What are the alternatives to alcohol for anxiety?
Important note: We are not mental health professionals. If you are struggling with anxiety or any other mental health issues, speak to a medical expert. You can read more about anxiety on the NHS website, or if you’re in the US, on the CDC website. There is help out there.
The concept of Dutch Courage is a familiar one. This English saying supposedly derives from the idea that the Dutch required a drink before a fight to bolster their courage.
Irrespective of nationality, having a sip of something alcoholic to ease the difficulty of doing something, or the discomfort of a particular moment is a common one.
Meeting new people at a friend's house? A drink gives you something to do at the bar and something to hold as you stand nervously to one side.
At a wedding and know you’re going to be expected to dance? Knock back a shot or two and you're well on your way.
Working up the courage to ask that person at the bar for their number? Down your drink and get to it amidst encouragement from your friends.
Suddenly, the thought of needing a drink to go into battle, sounds perfectly reasonable. But what if the very thing that should make you feel more relaxed is in fact exacerbating your anxiety in the first place?
Alcohol and anxiety. What's the connection?
Even moderate drinking can trigger the onset of anxiety or even increase your pre-existing anxiety.
Studies show a strong connection between anxiety disorders and substance use disorders (SUD). What's more, anxiety disorders are risk factors for developing a SUD.
Considering how readily available and socially acceptable alcohol is, it's unsurprising how prevalent alcohol use disorders are.
While not everyone who engages in binge or excessive drinking has an active alcohol use disorder, unhealthy and extreme drinking can lead to one and unsurprisingly to anxiety and depression.
So it's worth keeping an eye on.
So how does it work?
Anxiety after drinking can be caused by questioning, “what exactly happened last night?” or “did what I said sound rude?” or “I wish I hadn't done that”. Hang-xiety is real but there's more to it than simply overthinking the night before. There's also something physical at play.
Alcohol is a depressant. But what does that actually mean? It means that it slows down your central nervous system. That's your brain and spinal cord, which literally control your whole body. From thought, movement and how you feel, to your breathing, heart rate, temperature and hormones.
Alcohol also affects dopamine, serotonin and other neurotransmitters in the brain.
Serotonin, known as the body's “feel good” chemical, is vital in regulating both your moods and your sleep. Initially alcohol kicks up serotonin levels, but over time it actually lowers them. And low levels of serotonin are associated with depression, anxiety, sleep disorders and digestive problems amongst other things
Dopamine is an important part of your brain's reward system. It makes us feel happier and raises our self esteem. Drinking bumps up dopamine in the brain while also dulling dopamine receptors. This means that over time the brain requires more and more alcohol to feel that same dopamine rush, and when you're sober those dopamine receptors are now super sluggish.
So it's not just your mind playing tricks on you, your body is stuck on a vicious merry-go-round too.
At the very least, even just a couple of drinks can negatively affect your sleep, which means you wake less rested and feel less capable of approaching your day. According to The Sleep Foundation, more than one drink for those assigned female at birth and more than two drinks for those assigned male at birth, decreases sleep quality by almost 40 %.
And the hangover that accompanies the morning after certainly doesn't help. The nausea, dizziness, headache and dehydration may well exacerbate your feelings of anxiety.
Alternative ways to deal with anxiety that don't include alcohol.
While alcohol may be a common way to ease the pressures of a long day, it's certainly not the only way. Let's take a look at some of the ways you can manage your anxiety without a drink.
Have a drink, but make it an alcohol-free one.
Yep, a non-alcoholic drink can work. It's in the timing, not the ingredients.
For many of us, that first drink after a long day at the office or when the kids go to bed can feel like a way to book-end the stressful part of the day. It's a signifier that now is your “down time”.
You can still do this with an alcohol free beer or or a quick and slightly more exciting drink than a diet pepsi; a good old rock shandy for example. The ritual of making a special drink and taking a moment to enjoy the first few sips could become your new habit. And a new bookend.
(Note: check out our alcohol-free beer reviews to see which one might suit your taste)
Get moving.
It may feel like the last thing you want to do while your mind is abuzz and you want to disconnect, but the science is pretty clear.
Exercise alleviates stress and kicks all those feel good endorphins into gear.
Movement will not only distract you from the day's challenges, it'll also help loosen up those tight muscles that have been clenched all day. If you still find it difficult to disconnect as you move, listen to a podcast or audio book.
The key is to find a physical activity you enjoy. That way you're more likely to stick to it.
Meditation.
Hear us out.
If you're new to it, meditation can feel a little like spiritual waffle. But there doesn't have to be incense or an exotic setting (if that's not your vibe). Studies have shown that mindfulness meditation can significantly reduce anxiety and depression.
So what is mindfulness meditation? Simply sitting quietly and comfortably for a few minutes, focusing on your breath. Whenever your mind begins to wander and think about the grocery shopping you need to do or that report you need to write, you simply notice it, and then without judgment come back to your breath.
If you're unsure there are plenty of apps, podcasts and even audio clips on youtube to guide you through it.
Talk it out.
Talk therapy is one of the most familiar tools we have for dealing with anxiety. Having someone help you unravel the tangle of thoughts that generate your anxiety can be extremely helpful. It may also be as simple as addressing a basic cause of acute anxiety. It can help to talk to your partner about what's bothering you, your co-parent about help juggling work and children, or even your manager if you need more support at work.
Adjust your habits.
If being in large social situations is draining and anxiety inducing for you, it's okay to bow out of these for a while. See your close friends one on one for a bit.
Try something new. If you find the noise and hubbub of a bar over stimulating, suggest a coffee in the park or a walk on the beach. Try to understand what it is about these situations that is triggering and change it up.
Alternatives to alcohol for anxiety in situ.
We’ve spoken about ways to deal with anxiety that don't involve alcohol, but what do you do in a social situation when everyone else is drinking the alcohol you’re avoiding? That in itself can be anxiety inducing.
Prepare your friends
The best starting point is to be prepared. You might feel like you want to tell the friends you’re joining at the bar or the host of the party you're attending ahead of time that you’re not drinking. This can help avoid awkward questions, taking them out of the running before you even get to the event.
How much you tell people is also up to you. You can simply say you’re focusing on your health or aiming to get better sleep.
If you'd prefer to keep things under the radar and not invite attention before, during, or after, it may be easiest to pick a drink that could be alcoholic at first glance, or even ask the bar attendant to make up something that looks like a fierce cocktail. Or you can just decant that NA beer into a glass.
Have a game plan.
Part of being prepared is also knowing what to order when everyone else calls for a bottle of the bar’s finest. One great thing to come out of the past few years is the meteoric rise of the non alcoholic drink. Most bars and restaurants worth their salt have alcohol-free options on their menu—these feel distinctly adult, and taste very similar to their boozier counterparts.
Arm yourself.
If you've been invited to a house party, it's even easier. Pseudo gin and tonics, pre-made mocktails, zero alcohol beers, and faux bordeaux are all options you can consider, and readily available to buy online or off the shelf. Pick up a bottle of your fave before heading to a dinner party and you're sorted.
Call the shots.
And if you’re the host? Well the world is your oyster. Or at the very least a well stocked bar (sans alcohol). Whether it’s a sophisticated mocktail or a themed glass of Christmas cheer, it doesn't have to be boring in feel or taste. Things like the choice of glass and garnish can make all the difference.
Think out of the box.
Drinks like Hyphae are billed as nightlife beverages, aiming for “an alternative to alcohol that can make you feel good all the time”. Made with a kombucha base, functional mushrooms, CBD, kava and adaptogens and nootropics, products like these are becoming more and more popular.
Similarly, Kin Euphorics, a non alcoholic and so-called functional beverage (i.e. a drink that has added benefits aside from their naturally occurring nutritional value) aims to help you to feel calm and relaxed, reducing stress and avoiding the negative side effects of alcohol. Their Social Magic, ‘High Rhode aperitif style spirit’ is described as “gently caffeinated…infused with adaptogens, nootropics and botanics like Rhodiola Rosea, 5 -HTP and GABA to conjure captivating conversation and release contagious energy”.
While a little bit of nervousness is normal in social situations, if your feelings are overwhelming and extend over the long term you may be struggling with social anxiety disorder. If it's affecting your everyday activities, relationships and work, know that there are treatments available to help you manage it.
Controversially, there’s also a move by some towards what’s known as a lifestyle drug-substitution strategy. If we consider alcohol (a drug) to be a method of self-medication to cope with social interaction, some experts suggest that it might be beneficial to replace it with something else that’s theoretically safer: e.g. benzodiazepines, SSRIs, or marijuana. They say that if these things are used in moderation as a replacement (as opposed to in addition to), these types of official and unofficial anti-anxiety medications might help those who currently rely on alcohol.
However, we’re not encouraging any form of substance abuse here. Addressing the underlying cause of your anxiety should always be the primary goal for long-term mental health. If you find yourself struggling, speak to a health care provider about it to explore which strategy works best for you.
Final thoughts
The long-term effects of excessive alcohol consumption can increase your risk of heart disease and high blood pressure, leading to chronic conditions and other health concerns. Even in the short-term, when consuming alcohol, you’re actually more likely to experience accidents and injury, violence and antisocial behaviours, engage in unsafe sex, and experience the loss of personal possessions.
So there's no doubt that consuming less alcohol will have a positive impact on your life. Rest assured that if alcohol use is connected to anxiety, there are alternative drinks, treatment programmes, and activities to help you cope.