If you’re feeling anxious, take a moment to pause before pouring that glass of wine | Diane Young
WWhen Mia*, 35, walks into my office, she looks calm and ready to start her day off right with a counseling session. But after seeing Mia for almost six months now, I know she’s hiding the truth behind her polite facade, and I notice the subtle tension in her shoulders that gives her away.
Mia tells me that the night before, she had poured herself “just a glass of wine” to relax after a long day. One drink became two, then three. It’s a pattern she’s gotten used to; a quiet ritual that helps him “unplug” from the thoughts that invade his mind when the day finally slows down.
Mia’s story reflects what I’m seeing more and more in my practice. As a psychotherapist, I’ve noticed a striking trend: a growing number of Australians are turning to alcohol to manage their anxiety. According to one study, 34.9% of Australian adults who drank alcohol did so to relieve stress and 18.5% to combat anxiety.
We live in an era of what psychologists call global exposure to distress. Never have we been so constantly confronted with situations of crisis, conflict and instability. Even when we turn off our screens, worries remain linked to financial difficulties, job insecurity, climate fears and the emotional fatigue that accompanies a feeling of helplessness.
For many, having a drink at the end of the day becomes a quiet escape. Yet even though alcohol appears to offer short-term relief, it can worsen anxiety over time, disrupting sleep, increasing physiological stress, and eroding emotional resilience. Research shows that people with anxiety are much more likely to drink at risky levels and that the relationship between the two often becomes cyclical: anxiety fuels drinking, and drinking fuels anxiety.
If left unchecked, anxiety can do more than cause worry. This can disrupt relationships, affect sleep, and lead to harmful coping behaviors such as substance use or compulsive online habits. Early awareness is crucial. That’s why it’s important to take a moment to reflect on your own anxiety and recognize the signs before they become overwhelming.
One of the online anxiety self-assessments available can help people identify how their worries might be affecting their well-being. This is not a diagnosis but a first step: a quiet space to find yourself, understand what’s going on beneath the surface, and determine if additional support might help. Sometimes this introspection is the start of real change.
The truth is that we cannot extinguish global crises. But we can learn to listen to what our minds and bodies are telling us when the noise becomes too much. Anxiety, in its own way, is a sign that something within us needs tending. Understanding it is the first step to mitigating it.
In an age of endless updates, perhaps the most radical act of self-preservation is this: pause, breathe, and take stock of your own mindset. If the world seems overwhelming, don’t face it alone; seek help, talk to someone, or take that small step of self-assessment. Sometimes that break can be the start of feeling safe again.
*All clients mentioned are fictitious amalgams
Diane Young is a trauma specialist and psychotherapist at South Pacific Private, a trauma, addiction and mental health treatment center.
