Ecdysis
Diamond Member
So I have no issues with substance addiction of any kind, including alcohol.
In fact my body seems to have a healthy response whenever I've drunk too much (mostly as a teenager or in my 20s) of being like "Ugh, yuck, alcohol is shitty..." and I've naturally just moved away from it. It sort of seems like an inbuilt safety mechanism.
Anyway, the last few years as I've had a bad depression, my relationship to alcohol has shifted a little, where on especially stressful days, I will consciously use it as a way to self-medicate and numb.
However, about 6 to 12 to 24 hours later, I seem to get weird, subtle fallout.
I've never been someone who gets hangovers... not sure why.
But these days I seem to get these weird, subtle psychological effects of feeling anxious or depressed.
It's so subtle (and significantly time-delayed) that I usually don't think "Oh, this must be post-alcohol related"
Instead, if I'm feeling anxious and depressed, I psychologically feel more like I want relief of any kind, and do consider whether a drink might give that.
Thankfully my body is so "meh" about alcohol, that even this makes the idea of drinking regularly feel very, very unattractive.
Given that my depression symptoms are pretty bad anyway, I'm starting to think that I may need to cut out alcohol entirely. The momentary numbing/ relaxation effect just seems to be followed hours later but way too much anxiety and depression symptoms to be worth it.
I know that alcohol is medically considered to be a "depressant" but to have such noticeable effects, is new for me.
So yeah, seriously considering just cutting alcohol out of my life entirely.
Maybe it's an aging/ menopause thing, too... That as I'm getting older, I just can't tolerate alcohol well anymore?
Hmm... I can see how people get into a bad spiral tho... Drinking to alleviate depression and anxiety and then having it intensify hours later, and then drinking again, to alleviate that, and so on and so forth...
Edit to add:
Hmm, this is what the AI (ChatGPT) says about it:
"Neurochemical sensitivity: As you get older, the brain’s GABA (calming) and glutamate (stimulating) systems become more finely balanced. Alcohol enhances GABA and suppresses glutamate temporarily — leading to relaxation — but as it wears off, the brain rebounds in the opposite direction, producing anxiety, restlessness, and low mood.
Hormonal and metabolic changes: Around perimenopause or menopause, alcohol hits harder. Lower estrogen means changes in serotonin and dopamine regulation, and the same glass of wine can now trigger disproportionate mood effects.
Cortisol and nervous system load: Chronic stress or depression already elevate stress hormones; alcohol initially dampens them but then causes a rebound surge hours later, often during the next morning or even the next day — which can feel like subtle panic or dread."
In fact my body seems to have a healthy response whenever I've drunk too much (mostly as a teenager or in my 20s) of being like "Ugh, yuck, alcohol is shitty..." and I've naturally just moved away from it. It sort of seems like an inbuilt safety mechanism.
Anyway, the last few years as I've had a bad depression, my relationship to alcohol has shifted a little, where on especially stressful days, I will consciously use it as a way to self-medicate and numb.
However, about 6 to 12 to 24 hours later, I seem to get weird, subtle fallout.
I've never been someone who gets hangovers... not sure why.
But these days I seem to get these weird, subtle psychological effects of feeling anxious or depressed.
It's so subtle (and significantly time-delayed) that I usually don't think "Oh, this must be post-alcohol related"
Instead, if I'm feeling anxious and depressed, I psychologically feel more like I want relief of any kind, and do consider whether a drink might give that.
Thankfully my body is so "meh" about alcohol, that even this makes the idea of drinking regularly feel very, very unattractive.
Given that my depression symptoms are pretty bad anyway, I'm starting to think that I may need to cut out alcohol entirely. The momentary numbing/ relaxation effect just seems to be followed hours later but way too much anxiety and depression symptoms to be worth it.
I know that alcohol is medically considered to be a "depressant" but to have such noticeable effects, is new for me.
So yeah, seriously considering just cutting alcohol out of my life entirely.
Maybe it's an aging/ menopause thing, too... That as I'm getting older, I just can't tolerate alcohol well anymore?
Hmm... I can see how people get into a bad spiral tho... Drinking to alleviate depression and anxiety and then having it intensify hours later, and then drinking again, to alleviate that, and so on and so forth...
Edit to add:
Hmm, this is what the AI (ChatGPT) says about it:
"Neurochemical sensitivity: As you get older, the brain’s GABA (calming) and glutamate (stimulating) systems become more finely balanced. Alcohol enhances GABA and suppresses glutamate temporarily — leading to relaxation — but as it wears off, the brain rebounds in the opposite direction, producing anxiety, restlessness, and low mood.
Hormonal and metabolic changes: Around perimenopause or menopause, alcohol hits harder. Lower estrogen means changes in serotonin and dopamine regulation, and the same glass of wine can now trigger disproportionate mood effects.
Cortisol and nervous system load: Chronic stress or depression already elevate stress hormones; alcohol initially dampens them but then causes a rebound surge hours later, often during the next morning or even the next day — which can feel like subtle panic or dread."
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