Does Alcohol Really Help You Relax? Understanding the Effects

Alcohol can make you feel relaxed, but it’s fleeting, dangerous, and not a true state of relaxation. Reaching for alcohol to cope with stress can start a self-feeding cycle marked by anxiety and eventual dependence.

Let’s explore the true effects of alcohol and how short- and long-term consequences can hide behind the guise of relaxation.

How Alcohol Affects the Brain and Body

Does alcohol help you relax if you’re stressed? It can, but that’s because alcohol is a central nervous system depressant. So it can lower your ability to feel stress, not make it go away.

Alcohol as a Central Nervous System Depressant

Your central nervous system (CNS) controls your movement, thinking, speech, senses, and general awareness of what’s happening within and around you.¹ When it’s depressed from alcohol, you may slur your speech, lose your balance and coordination, feel less pain, and lose your ability to think clearly.

You’ll also feel an initial calming sensation as your CNS slows down. But operating without your central nervous system in full gear can have disastrous effects, including:

• Accidental self-injury due to falls.
• Criminal behaviors.
• Drunk driving.
• Memory blackouts.
• Vomiting.
• Slowed (or stopped) breathing and heart rate.

Impact on Neurotransmitters

Alcohol increases ‘inhibitory’ neurotransmitters, meaning brain activity slows down.² This is what causes that initial wave of calmness. Alcohol also acts on the GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) receptor, causing a sense of sedation and lowered anxiety. It affects serotonin levels, too, and over time, these skewed levels contribute to alcohol addiction.³

To balance the inhibitory effects of alcohol, your brain produces excitatory neurotransmitters.² If you stop drinking alcohol and the extra excitatory neurotransmitters have nothing to balance, you can develop symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.

Disruptions to Sleep and Rest

Alcohol lowers the quality of your sleep.⁴ It negatively affects the same neurotransmitters involved with sleep, meaning it can alter your body’s natural cycles and rhythms. You may fall asleep due to the initial sedative effects of alcohol, but it disrupts your sleep later on in the night.

Sleeping with alcohol in your system leads to frequent wakings during the night and poor-quality sleep as the alcohol slowly makes its way out of your body.⁵ This means you’ll wake up feeling unrested, groggy, and generally not your best.

Heavy, continuous drinking can lead to insomnia. People with sleep challenges like sleep apnea or snoring are likely to experience more negative effects if they drink before bed, even if just one drink.⁵

The Short-Term vs. Long-Term Effects of Alcohol on Relaxation

The initial slowing of activity in your CNS causes a feeling of relaxation, but it doesn’t last.

The Initial Relaxing Effect

Drinking alcohol can produce a sense of calm, and for some, even a sense of euphoria.⁶ This can make it seem like a quick solution to stress, but since it doesn’t take away the problem, only distracts from it, alcohol isn’t a true solution.

Alcohol also activates the brain’s reward system, which can make the act of drinking feel pleasurable or exciting.⁶ This excitatory state, combined with reduced inhibitions, can cause the sense of euphoria some feel.

And, alcohol slows down the parts of your brain that process negative emotions, which is why it can seem like sadness, guilt, or grief vanish after drinking.⁷

Increased Anxiety and Stress Over Time

Drinking regularly can build a dependence and increase your tolerance, meaning you’ll need to drink more and more to mitigate the negative effects (like cravings) and feel intoxicated.⁷ As dependence and tolerance grow, drinking changes from pleasurable to monotonous—satiating a need for alcohol rather than enjoying its effects.

Feeling more dependent on alcohol can increase your overall anxiety and stress, especially for those balancing other responsibilities and demands.

The “Alcohol Hangover” and Rebound Anxiety

A study reports that “alcohol may reduce anxiety by inhibiting responding to anxiety-provoking stimuli.”⁸ Once those effects wear off, rebound anxiety can occur as the dampened systems in the brain start functioning normally. Rebound anxiety can feel like a wave of symptoms crashing all at once.

Rebound anxiety can lead to a cycle of consumption in hopes of keeping the wave from crashing—but it’s not sustainable. People can inadvertently develop alcohol use disorder while trying to stay afloat.

Alcohol and Stress: Myths vs. Reality

Think of how many “person-unwinding-after-a-hard-day-with-alcohol” scenes crop up in movies, TV shows, and books. It would seem to be a perfectly normal stress response.

In reality, the stress-relieving idea and the normalcy of this ritual both prove to be myths.

The Myth of Alcohol as a Stress Reliever

Alcohol only changes your ability to notice your stress—it doesn’t take any bit of it away. It may dampen the sensations of stress, which some people experience more pronouncedly than others, but it doesn’t solve the underlying issue.⁹ Momentary distractions like this may feel like an adequate solution, but they can cause much more harm than the initial stressor itself.

The Reality: Alcohol’s Impact on Stress and Mental Health

Over time, alcohol can actually raise levels of stress and worsen (or cause) mental health conditions like depression and anxiety. It can also make you more irritable and emotionally volatile.¹⁰

Its negative effects on sleep can also worsen mental health conditions and cause additional stress.¹¹ Fleeting relief from negative emotions comes with a high price, but it doesn’t have to.

Healthier Alternatives to Alcohol for Relaxation

For a comprehensive list of ways to relax without alcohol, check out our article here.

Meditation and Deep Breathing Techniques

Your mind and lungs can be powerful tools in inducing relaxation.

Next time stress overwhelms, try sitting down and playing a guided meditation session. Search the app store on your phone to find dozens of meditation apps to choose from.

Either separately or alongside your meditation, try a paced breathing technique. Deep, slow breathing tells your brain you aren’t under threat. Examples of breathing techniques include

• Box breathing: Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4, and start the cycle again.
• Belly breathing: Focus on expanding your stomach as you breathe. When you breathe out, decompress your stomach as much as you can. This is also called diaphragmatic breathing—try putting your hand on your stomach to feel it rise and fall.

Physical Exercise

Exercise lowers levels of stress hormones, helping you feel more relaxed.¹² You don’t have to do certain exercises to get these benefits, just find a way of moving that works for you. You could try:

• Walking.
• Weightlifting.
• Jump-roping.
• Running.
• Climbing the stairs in your house/apartment.
• Swimming.

Developing an exercise routine can help you stick to your goals, like working out before you head into work. And, you can use exercise as-needed to manage acute stress—like doing jumping jacks before or after a stressful situation.

Music and Creative Outlets

Creative expression can also relieve stress by engaging the mind and body in a pleasurable, open-minded way.¹³ Art and music can alter your perception of the stressful event by helping you take a step back from it. Keeping your hands busy can also help you process stressful events without feeling overwhelmed.

Examples of creative outlets include:

• Drawing.
• Painting.
• Singing.
• Listening to music.
• Creative writing.
• Poetry.

Building Sustainable Relaxation Habits

Identifying Triggers for Alcohol Use

Identifying what triggers an urge to drink can help you proactively avoid and prepare for these scenarios, including stress. For example, maybe certain days of the week feel more stressful, like Mondays. Planning a relaxing activity on these days can help manage that stress, and give you peace of mind knowing you have a plan and won’t need to resort to alcohol.

Other situations could include social settings, like a party or event. You might feel stressed and want to use alcohol to numb the nerves and help you be more social—plan ahead by practicing breathing techniques (or other coping skills) before the event and opt for non-alcoholic drinks to limit your alcohol intake.

Creating a Relaxation Routine

Block off time to relax and write down your favorite relaxation techniques. Do one or more relaxation techniques during the time you block off, like a meditation before bed or spending time outside after work. Incorporating relaxation into your daily routines can help it become habitual.

Seeking Support for Alcohol Dependence

Sometimes you need more than stress relief—developing a physical and emotional dependence on alcohol takes medical care to safely reverse. Set up an appointment with your primary care provider to voice your concerns and learn your next steps. Helpful conversation points include:

• “Should I be concerned about my symptoms?”
• “What can I do to stop being dependent on alcohol?”
• “Will I need a medical detox to start my treatment?”
• “Would you recommend alcohol rehab?”
• “What strategies or treatments can I start using right away?”

Your doctor may refer you to therapy, outpatient alcohol addiction treatment, or residential rehab for alcohol addiction. Detoxing at a rehab or hospital may be a necessary first step; make sure you ask your doctor for their medical opinion. You can use Recovery.com to find rehabs and outpatient programs that treat alcohol addiction.

Find Treatment Centers for Healthier Stress Relief and Recovery

If alcohol has become your go-to way to cope with stress, professional support can help you build safer, lasting habits. Recovery.com makes it easy to find alcohol addiction treatment programs that offer detox, therapy, and ongoing care for alcohol use. Compare trusted programs and take the next step toward real relaxation and long-term well-being.