Unofficial stress relievers: Alcohol
Although many individuals use alcohol to self-medicate their own stress, substance use is generally unreliable for achieving peace of mind and tends to lead users to dependency.
In “Does Drinking Reduce Stress?,” an article written in 1999 by Michael A. Sayette, Ph.D., he summarized an effect classified as stress response dampening (SRD) that drinking alcohol can produce. However, Dr. Sayette detailed that since the 1980s, previous studies had found inconsistent measurements of an SRD effect associated with intoxication. Over subsequent years, multiple factors have been identified that fluctuate the stress-relieving impact of alcohol. They include individual differences, such as one’s family history of alcoholism, personality, level of self-consciousness, cognitive functioning and gender. Situational factors like distractions during a stressful situation and the timing of drinking and stress can also mediate alcohol’s effects. Read more