Why Do People Drink Alcohol?

April is Alcohol Awareness Month, making it the ideal time to delve into the question: why do people drink alcohol? This month prompts discussions about alcohol use, its mental health effects, addiction, and the journey to sobriety. 

Alcohol has a rich history in this country, and today remains the most socially accepted and publicly consumed addictive substance. A great deal of social acceptance makes problematic or excessive drinking very difficult to name for us in ourselves, and sometimes, impossible to share with others as something we are experiencing. The stress of secrets and shame can often reinforce the negative emotions we feel because of extended, problematic alcohol use; and as a result, a person who abuses alcohol is more likely to have to increase their use, to counteract their escalated emotional state. 

Today, with upwards of 76 million adults in the US having a family history of alcoholism, Millennials and younger Gen Z adults are looking for a different way of life. So let’s get into it – why do people drink alcohol, how are drinking behaviors talked about, how can they impact us, and how might that lead a person to change how they view alcohol, either in the future, or maybe in hindsight?

Why Do People Drink Alcohol?

The combination of cumulative every-day stressors, traumatic events, social acceptance, and availability tend to lead us toward social alcohol use and use for the relief of uncomfortable emotions (e.g., anxiety, sadness, anger). Sometimes, the memories we have related to alcohol (e.g., if you had more negative or more positive experiences with alcohol present) will help us decide if we even take the first sip or not.

Alcohol affects every person differently – we all have different social, biological, emotional, and historical influences that impact our relationship with, and use of alcohol. Sometimes, as with alcohol, a very personal and individual experience comes from a very socially present and accepted instigator, and so we must navigate the social consequences of drinking-or-not, as well. For this reason, it is important for each of us to be mindful of our internal and external experiences when consuming alcohol.

Do People Use Alcohol as a Coping Mechanism?

Yes, people do use alcohol as a coping mechanism. Many people turn to alcohol to deal with uncomfortable feelings like sadness, worry, loneliness, or stress, even when they do not realize that is what they are doing.

This is sometimes called self-medication. It means using a substance to manage emotional pain instead of addressing the root cause. A large study published in the journal Depression and Anxiety found that the self-reported use of alcohol or drugs to cope with mood or anxiety disorders ranged from about 22% to 24% of people affected. Among those with anxiety disorders specifically, up to 14.9% reported using alcohol to ease their symptoms.

The problem is that alcohol only masks the feeling for a short time. Once the effect wears off, the original emotions often come back even stronger. Over time, this cycle can turn occasional drinking into a pattern that feels impossible to break. People who have been through difficult or painful experiences are especially vulnerable to this cycle. Working with a therapist who focuses on trauma and PTSD can help someone learn healthier ways to process those emotions without relying on alcohol.

How Is Alcohol a Depressant?

Alcohol is a depressant because it slows down activity in the central nervous system. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine (MedlinePlus), alcohol is classified as a central nervous system depressant, meaning it is a drug that reduces brain activity and affects mood, behavior, and self-control.

When you drink, the alcohol boosts a brain chemical called GABA, which is responsible for calming your nervous system. At the same time, it blocks another chemical called glutamate, which normally keeps you alert and focused. This combination is why alcohol makes people feel relaxed or sleepy at first. It also releases dopamine, the chemical linked to pleasure, which is why drinking can feel good in the moment.

But “depressant” does not mean it makes you feel depressed right away. It means it depresses, or slows down, your brain’s ability to function normally. That includes your judgment, your coordination, your reaction time, and your ability to manage emotions. Over time, heavy drinking changes how your brain processes emotions, and that can contribute to ongoing feelings of sadness and hopelessness. People who notice their mood getting worse alongside regular drinking often benefit from talking to a therapist about depression and how alcohol may be playing a role.

What’s In A Drink?

When the average person thinks about problematic or excessive drinking, they tend to think of a person whose every-day alcohol use behavior creates a problem for them over time – the person who started drinking without a problem, and gradually needed more to get the same effect as other things in their life piled up. As a result of needing more and indulging to the desired level of effect, the person’s behavior, their social engagements, and often, their physical health can become negatively impacted.

Maybe they lose their job, or they experience a liver disease, or they end up getting a divorce. We might even go to the extreme before considering alcohol a problem – drunk driving that gets someone hurt or killed. It’s true, excessive drinking does lead to about 88,000 deaths per year; and it can also lead to chronic illnesses and unintended lifelong consequences resulting from suppressing the part of us that helps us be realistic and stay in control.

There are two very important things to understand in this conversation:

1. The “safe amounts” of alcohol consumption discussed here are not based on moral judgements, they are based on studies of the biological effects of alcohol consumption, which sometimes lead to behaviors that bring on moral judgment. That does not make alcohol, people who drink alcohol, or even people who experience alcohol addiction and abuse behaviors, inherently bad in any way.
2. “Safe consumption” is considered a person over 21 years* consuming up to 1-2** drinks per day, but no more than 8-16** drinks in a week. “Drink” in this case is defined as 12 ounces or a can/bottle of an average beer, 8 ounces of an average malt liquor, 5 ounces or a glass of an average bottled wine, or 1.5 ounces (a standard shot) of 40 proof liquor (the “drink”) would be a smaller shot, as the proof increases.

Does Drinking Alcohol Cause Anxiety?

Yes, drinking alcohol can cause anxiety. While alcohol may temporarily reduce worry or nervousness, it often increases anxiety once the effects wear off. This rebound effect is sometimes called “hangxiety,” and it happens because the brain tries to rebalance itself after being slowed down by alcohol.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 19.1% of U.S. adults experience an anxiety disorder in any given year. Many of these individuals may not realize that their drinking habits are making their anxiety worse. A review published in The British Journal of Psychiatry found that alcohol consumption is a risk factor for both anxiety and depression over time.

Here is how it works. Alcohol boosts GABA (the calming chemical) and suppresses glutamate (the alertness chemical) while you are drinking. But when the alcohol leaves your system, your brain overcompensates. It produces more glutamate and less GABA than normal, which leaves you feeling jittery, on edge, and more anxious than you were before you drank.

This cycle is one of the reasons people keep drinking to feel “normal” again. If you notice that your anxiety feels worse the day after drinking, that is not a coincidence. Anxiety therapy can help you break that cycle and find strategies that actually reduce worry without the rebound effect.

That seems like a lot per week, so what’s the problem?

Something very important to realize is that the CDC identifies binge drinking as the main health concern when it comes to excessive alcohol consumption. Binge drinking is considered consuming 4-5 drinks in a single 2-3 hour period. That means, if every week you save all your drinks for Saturday, and you consume 8 drinks over 6 hours on Saturday night, you may be having a binge drinking episode every week.

What Happens When You Drink Alcohol Every Day?

When you drink alcohol every day, your brain begins to adjust to the constant presence of the substance. Over time, your nervous system changes how it operates, and you may need more alcohol to feel the same effect. This is called tolerance, and it is one of the first signs that daily drinking is shifting from a habit into a problem.

Beyond tolerance, daily alcohol use affects your sleep quality, your mood stability, and your ability to handle stress. Even though alcohol may help you fall asleep faster, research shows it disrupts the deeper stages of sleep that your brain needs to recover and regulate emotions. That is why many daily drinkers feel tired, irritable, or emotionally flat even when they believe they are sleeping enough.

According to the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, about 27.1 million U.S. adults had alcohol use disorder in the past year. That is roughly 10.3% of adults 18 and older. Yet only 7.6% of those individuals received any form of treatment, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. That gap shows how many people are struggling quietly without support.

Daily drinking does not always look dramatic. Sometimes it looks like a glass of wine every evening that slowly turns into two or three. If your daily routine includes alcohol and you have noticed changes in your mood, sleep, or patience, reaching out to a counselor who works with substance use concerns can be a helpful first step.

Why Is It So Hard to Cut Back on Drinking?

It is so hard to cut back on drinking because alcohol changes the way your brain’s reward system works. Over time, your brain starts to associate alcohol with relief, relaxation, or pleasure, and it begins to crave that response automatically, especially during stressful moments.

This is not about willpower. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism explains that repeated alcohol use alters the balance of brain chemicals like GABA, glutamate, and dopamine. Your brain literally adapts to expect alcohol, and when you try to reduce your intake, it pushes back with feelings of restlessness, irritability, or heightened anxiety. These uncomfortable feelings make it tempting to reach for another drink just to feel steady again.

Social pressure plays a role too. Because alcohol is so deeply woven into everyday life, cutting back often means changing routines, turning down invitations, or explaining yourself to friends and family. That added friction makes the process harder than it would be if alcohol were not so widely accepted and available.

The reality is that changing a drinking pattern is much easier with structured support. A therapist who works with alcohol-related concerns can help you understand your specific triggers, build alternative coping strategies, and set realistic goals that fit your life.

Will Quitting Alcohol Reduce Anxiety?

Yes, quitting alcohol can reduce anxiety for many people. Because alcohol disrupts the brain’s natural balance of calming and alerting chemicals, removing it gives the brain a chance to stabilize and regulate emotions more effectively on its own.

This does not happen overnight. In the first few days or weeks after stopping, anxiety may actually feel worse temporarily as the brain readjusts. This is a normal part of the process and does not mean things are getting worse. It means the brain is recalibrating without the substance it had come to rely on.

Over time, many people who stop drinking report sleeping better, feeling more emotionally steady, and experiencing less day-to-day worry. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism notes that the brain can begin to recover some of its normal function once alcohol use stops, though the timeline varies depending on how long and how heavily a person has been drinking.

If you are considering making a change, having professional guidance makes a real difference. A licensed therapist can help you manage the emotional ups and downs that come with reducing or stopping alcohol use, and can work with you on the anxiety that may have been there before you ever started drinking.

Remember – any binge drinking is considered excessive drinking, and binge drinking is the greatest concern in excessive drinking and its resulting consequences. Really, why wouldn’t it be? People are trying to do the right thing! It seems very reasonable to stay sober on work/school/responsibility nights and let yourself have a release one night that you can (hopefully) recover from before returning to your responsibilities for the week.

Unfortunately, even if only once per week, and even if the amount is technically not more than a “weeks’ worth of drinking,” consequences like violent physical interactions, vehicular accidents, injury, chronic illness, and issues with carrying pregnancy to term can all result from binge drinking – in some cases, a single occurrence of binge drinking. It’s important to remember that “moderation” is not just in the number of days in a week that you drink, but also how much you consume at one time.

Though it may lessen the enjoyment some to be mindful and grounded, including consequences; but ultimately, you are the person who will have to live through your future, no one else. It is important to be aware of how you are consuming, and what happens to you emotionally, physically, socially, and in the long-term, because of that consumption. With that grounded, mindful approach, you can make the intentional decisions to use alcohol in a way that will not be harmful to you or inhibit the future you imagine for yourself. You deserve to live that life to its fullest potential!

Keep an eye out for Part 2 of our series: The Sober Curious Movement Started by Gen Z. If you or anyone a loved one is struggling with alcohol use/abuse, changes in your relationships involving alcohol consumption, or making the decision of whether to make a change, please consider reaching out to schedule with one of our therapists. 

Written by Ang Scotto (they/them), LSW.

*According to the CDC, people under the age of 21 and those who are pregnant cannot safely consume any amount of alcohol.

**The CDC bases these numbers on biological sex. For the purposes of this post, the general numbers take weight into consideration more than sex, with the weight range being 170 pounds on the low end, and 200 pounds for the higher numbers. Counterintuitively, being heavier does may increase one’s tolerance of alcohol’s immediate effects, but being heavier does not give any protective factor against long-term effects of excessive alcohol consumption.