Think again before having a drink to
ease your stresses away.
Is a glass of wine or a pint of beer
the best way to deal with stress?
Every evening across Britain, millions
of couples will settle down on the sofa, after a hard day’s work,
from either looking after children or tolerating their bosses, to
enjoy a glass of wine or a pint of beer to while away the day’s
stresses and strains.
But is it doing more harm than good?
While a glass of wine and a pint of
beer may make you feel relaxed; too much, often leads to exacerbating
the stress, which you hoped to ease in the first place. Have you
noticed that nearly every argument you may have with your partner,
originates after drinking a glass or three of alcohol?
Alcohol is classified as a depressant,
which slows down the brain and the central nervous system’s
processes. We feel the effects as being tipsy and merry, but nothing
could be further from the truth.
Ask any nurse or policeman who’s
worked a weekend shift. The majority of accident and emergency
admissions are alcohol related and the same applies to crime and
order. Alcohol plays a part in half of all reported murder, rapes and
assaults.
The evidence is clear. Alcohol enhances
your stress and often, with too much, pushes you over the edge.
The morning after.
Waking up with a thumping head-ache,
while having to get the children to school and yourself at work, is
an often over-looked consequence of drinking the night before.
The vicious circle starts all over
again. Some settle for the ‘Hair of the Dog’, while others take
refuge in bed, eating and generally laying on the sofa, to detoxify
and regain the strength to tackle the day ahead.
Don’t avoid the issues.
Having a drink is basically an
avoidance strategy. Its gives you the time and space to put aside the
issues which are making you stressed in the first place. After all,
isn’t it best to confront your boss about your working conditions,
rather than take your frustrations out at home?
Isn’t it best to talk to someone
about what’s worrying you, rather than bottling it up and
inadvertently, by using alcohol, make you explode?
Only by sharing your problems can you
come up with solutions. We’ve all heard of the aged old saying, ‘A
problem shared is a problem halved’, its true, it helps.
Alcohol is not the answer.
As Mike Fisher from the British
Association for Anger Management is fully aware, alcohol does more
harm than good.
‘Manage your drinking habits
responsibly,’ says Mike Fisher, ‘increased levels of drinking –
wine or any other kind, is partly to blame for lower self-esteem and
problems within relationships.’
‘Alcohol significantly impairs brain
function; your thoughts and reactions become slower. People are more
likely to misread social cues and have an inability to consider the
consequences of actions that they may well regret when in a sober
state of mind.’
Worried about someone you know or
yourself?
Ask yourself two questions:
1.Do people tell you that you become
aggressive when drunk? If more than three people tell you that, you
need to take heed and do something about it.
2.Do you find yourself becoming
aggressive or thinking negative thoughts when drunk? That’s an
indication that there is suppressed anger there.
With drinking such an ingrained part of
our culture, is there a solution?
‘Yes there is,’ answers Mike Fisher
– ‘Responsible drinking.’
“I have clients who know that when
they get drunk, they have problems with their anger. So, many have
quit drinking to get their anger under control and feel all the
better for it – on so many levels. It’s a huge concern but
alcohol and anger can be a recipe for disaster so people should
really watch their drinking.”
What to do?
Contact Mike Fisher from The British
Association of Anger Management. He provides support programmes and
training for interested individuals or groups. Check out such website
as www.angermanage.co.uk, www.stressexperts.co.uk and
www.beatinganger.com for more information.
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