Mental Health and Wellbeing Information
Alcohol and Drugs
Safe drinking is integral to good mental health, as is the need to understand the nature and effects of alcohol and drugs on mental health.
Key Facts about Alcohol and Drugs
- Alcohol dependancy is one of the most common mental health problems in Scotland
- Alcohol and drugs are often used as self medication for mental pain or distress
- In most cases, alcohol and drugs make symptoms worse, not better
- 65% of suicides involve alcohol
- For some people, the use of recreational drugs is associated with the first episode of a serious mental health problem
- Caffeine, which is found in coffee, tea, chocolate and many soft drinks increases anxiety
Alcohol and Mental Health
Did you know...
- Alcohol can lead to symptoms of mental health conditions i.e depression, and some people experience this with only a small amount of alcohol
- Alcohol increases anxiety and stress rather than reduce it
- Serotonin is a chemical that helps to regulate your mood, regular drinking lowers the levels of serotonin in your brain.
- Anxiety and depression are more common in heavy drinkers – heavy drinking is more common in those with anxiety and depression
- Alcohol can damage your memory
- Alcohol is linked to suicide, self harm, psychosis and accidental deaths
- Drinking heavily can affect your relationships
- Drinking alcohol can lead to risky or embarrasing behaviour which can lead to longer term problems
- Heavy drinkers who stop drinking without properly trained support can experience psychiatric symptoms
- Alcohol can make an existing mental health condition worse
- "Dual diagnosis" is the term used when a person has a mental health condition and a problem with alcohol
The warning signs that alcohol is affecting your mood may include:
- Low mood
- Low energy levels, feeling tired all the time
- Interupted, disturbed sleep
- Experiencing anxiety in situations where you would normally feel comfortable
Staying in Control
- Use exercise and relaxation to tackle stress instead of alcohol.
- Learn breathing techniques to try when you feel anxious.
- Talk to someone about your worries. Don’t try and mask them with alcohol.
- Always be aware of why you are drinking. Don’t assume it will make a bad feeling go away, it is more likely to exaggerate it.
- Keep a track of what you are drinking. Your liver can't tell you if you are drinking too much, check your alcohol consumption on my drinkaware drinks calculator.
- Give alcohol-free days a go. If you drink regularly, your body starts to build up a tolerance to alcohol. Taking regular days off from drinking could prevent your from becoming addicted. Try having a break and see what positive results you notice.
- When you do drink alcohol keep the short term health risks low by; limiting the total amount of alcohol you drink in one session, drink more slowly and alternate alcoholic drinks with food and/or water.
Alcohol Guidelines, how much is too much?
The government alcohol guidelines changed in 2015 to reflect new evidence that alcohol harms health. Stronger evidence suggests that the risk of cancers, especially breast cancer, increases directly in-line with the consumption of alcohol.
New guidance includes changes to the amount men and women can regularly drink and advice for drinking in pregnancy.
- Unit guidelines are now the same for men and women, BOTH are advised not to regularly drink more than 14 units per week
- If you are pregnant you should not drink alcohol at all
Know your units
- A can of standard lager, beer or bitter = 1.8 units
- A pint of standard lager, beer or bitter = 2.3 units
- A small glass of wine (125ml) = 1.5 units
- A large glass of wine (250ml) = 3 units
- A measure of spirits (25ml) = 1 unit
Are you drinking too much?
Find out how many units you are drinking, compare your units to the lower risk guidelines.
Try Drinkaware Unit Calculator
Answer these simple questions and find out what kind of a relationship you have with alcohol.
Take a drinking self assesment
Drugs and Mental Health
Amphetamines, caffeine and nicotine are stimulant drugs. Stimulant drugs stimulate the brain and the central nervous system of the body, generally making the user more awake and more energetic.
Stimulants can have a negative impact on a person's mental health. When the initial effect of a drug has gone, the person may be left feeling physically and mentally unwell.
Amphetamines and Cocaine
Both drugs are powder based stimulants, when taken users feel animated, over-confident, and full of energy. A person's appetite and ability to sleep are adversely affected. These types of drugs may lead to mental health problems:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Panic Attacks
- Paranoia
- Psychosis
Caffeine
Coffee, tea and chocolate contain caffeine. Caffeine is added to some soft drinks and energy drinks as well as being an ingredient in some painkillers and cold remedies. Excessive amounts of caffeine can contribute to anxious states and disrupted sleep.
Did you know...
- The average cup of coffee contains approximately 40mg of caffeine
- A can of coca cola contains approximately 23mg of caffeine
- Some energy drinks can have four times that amount, approximately 60mg of caffeine
- Plain chocolate can have 40mg of caffeine per 100g, nearly three times as much as milk chocolate
Cutting out caffeine can be difficult, you may experience withdrawal symptoms, including headaches as well as nausea, anxiety, fatigue and depression.
One way to avoid this is to gradually decrease the amount of caffeine you consume, either by drinking fewer cups of coffee each day or by gradually switching to decaffeinated coffee. It is important to prevent switching to other substances that have high levels of caffeine, such as cola or chocolate.
Nicotine
Nicotine creates an immediate sense of relaxation so people smoke in the belief that it reduces stress and anxiety. Research into smoking and stress has shown that instead of helping people to relax, smoking increases anxiety and tension.
Smokefree NHS can help you to stop smoking
Training for Managers
Learning and Development offer an Alcohol and Substance Misuse Training Course to staff that have line management responsibilities.
Useful contacts for alcohol problems:
- Drinkline is the national alcohol helpline. If you are worried about your own or someone else's drinking, you can call this free helpline in confidence. Phone 0300 123 1110 (weekdays 9am - 8pm, weekends 11am - 4pm)
- Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a free self-help group. Its "12-step" programme involves getting sober with the help of regular support groups.
- Al-Anon Family Groups offer support and understanding to families and friends (and can be attended by 12- to 17-year-olds) who are affected by another person's drinking.
- Addaction is a UK-wide treatment agency that helps individuals, families and communities to manage the effects of drug and alcohol misuse.
- Adfam is a national charity working with families affected by drugs and alcohol. Adfam operates an online message board and database of local support groups.
Drug Addiction: Getting Help
You can find information about local drug treatment services on the Frank website.
If you are having dificulty finding the right help, phone the Frank drugs helpline 0300 123 6600. An adviser can talk to you about the different available options.
Drug & Alcohol Services
Osprey House, Raigmore Avenue, Inverness is a purpose built centre which is a base for substance misuse services and is located on the Raigmore Hospital site, phone: 01463 716888.
There are Community Psychiatric Nurses for Addictions across Highland. Referrals to this service can come from your GP and self-referral.