Alcohol-induced Anxiety

• Alcohol and Generalized Anxiety/Panic by Ian Sharp, 6/8/97
  • Alcohol-induced Anxiety? by Jim Pretzer, 6/9/97
    
    

I believe what we are overlooking here is the biological effect that ETOH has on the body. ETOH is one of the first anxiolytics developed by man. It does a good job of turning off the sympathetic nervous system, which is what gives rise to the symptoms associated with anxiety. These symptoms include cognitive, emotional, and physiological symptoms via the Papez circuit which links the cortex, limbic system, and the brain stem and ANS all together. As the ETOH is cleared from the body by being metabolized, it causes a "rebound" phenomenon. All drugs can cause this type of phenomenon. Rebound phenomenon means that as the drug is cleared from the bloodstream, the symptoms that were controlled by the drug will suddenly be intensified. If a person is taking an anti-inflammatory drug and suddenly stops taking it, he/she will suddenly experience an increase in inflammation which will then return to baseline in a day or two. The most common type of rebound phenomenon can be seen with sleep medication. When a patient suddenly stops taking sleep meds, he/she will experience "rebound insomnia" so that he/she will have a harder time going to sleep for a day or two. Hence, alcohol (ETOH) will do the same. Patients with any of the anxiety disorders should be educated about the role of the symathetic nervous system with the symptoms associated with anxiety. They should be told that they have an overly-sensitive SNS and that ETOH will turn it off so that they will be free of anxiety for a while. However, as the ETOH clears their system, it will trigger a very strong anxiety or panic attack. This should pass in time, but if the person continues to worry or obsess about the anxiety, he/she can perpetuate the anxiety by anticipatory anxiety via the Papez Circuit so that what they are thinking stimulates the limbic system which in turn stimulates the SNS and keeps the symptoms of anxiety going.

• An Overly Sensitive Sympathetic Nervous System? by Jim Pretzer, 9/21/97
  • (No title) by Ian Sharp, 10/28/97
• El alcohol produce depresion, la ansiedad es secundaria by Manuel Arrieta Munguia MTG., 6/4/98