Alcohol is destroying your mental health.
We can’t have a month devoted to mental health awareness without reflecting on the role alcohol plays in it.
FYI May is Mental Health Awareness Month.
According to SAMHSA 👇🏻
“People with severe mental illness are about 4 times more likely to be heavy alcohol users.” Alcohol and drugs are often used to self-medicate the symptoms of mental health problems.”
I used alcohol to cope with my anxiety. Not knowing that alcohol contributed to the massive bouts of anxiety I was waking up to at 3 am or having to deal with the whole next day at work.
If you’ve read or heard my story before, you know that my anxiety got to the point where I had it ALL DAY, every day. The only time I didn’t have it was for brief passing moments when that wine or vodka entered my bloodstream.
At the end of my drinking “career,” I was drinking morning to night and only taking naps. If I fell asleep at 10 pm, I would wake up at 2 am with so much anxiety that I couldn’t fall back to sleep. The only way I knew how to calm those thoughts and drift to sleep was by drinking the bottle of wine that I kept on my nightstand.
I didn’t know that the anxiety I was experiencing was because of the alcohol. The alcohol wasn’t curing anything; it was actually fueling it. I know that anxiety is uncomfortable, but know those moments will pass, and it will get easier.
Please talk to a therapist, medical professional, or a certified coach about your anxiety. Oh, and if you’re on an antidepressant to manage your depression or anxiety, alcohol is blocking that from happening. I was taking Zoloft and wondering why I still was depressed and anxious. Well, duh, it won’t work when you’re ingesting a depressant.
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All of this is to say you’re not alone. I wish that I had known all of this over 5.5 years ago, which is why I created this platform. I wish there had been a sober community like Sober Mom Tribe to bring awareness, connect with other mothers, and provide hope for those still struggling.
Want to see how much your mental health improves after taking a break from alcohol or ditching it for good? Join the Ditch The Drink — 31 Day Challenge.
