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

Alcohol increases the “slow down” pathways of the brain, while decreasing the “speed up” ones. Over time, your body adapts to this and if you stop immediately, the amount of the “slow down” chemical (GABA in this case) is not enough to do what it did before you drank alcohol. Also, the “speed up” pathway (glutamate) will be extra active since the brain is used to it being suppressed. The brain likes everything to be normal, and will change itself to that end. When you withdrawal from a drug, it’s because that “normal” involved having the drug in your system.