Feeling good mentally

Healthier organs, better sports performance, thicker wallet, lighter in weight; the list of break benefits is long. And you know what is also a nice advantage? You are not only more comfortable in your own skin, literally, but also figuratively. Because taking a break is very good for your mental health. Yes!

Poor sleep, short(er) fuse, anxious, gloomy ... before you started your break, you could suffer from this. Now that you have temporarily stopped drinking, we hope you sleep better, your mood has improved, your self-confidence increases and you have an all-round good feeling. In other words: you are a happy(er) person!

Because did you know that drinking alcohol can make you gloomy? on alcoholinfo.nl read the following: 'When you drink you can feel more confident and relaxed in the moment. If you drink a lot and often, those pleasant feelings can turn into negative feelings. For example, you feel gloomy, anxious or angry. Even if you felt good before drinking. This feeling can linger. Drinking a lot of alcohol is associated with psychological problems such as depression or anxiety.'

From downward to upward spiral

Some people drink to relieve anxiety or sadness. Unfortunately, the anesthetic only lasts for a short time and alcohol intensifies the gloomy and anxious feelings in the (short) term. You also no longer see what the solution is: stop drinking and tackle your psychological complaints. Alcohol has a negative effect on the problem-solving ability and can actually amplify psychological complaints. Source: trimbos.nl.

If you (temporarily) do not drink alcohol, people who suffer from depressive or anxiety symptoms often notice an improvement in these complaints when they stop drinking alcohol. Do not expect these positive effects immediately, because your body and mind are still weaning. Give it time.

Depression and drinking alcohol are often accompanied by anxiety. If your anxiety is a reason to drink, the anxiety will only get worse. Temporarily stop drinking or completely stop drinking alcohol, often causes your negative feelings such as sadness and anxiety to disappear on their own.

Another advantage is that leaving the alcohol behind clears your path to psychological recovery. Suppose you are in (psycho)therapy, then this therapy will also 'work' much better if you stop drinking. You literally and figuratively see things more clearly and your motivation increases to deal with your gloomy mood. Source: alcoholhulp.be.