Stress May Take Edge Off Alcohol, Not the Opposite

Although alcohol has long been believed to blunt the effects of a stressful situation, it may, in fact, be the other way around, according to a new study.

Laboratory-induced stress appeared to reduce the stimulation normally produced by alcohol, while increasing alcohol's sedative-like effects, shows the study published in the June issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

"This result may be related to the idea that people drink to relax, although in our study the alcohol did not change the mood state, but rather the mood state changed the effects of alcohol," say Anna H.V. Soderpalm and Harriet de Wit, of the University of Chicago.

They also found that when subjects were given a fake alcoholic beverage, they reported liking the drink better and wanting more after stressful tasks, further suggesting that people are drawn to alcohol during times of stress. Those who had received alcohol wanted more whether they were stressed or relaxed.

The study included 20 men between the ages of 21 and 31. Half of the subjects were given spiked orange juice and then asked to perform a timed arithmetic task in a room with an interviewer, an observer and three other participants. The other half followed the same procedure after drinking just juice. Both groups were also tested during periods of relaxation.

Stress had different effects on the subjects depending on whether they received a placebo or alcohol. Stress helped the placebo subjects become more cheerful and outgoing, and less worn. When stressed, the subjects who had alcohol felt more sedated. These subjects also reported feeling more stimulated than the placebo subjects, but those feelings were not changed by stress.

"One question that arises from these findings is how the stress-induced alterations in subjective effects of ethanol influence future alcohol consumption," the authors say.

Stress may simulate the pleasurable effects of alcohol, thereby "priming" people to seek out a drink, they suggest. Other possibilities are that people have learned to associate stress with alcohol or that stress increases individuals' susceptibility to alcohol-related cues.

"All three explanations are consistent with the observation that stress can affect alcohol-seeking behavior or craving even before ethanol has been consumed," Soderpalm and de Wit say.

The study was funded through grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the General Clinical Research Center, and the Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education.