The Silent Epidemic: Anxiety and Alcohol Use
When Mia* enters the therapy room, her appearance suggests complete composure. The 35-year-old seems ready to confront her day with clarity after her counselling session. However, having worked with Mia for nearly six months, her therapist recognises the subtle tension in her shoulders that reveals the truth behind this polished exterior.
Mia describes how the previous evening began with "just one glass of wine" to decompress after a demanding day. That single glass gradually became two, then three. This pattern has become familiar territory - a quiet ritual that helps her "switch off" from the racing thoughts that invade her mind when daily pressures finally subside.
Concerning National Trend
Mia's experience reflects a disturbing pattern emerging across Australia. As a practising psychotherapist, I've observed a striking increase in patients turning to alcohol to manage their anxiety symptoms. Research substantiates this clinical observation, revealing that 34.9% of Australian adults who drink alcohol do so specifically to relieve stress, while 18.5% use it to cope with anxiety directly.
We're living through what psychologists term global distress exposure. Never before have we faced such constant reminders of crisis, conflict and instability. Even when we power down our devices, concerns about financial pressures, job insecurity, climate anxiety and the emotional exhaustion born from feeling powerless continue to haunt us.
For countless individuals, that end-of-day drink represents a temporary escape route. Yet while alcohol might appear to provide short-term relief, it typically exacerbates anxiety over time by disrupting sleep patterns, increasing physiological stress and diminishing emotional resilience.
The Vicious Cycle of Anxiety and Drinking
Studies clearly demonstrate that people experiencing anxiety are significantly more likely to consume alcohol at hazardous levels. The relationship between the two conditions often becomes self-perpetuating: anxiety fuels drinking behaviour, which in turn intensifies anxiety.
Left unaddressed, anxiety can wreak havoc beyond creating persistent worry. It can damage personal relationships, impair sleep quality and trigger harmful coping strategies like substance use or compulsive digital behaviours. Early recognition proves crucial, which makes self-reflection about one's anxiety levels essential before symptoms become overwhelming.
Online anxiety self-assessments offer valuable starting points for people to evaluate how their worries might be affecting their wellbeing. These tools don't provide formal diagnoses but create a confidential space to check in with yourself, understand underlying issues and consider whether additional support might be beneficial. Sometimes, this initial self-reflection marks the beginning of meaningful change.
The reality remains that we cannot simply switch off global crises. However, we can learn to interpret what our minds and bodies communicate when external noise becomes overwhelming. Anxiety serves as an indicator that something within requires attention. Comprehending this signal represents the first step toward alleviating it.
In our era of endless updates, perhaps the most radical act of self-preservation involves pausing, breathing and evaluating your mental state. If the world feels overwhelming, remember you don't need to face it alone. Seek support, confide in someone or take that preliminary step of self-assessment. Sometimes, that momentary pause can initiate the journey back to safety.
*All client details represent fictional composites based on clinical experience.
