Alcohol and mental health

Understanding how alcohol affects mental health can help you make more informed choices.

Alcohol and mental health are closely connected. While it might feel like alcohol helps you relax or cope in the short term, drinking regularly or heavily can negatively affect your mental health over time.

How does alcohol affect mental health?

Alcohol is a depressant that can interfere with the chemicals in the brain that are vital for good mental health.¹ While you might feel more relaxed after a drink, these effects are short-lived. Over time, drinking too much alcohol can contribute to low mood, increase feelings of depression and anxiety, and make it harder to cope with everyday stress.^2,3

Woman sat on bench with notebook

Alcohol and anxiety

Alcohol slows down processes in the brain and central nervous system, initially creating feelings of calm or lowered inhibition.⁴However, these effects wear off quickly. If you experience anxiety, drinking alcohol might actually make things worse.⁵ Regular heavy drinking can cause your body to become used to alcohol’s sedative effects.⁶ When the alcohol leaves your system, your brain may react with a heightened anxiety 'fight or flight' response, similar to anxiety disorders.⁷

Alcohol and depression

Because alcohol affects the balance of chemicals in the brain, it can play a role in triggering or worsening symptoms of depression.⁸ Though it may feel like it offers temporary relief, regular or heavy drinking often exacerbates depressive symptoms and can increase the risk of alcohol dependence.^9,10

Many people with depression related to alcohol who reduce or stop drinking begin to feel better within a few weeks.^11,12

Should I drink if I'm struggling with my mental health

If you’re struggling with your mental health or have been diagnosed with a mental illness, alcohol can make symptoms worse.¹³ It can negatively impact your mood, disrupt your sleep, and can interfere with the effectiveness, or increase side effects, of medications used to treat mental health conditions.^14,15,16

Talking to your GP can help you better understand how alcohol might be impacting your mental health. If you're on medication, they can also advise on whether you should avoid drinking alcohol.

Cutting down, or cutting out alcohol altogether, can have a positive effect on your mood, mental health, and overall wellbeing.¹⁷ If you choose to drink, stick to the UK Chief Medical Officers’ low-risk drinking guidelines of no more than 14 units per week and include several drink-free days each week.

How does alcohol affect mental health long term

Long-term regular or heavy drinking can:

Worsen symptoms of depression and anxiety
Make it harder to manage everyday stress
Increase the risk of alcohol dependence
Increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviours
Affect memory and reasoning
In severe cases, lead to alcohol-related psychosis.

Two men sitting on a bench in an urban area having a serious conversation

Further advice and information

Discover the different ways alcohol can impact your mental health, as well as advice and support if you feel you might need it.

Alcohol and hangxiety Alcohol and suicidal thoughts Alcohol and stress Alcohol and aggression Alcohol dependence Alcoholism

Woman sitting on the floor next to a sofa, holding her phone to her face with her shoulder. She is making notes in a notebook that rests on the sofa

Need to chat to someone?

Want a quick, friendly chat about alcohol? Our trained professional advisors are on hand to give you some free and confidential advice.

Chat with an advisor

References

[1] Hironaka, N. (2022). Pharmacology of Alcohol and Alcohol Use Disorder. In P. Riederer, G. Laux, T. Nagatsu, W. Le, & C. Riederer (Eds.), NeuroPsychopharmacotherapy (pp. 2505–2524). Springer International Publishing.

[2] Becker, H.C. (2017). Influence of stress associated with chronic alcohol exposure on drinking. Neuropharmacology, 122, 115-126.

[3] Kim, Y., Kim, J., Oh, J. W., & Lee, S. (2024). Association between drinking behaviors, sleep duration, and depressive symptoms. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 5992. Kim, Y., Kim, J., Oh, J. W., & Lee, S. (2024). Association between drinking behaviors, sleep duration, and depressive symptoms. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 5992. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-56625-x

[4] Day, E., & Daly, C. (2022). Clinical management of the alcohol withdrawal syndrome. Addiction, 117(3), 804–814.

[5] Anker, J. (2019). Co-Occurring Alcohol Use Disorder and Anxiety: Bridging the Psychiatric, Psychological, and Neurobiological Perspectives. Alcohol Research: Current Reviews, 40(1), arcr.v40.1.03. https://doi.org/10.35946/arcr.v40.1.03

[6] Elvig, S. K., McGinn, M. A., Smith, C., Arends, M. A., Koob, G. F., & Vendruscolo, L. F. (2021). Tolerance to alcohol: A critical yet understudied factor in alcohol addiction. Pharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior, 204, 173155.

[7] Day, E., & Daly, C. (2021). Clinical management of the alcohol withdrawal syndrome. Addiction.

[8] Onaemo, V. N., & Chireh, B. (2025). Alcohol, Depression, and Anxiety. In C. R. Martin, V. R. Preedy, V. B. Patel, & R. Rajendram (Eds.), Handbook of the Behavior and Psychology of Disease (pp. 1–21). Springer International Publishing

[9] Kim, Y., Kim, J., Oh, J. W., & Lee, S. (2024). Association between drinking behaviors, sleep duration, and depressive symptoms. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 5992. Kim, Y., Kim, J., Oh, J. W., & Lee, S. (2024). Association between drinking behaviors, sleep duration, and depressive symptoms. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 5992. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-56625-x

[10] MacKillop, J., Agabio, R., Feldstein-Ewing, S., Heilig, M., Kelly, J. F., Leggio, L., Lingford-Hughes, A., Palmer, A., Parry, C., Ray, L., & Rehm, J. (2022). Hazardous drinking and alcohol use disorders. Nature Reviews. Disease Primers, 8(1), 80.

[11] Mental Health Foundation website. Alcohol and mental health. Depression. [Accessed May 2025]

[12] McHugh, R. K., & Weiss, R. D. (2019). Alcohol use disorder and depressive disorders. Alcohol research: current reviews, 40(1).

[13] The Royal College of Psychiatrists. Alcohol and Depression.

[14] Onaemo, V. N., & Chireh, B. (2025). Alcohol, Depression, and Anxiety. In C. R. Martin, V. R. Preedy, V. B. Patel, & R. Rajendram (Eds.), Handbook of the Behavior and Psychology of Disease (pp. 1–21). Springer International Publishing

[15] Helaakoski, V., Kaprio, J., Hublin, C., Ollila, H. M., & Latvala, A. (2022). Alcohol use and poor sleep quality: A longitudinal twin study across 36 years. Sleep Advances: A Journal of the Sleep Research Society, 3(1), zpac023. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleepadvances/zpac023

[16] Traccis, F., Presciuttini, R., Pani, P. P., Sinclair, J. M. A., Leggio, L., & Agabio, R. (2022). Alcohol-medication interactions: A systematic review and meta-analysis of placebo-controlled trials. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 132, 519–541

[17] Yao, X. I., Ni, M. Y., Cheung, F., Wu, J. T., Schooling, C. M., Leung, G. M., & Pang, H. (2019). Change in moderate alcohol consumption and quality of life: Evidence from 2 population-based cohorts. CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association Journal, 191(27), E753–E760

Newsletter

Tips to change your relationship with alcohol