American Indians, stress, and alcohol.

American Indian drinking behavior is often attributed to stress. The causal relationship of stress to Indian drinking and alcohol's role as a stressor is explored. It is likely that some drinking behavior is a response to psychosocial stressors, and that rapid ingestion or large quantity alcohol consumption may also precipitate the psychogenic stress response, thereby exacerbating stress in the individual. Using alcohol to reduce stress increases opportunities for injury and illness.