Drinking on an emotional budget; the balance between mental health and alcohol.
For those of us who measure somewhere on the “I’m a little uncomfortable” to “curled up on the bathroom floor” social-anxiety scale, alcohol can help ease the way into the social atmosphere of a kegger or bar. Around events such as homecoming or St. Patrick’s Day, the pressure to drink excessively can be overwhelming; drinking in these situations can even start to feel like a necessity. The danger lies in the misunderstanding between easing one’s way into a good time, and using alcohol as a crutch. Unsurprisingly, becoming increasingly dependent on alcohol during social settings can lead to over-consuming in other situations. Of course, the more you drink to evade stress, the more likely you are to associate the need to drink with feelings of depression.
The past few years have marked a massive watershed for dialogues concerning mental health. Everyone seems to have an extremely polarized opinion regarding the causes, treatments, and realities of mental illness. When it comes to the frightening statistics of mental health issues experienced by young people – as high as one in three – many are quick to point a reproving finger at the average post-secondary student’s usually habitual over-consumption of alcohol.
Scientifically, alcohol is a depressant, and where it might usually be foolish to debate semantics, the word “depressant” itself can be a little misleading. Drinking alcohol is not going to immediately send you into a downward, nihilistic spiral. Technically, a better term for alcohol may be “sedative.” Having a few beers might make you a little sleepy, a little less anxious, and possibly even a little meditative. The dark side of alcohol’s dative nature is of course its addictive, habit-forming stress relief. Alcohol also seems, unofficially, to enhance whatever mood you’re already in to about ten times its usual potency. The mood enhancement can either result in a manic high or a very dark low, and alcohol’s ability to make the bad times worse can be a pretty big danger to a student away from home. As someone who is susceptible to bouts of depression or periods of negativity, I would like to propose a few casual guidelines for this drinking season.
1. Try to plan when you’re going to drink a few days ahead. Having the time to prepare yourself mentally, as well as plan what you’re drinking, with whom, where you’re going, and how you’re getting home will make the entire evening incredibly less stressful.
2. Know your limits! Be aware of how much you’ve been drinking and how much you can feasibly drink. Staying one to two drinks below your limit is an excellent way of having fun without inducing the risk of getting bummed out.
3. If you’re feeling down, or if you’ve had a bad day on the night you plan on indulging, consider how alcohol could affect your state of mind. This is all highly subjective and depends entirely on each person as an individual.
4. If the night goes poorly don’t be afraid to cut your losses and duck out early. Better yet, have a friend with you who is aware of alcohol’s potentially negative effects. Go home, eat some toast, watch some Park and Recreation, and take care of yourself.