A drink might take the edge off a rough day. At the end of a stellar day, sipping your favorite drink can feel like a marvelous ending. But what if your drinking habits aren’t bolstering your mental health?

It’s possible. There are links between alcohol and mental health. For some people, alcohol can amplify the symptoms of some mental health conditions, such as anxiety disorders. Alcohol can be even worse for others — for example, people who are taking medication for their mental health. Drinking can change how their bodies metabolize medication.

This is an important phenomenon to be aware of if you take psychiatric medication. Depending on your specific medication, alcohol can interfere with how your body metabolizes it. It can sometimes reduce its effectiveness or, in other cases, increase the risk of side effects or dangerous interactions. If you’re on certain medications, your body could absorb more of the medication than intended, converting a normal dose into a dangerous one. Your pharmacist or physician can provide information on your medication’s interactions.

You don’t have to drink excessively to experience drawbacks like aggravated symptoms or dangers like medication interactions. However, heavy drinking may put you more at risk. Addressing the interactions between mental health and alcohol can be difficult, but it’s possible in a personalized treatment plan, such as a Virtual Partial Hospitalization Program (vPHP).

While you may want to think through these things privately, speaking with a licensed clinical therapist can help. They might ask questions like:

• How do you feel about your mental health?

Take a few moments to think about your mental health. How are your thoughts, emotions and behaviors? Have you noticed changes recently? How do you show up in your relationships with other people? These questions may help you understand your mental health. They may also be good starting points for a conversation about underlying mental health conditions, which could benefit from vPHP treatment.

• What are your current drinking habits?

How much do you drink in a day or week? Do you want a drink every day or do you have periods of nondrinking? Have any events, thoughts or feelings spurred you to drink less or more than usual? How do you feel afterward? Your answers might provide a picture of your relationship with alcohol and how it may affect you.

• Could your mental health and drinking habits interact?

Do you think that there might be a connection between your thoughts, emotions or mood and your drinking? Perhaps a low mental state leads to having a little more to drink, or vice versa. On the other hand, maybe you feel less like yourself when you don’t drink. These are all important discussions to have with someone you trust, like a mental health care provider.

Prepare for your conversations

A licensed clinical therapist can provide their full attention, expertise and support. They can also provide treatment for a mental health condition, emotional challenge or relational difficulty. At Lightfully, we use our Precision Care Model (PCM) to personalize care to your needs. 

In a vPHP, you can participate in more than therapy, with a total of 20 hours of programming per week. You’ll work with a psychiatrist and meet other people going through treatment in group sessions. Professionals will lead each group session. This program of therapy, psychiatry and group sessions typically lasts for several weeks, but may be shortened or lengthened depending on your needs. It can be fully tailored to you.

Change is possible. When you’re ready to take the first step, reach out to Lightfully. We’ll take the next steps together, toward the fullest, brightest version of you.