3 ms·
From my understanding after reading the research: + A big part of anxiety is a neutransmitter called GABA which is tied to stress control (GABA is a cortisol a
by vorpalhex 6y ago
From my understanding after reading the research:
+ A big part of anxiety is a neutransmitter called GABA which is tied to stress control (GABA is a cortisol antagonist). Less GABA is typically associated with more anxiety and stress.
+ Alcohol acts like a fake version of GABA, giving you temporary euphoria and calmness when you drink.
+ In being a faux GABA, it fills all your GABA receptors and your body stops producing more GABA, thinking it's already full up.
+ Having less GABA and no longer consuming alcohol, you feel anxious.
+ Eventually your body produces normal amounts of GABA again (in healthy people)
What initiates the drinking can of course be chasing that GABA-ergic feeling to begin with, and this may be part of the mechanism of alcohol abuse. Ultimately this can be a spiral of behavior where having an anxious day makes you want to drink to "calm down", which in turn makes the anxiety worse the next day, on and on.
- datavirtue 6y agoYeah...this
- DenisM 6y ago> having an anxious day makes you want to drink to "calm down", which in turn makes the anxiety worse the next day, on and on That's pretty much what I was trying to say. Thanks for spelling it out, and with details. I've come to suspect that most persistent problems have a feedback loop in them. The curse of the loop is that it sustains itself, the blessing is that weakening the loop will in turn weaken it some more.
- kodah 6y agoThat lines up with my experience. I drank in college and I certainly had started to develop anxiety by then. By the time I was in the service that drinking scaled to a handle or a thirty rack a day. Post-service I eventually quit drinking completely. It took a while, but I did it. The anxiety has never gone away but it's not as crippling as it was when I was drinking. CBT really helps at least manage the symptoms and when I feel like I'm breaking down I can at least manage to slowly walk myself back. Having friends who aren't annoyed by the symptoms and are bold enough to walk you through those days is life-saving as well.
- vorpalhex 6y agoThis is not medical advice, but have you tried GABA enhancers such as a regular low dose (0.5mg nightly) of melatonin or lemon balm?
- kodah 6y agoI mean I'm willing to try it. My friend did psilocybin microdosing and it had positive net effects for months after he completed the routine. It was not permanent though.
- vorpalhex 6y agoIf you shoot me an email (in my profile or just search my handle), I'll send you my collected notes and research at least.