Why does alcohol make stress and depression “go away” almost instantly but is making it worse in the long run?

Question

Why does alcohol make stress and depression “go away” almost instantly but is making it worse in the long run?

In: 125

Answer 1

ELI5: as you drink alcohol your brain heightens the chemicals in your body to help keep you alive. The more alcohol the more its trying to keep you alive. It takes awhile for those heightened levels return to normal (anywhere from a few days to a week or two). In that heightened state your body is more prone to things like the shakes and anxiety. Alcohol makes stress easier to bear but will mess your body up in the long run.