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Comment by netizen-936824 | Hacker News Reader

Relaxation is different from relieving stress.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stressor

...are you saying that because alcohol has to be cleaned up by the body (increased stress on liver and company) that it can't reduce psychological stress? I'm pretty sure those are totally different things, even if they both go by "stress".

Only partially, the primary way it increases stress is through down regulation of GABA receptors. A person consuming alcohol feels temporary "relaxation" through the GABA agonism of the alcohol, then when the alcohol is gone the brain does not respond as readily to inhibitory signaling.

So that lines up with https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short-term_effects_of_alcohol_... which amounts to "reduces blood pressure for a bit, then increases it later on". But that's still not "alcohol doesn't help people relax", it's "alcohol helps people relax in ways that may not be a net positive".

Change "may" to "is" and you'll have an accurate statement. What that excerpt doesn't discuss is the long term effects on anxiety. The main byproduct of GABA down regulation is an increase in anxiety. I would not classify being anxious as anywhere near "relaxed"

Ah, but even in the article you cite here, it differentiates different kinds of stressors.

The author didn't claim drinking alcohol eliminates stress, but rather is a helpful aid when wanting to relax after a stressful day. If one's primary goal is to achieve a state of relaxation, it is possible to do so by taking steps that stress the body in other ways.

Bottom line: the author's statement is not incompatible with distinct definitions/understandings of relaxation vs. stress.

Most people are familiar with the common "I need a drink" reaction to a high stress situation or day. Even most drinkers understand that the alcohol they're consuming is actually stressful on the body in other ways.

Many will gladly trade their current mental/emotional stress for the physical stress alcohol puts on the body, because regardless of eventual harm, it feels good right now.

Please see my other comment about GABA down regulation. Consuming alcohol may allow one to feel temporary relaxation but when the alcohol is gone, neurons down regulate GABA and stress is increased over the longer term.

This is short sighted. Trading temporary relaxation now for worse stress down the line. Alcohol consumption increases stress over the long run.

We are saying the same thing. People drink to feel better despite the fact that it doesn’t help in the long term.

It’s just as important to examine and understand the psychological drivers behind drinking as it is to understand the physiological impact.

Many anxiolytics cause GABA down regulation....

Yes, because they are GABA agonists (like alcohol) and they generally are taken continuously.

What is your point then? Ethanol is a short-lived gabaergic anxiolytic.

Yes, and comes with a ton of off target effects

My point was that it increases stress and anxiety over time

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