation, and selfishness. Instead of fostering genuine connections and emotional well-being, alcohol creates a false sense of connection while deepening our emotional struggles.

And drinking regularly – whether it’s to celebrate or in despair is problematic. Drinking alcohol comes with the risk of developing an addiction. According to a study published in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, the risk of alcohol use disorder increases with each additional drink consumed per day. It's a dangerous cycle that can lead to depression, anxiety, and cognitive impairment. That isn’t just true for certain types of people. Anyone can become addicted to alcohol. Addiction doesn’t pick and choose its victims. Our emotional well-being also takes a hit when we indulge in alcohol leading to mood swings, irritability, guilt, and shame. Drinking also leads to impaired cognitive functioning, memory loss, difficulty concentrating, and poor decision-making abilities.

I know firsthand the impact of alcohol on mental health. I battled with anxiety and depression for years. I was on four different medications when I finally stopped drinking but not once did anyone mention that drinking alcohol could be contributing to my mental health issues. Even once I stopped drinking and noticed that the crushing weight of my worries and anxieties had seemed to lift I still didn’t make the connection that I had been feeding and fueling that very monster myself. It took a savvy medical professional along with a healthy dose of self-compassion and research for me to wake up to that reality.

And the research is out there. Knowledge can transform what we believe to be true and instead allow us to create a reality that is based on facts, not just beliefs. I’m not saying that mental illnesses only exist due to alcohol use, what I’m saying is that our alcohol use is often the barrier to being able to treat those issues and bring us relief from them. And changing that begins with changing what we know and believe about drinking and how harmless it is. It's eye-opening and empowering to discover the truth behind the veil of misinformation we’ve been fed.

If you're ready to explore your relationship with alcohol, check out The Alcohol Experiment. It's a free 30-day challenge designed to help you understand the impact of alcohol on your mental health. Through this experiment, you'll gain valuable insights and empower yourself to make informed choices about your alcohol consumption. No rules, no commitment. Just knowledge, tools and resources to empower you.

It's time to take control of our well-being. Our relationship with alcohol may be the biggest mental health mistake we all make, but we have the power to change that. Get curious about your relationship with alcohol and make informed decisions that prioritize your mental health.