How Drinking Can Mess with Your Anxiety in College
Let’s be honest, college is a lot. Between cramming for exams, juggling social plans, stressing about money, and trying to figure out who you are, it’s no surprise that a lot of students turn to alcohol to take the edge off. But have you thought about how that drink might actually be making your anxiety worse?
Let’s break it down.
Alcohol Feels Like a Quick Fix (But It’s Not)
That first drink might make you feel more chill or confident. It’s like a mini-vacation from all the pressure. But here’s the catch, that calm feeling doesn’t last, and anxiety can return with greater intensity as your body is metabolizing the alcohol.
Using Alcohol as an Escape:
When stress piles up, it’s easy to reach for a drink to escape. Maybe it’s a beer after a tough exam or a night out when you’re feeling low. But the more you use alcohol to dodge your problems, the more you rely on it. Before you know it, you’re stuck in a loop. You have taught your nervous system that feelings of stress need to be suppressed and avoided instead of dealt with.
Anxiety Hits Harder Later
Once the buzz fades, your anxiety can come back stronger than before. This is called “rebound anxiety” or “hang-xiety” and it can feel even heavier if anxiety is something you already struggle with.
Poor Decisions Means More Stress
Alcohol can mess with your judgment, leading to risky or embarrassing situations. Whether it’s an argument, a bad hookup, a choice resulting in legal consequences, or something unsafe, those decisions can pile on even more anxiety.
Health Takes a Hit
Heavy drinking can cause health problems like weight gain, sleep disruption, liver issues, and a weaker immune system. And when your body feels off, dealing with stress becomes even harder.
Relationship Struggles
Drinking can lead to fights or awkward situations that hurt your friendships. Losing that support system can make anxiety feel even worse.
School Slips
Skipping class or bombing tests because of drinking? That academic stress only adds more pressure and anxiety.
Signs You Might Need to Talk to Someone
Sometimes, the signs aren’t obvious. Ask yourself these questions to see if you fall in the realm of needing to get some outside help.
- Do you always feel tired, no matter how much you sleep?
- Do school, the gym, and social plans feel like too much?
- Are your grades dropping—or are they fine, but you still feel overwhelmed?
- Do you check out for days at a time to avoid everything?
- Are you having recent difficulty controlling your mood?
- Are you drinking to avoid feeling things? – i.e. self consciousness, embarrassment, stress, overwhelm, social anxiety, or overthinking.
- Do you crave alcohol generally or in certain contexts?
- Do you have emerging struggles with relationships, academics, work, the law, or your job?
It might be time to talk to someone if this sounds like you.
Do you know who you can reach out to?
- A campus counselor or therapist
- A professor or advisor you trust
- A family member or close friend
- An off-campus therapist, if that feels more comfortable, like Evolve Counseling Fort Collins, which is just a hop, skip, and a jump away from Colorado State University. Whether you need in-person or online therapy, they are here to help!
Getting help isn’t a weakness. It’s a smart move. You’re taking care of yourself and your future.
Your Brain Is Still Growing (Seriously)
Your brain keeps developing until you’re about 25. Drinking too much can mess with how your brain works, especially decision-making and self-control. It can set you up for bigger problems later on, and in some cases, it can be deadly.
The Real Risks You Should Know
Here’s what happened last year:
- 1,519 college students (ages 18-24) died from alcohol-related injuries, like car crashes.
- 696,000 students were assaulted by someone who was drinking.
Drinking is most common in fraternities and sororities and a lot less common for students living at home. Even if you’re not drinking, being around it can still put you at risk—from violence to losing sleep to taking care of drunk friends.Being around people who are drinking is to be around people who are generally engaging in higher risk behaviors.
Believe it or not, students whose parents talk to them about drinking are less likely to drink. Yeah, those talks actually work.
Picking a College That Has Your Back
If you’re looking at schools, check out their alcohol policies. Do they actually enforce underage drinking laws? Do they offer support if you need it? Party schools might sound fun, but a wild drinking scene can seriously mess with your health, safety, and future.Some schools are dry campuses which may be a good fit for some people.
Look Out for Yourself
College is already stressful, don’t let alcohol make it worse. There are better ways to handle the crazy, stressful, fun, anxiety-filled college life, and plenty of people who want to help. Your mental health, your future, and your life are worth protecting. The counselors Lindsey Phillips, LPC, and Ben Smith, LPC, at Evolve Counseling Fort Collins can help you manage and thrive in your college years. Best of all, if you do not have time to get to the office, Evolve has your back! Evolve also offers teletherapy for students who can’t get to the office.
