More and more people are taking anxiolytics, drugs designed for anxiety disorders and which must be closely monitored but are also taken in cases of insomnia, for example. And of course, on the other hand, there is alcohol, that element that is part of our social life and that for many it is unthinkable that it should disappear from their lives. In this situation, we find ourselves in doubt as to whether alcohol can be drunk while taking anxiolytics. We clear the doubts. These are the risks and what can happen to you:
The risks of drinking alcohol with anxiolytics
Whatever the problem for which anxiolytics have been prescribed, you should know that they combine, that they can worsen your anxiety problem or that, depending on the amount, they imply serious risks to your health.
Drinking alcohol when you are taking anxiolytics increases the risk of accidents, not only in a car, but also at home. Falls, cuts, blows or appearing with injuries that you do not know very well how they have occurred are frequent.
It goes without saying that if you add large amounts of alcohol to an emotional disorder, the result is an alteration of behavior and for the worse. That is to say, if when you have anxiety you seek to modify those behaviors that have led you to that state, drinking alcohol will only promote discussions, conflicts and bad relationships with everyone around you.
You have to be very careful because both the effect of alcohol and anxiolytics are enhanced when combined. Get used to the idea that if you are taking a pill and you have a drink; it is as if you are taking double of both. Where does this lead us? At the risk of poisoning by overdose.
You probably take anxiolytics to relax, to reduce stress and anxiety, and to help you sleep. You probably think that alcohol has the same sedative effect and a nightcap will do you good. But the truth is that alcohol and anxiolytics together create a rebound effect that will make you feel more nervous, more anguished and you may be able to sleep, but you will have a worse quality of sleep. Includes nightmares, because they also go into this batch of more anxiolytic alcohol.
Can I drink alcohol if I am taking anxiolytics?
Nor are we going to get extreme and say that you cannot drink alcohol while you are taking anxiolytics. But let us clarify something important for you: anxiolytics do not cure anxiety or insomnia or any other problem for which you take them. These medicines relieve or even “hide” the symptoms. So do not leave your recovery exclusively in the hands of these drugs.
With this clear and the fact that socializing is also essential to overcome an anxiety disorder, we return to the subject of alcohol. Can I drink with anxiolytics? The answer is it depends. It depends on how many pills you take and it depends on how much alcohol you intend to drink. The glass of wine with the meal? If it’s just one, you can. The beer with friends in the afternoon? If it’s one or two, you can too.
When we talk about the risks of drinking alcohol when taking anxiolytics, we are referring to excessive amounts of alcohol or even amounts that many people may consider moderate. Banishing alcohol from your life is also not in your favor if it is part of your social life in full anxiety disorder, but reduces the amounts. And above all, do not drink that beer at night if you take the anxiolytic to sleep, you will lose quality of sleep and you will wake up even more exhausted.
In the combination of alcohol and anxiolytics, the same thing is requested as to overcome an anxiety disorder. Do not obsess, act naturally, be aware that anxiety is there and do not let it be the protagonist of your life. But do not lose sight of the fact that having anxiety leaves you in a precarious emotional state that can favor what was a moderate use of alcohol to become a problem. And you already have enough problems, right?
