Alcohol and stress - When is it too much?

Alcohol and stress are negative products of a modern fast paced society. It is common to hear someone say 'let's grab a drink after work to unwind'. Well, you may say that this ritual of after-work drinks gives you a good chance to relax and be with your friends. Although moderate amounts of alcohol drinking is alright, excessive drinking of alcohol as a result of not being able to cope with increasing stress is a worrying trend. You might have seen the single lone individual sitting at the bar counter hitting on drinks after drinks with no intention to stop. It is often these people, if you notice, that has a dejected and troubled look on their faces. You know what I mean I'm sure.

How can alcohol cause stress?

Alcohol when ingested, uses up a lot of B vitamins which your body produces. B vitamins are powerful stress resisters, and the less B vitamins you have, the less ability your body can cope with stress. Alcohol acts as a diuretic, causing your body to lose a large amount of water leading to dehydration, which also causes stress to your body.

You may know that the more we use alcohol, the less effective it will be. Eventually, you would need more and more alcohol to get the effect you want.

The after effects of alcohol can create feelings of anxiety or even depression. You may feel more irritable, have trouble sleeping and have concentration problems. All these causes more problems and stress and more drinking is needed to cope with the increasing stress, and so the vicious cycle continues.

Ways to quit alcohol and stress

Learning to deal with stress without drinking should be your major concern.

First, sign up for my stress tips ecourse together with my newsletter and you will receive 28 tips on reducing stress. Next, feel free to browse around my site for different ways of dealing with stress.

Also there are 2 recommended avenues to help you quit drinking.

Have you heard of the Emotional Freedom Technique? This is the rage that has been sweeping through the healing profession like a wild fire. So what's so great about it?

It is a technique which is able to let you get emotional release on a whole load of issues, not only that it takes care of physical pain as well. The technique is so simple, you could learn and apply in an instant, and it only takes a few minutes of your time. The best part, it is free! See more on Emotional Freedom Technique for Alcohol and stress.

While you are undergoing your process of quitting, you might want to lessen the effects of alcohol withdrawal syndrome.

You could get help from supplements (Vitamin B, A, D, E and C) and herbal formulations (Milk Thistle) for your alcohol and stress here.