The Alcohol-Depression Connection: Symptoms, Treatment & More
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«Eventually I realized I might get drunk and act on those suicidal thoughts and that scared me. I decided I would never drink again for the rest of my life,» she says. «Initially, it seemed like a magic potion — the cure for my depression,» he says. But not long after, he says he realized drinking caused him to sink further into depression. «My relationships, my self-worth, my sleep, and even my overall health and well-being.» «Drinking provided a wonderful escape from my own head. I felt more laid back. But the next day, I always felt horrible and I’d swear off drinking,» she says.
- Ria Health is one program that strives to make this approach easier to access.
- Antidepressants can help even levels of these chemicals and can help relieve symptoms of depression.
- However, alcohol use has a direct, adverse effect on a person’s sleep quality.
- “People often drink to cope with anxiety or depression, but alcohol actually disrupts our brain chemistry, making these conditions worse long-term,” says White.
- The NHS website, Every Mind Matters, has advice on how to access support and treatment for depression in England.
Tips to change your relationship with alcohol
While the liver breaks down alcohol, it also affects essential neurotransmitters in the brain. Directly after drinking alcohol, your heart rate and blood pressure rise. Once the substance is out of your system, your vital signs return to normal. As part of your treatment, a therapist will teach you how to effectively cope with negative emotions and other triggers so you can avoid drinking. The tell-tale sign of an alcohol use disorder is continuing to drink despite its negative consequences. If you have a history of depression, depressive symptoms can rebound during alcohol withdrawal.
Risks of Alcohol/Antidepressant Interactions
If you feel you’re drinking more than you’d like or your alcohol use is making your depression symptoms worse, there are some things you can do. No matter your drink of choice, alcohol can easily be abused and often is, especially Drug rehabilitation when it’s used to self-medicate. For some people, treating alcoholism will relieve depression. However, alleviating depression does not resolve the alcohol use disorder.
While the effects of alcohol can potentially trigger feelings of depression on its own, it also often exacerbates symptoms indirectly. Regularly drinking a lot of alcohol can cause or worsen symptoms of depression. Self-medicating by drinking more alcohol to try and numb or mask depression can also make your symptoms worse. It can influence your mood and produce feelings of pleasure, motivating you to continue behaviors that make you feel good — like drinking alcohol. Depression and alcohol use disorder (AUD) are the most commonly diagnosed co-occurring disorders. Experiencing both conditions at the same time heightens the severity of symptoms and increases the risk of suicidal thoughts and actions.
- Frequent hangovers and increasing alcohol consumption may also indicate alcohol abuse.
- Watch out for alcohol dependence and alcohol withdrawal symptoms.
- A night of drinking is probably not enough to make you feel depressed.
- Shortly after becoming a mother, Kitley began coping with her depression through binge drinking.
- Sometimes people drink alcohol to help with the symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression.
For other, including those who might have begun drinking to manage depression, it can take months or longer to improve. Your loved one may need treatment for depression in addition to treatment for alcohol use disorder. If possible, help them find a treatment program that includes counseling. This may make it easier for them to get care for their underlying depression. Heavy and long-term drinking can put significant strain on the body, leading to an increase in the stress hormone cortisol. Because of its role in our “fight-or-flight” response, increased levels of cortisol can cause feelings of chronic stress.
How Does Alcohol Affect the Brain?
D’Alessandro credits therapy for helping him learn more productive coping strategies. He’s also found running works as a great coping strategy that boosts his mood and overall mindset. Patrick D’Alessandro has been sober since August of 2016, after pursuing treatment at Gateway Foundation — where he now works as a recovery coach. «When my depression is bad, I give myself a break and have a video game day on the couch,» she says. If you are worried about your alcohol use, take our alcohol test to find out what type of drinker you are.
The hippocampus, which aids in learning and stores memories, can be particularly vulnerable to alcohol. Alcohol can negatively affect the muscular and skeletal systems by thinning the bones over time. This increases the risk of falls, fractures, muscle weakness, cramping, and atrophy. BetterHelp can connect you to an addiction and mental health counselor. The more you drink, the more liquid your body has to eliminate. And if you happen to go to bed after several hours of drinking, you will not have good night’s sleep.
If you’re being treated for both depression and alcohol abuse at the same time, however, you should be careful about combining antidepressants and alcohol. Alcohol can also worsen the side effects of antidepressants, which include dizziness, drowsiness, insomnia, blurred vision, headaches, and more. There is a lot that we still need to understand about the link between alcohol and depression, and this is an emerging area of research.
This means you will feel less of alcohol’s perceived benefits over time, causing you to drink more. While drinking helps some people forget their problems or numb their emotions, it triggers negative emotions in others. By Sarah Bence, OTR/LBence is an occupational therapist with a range of work experience in mental healthcare settings.
Your GP may recommend a talking therapy such as counselling or CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), or a self-help group. «Cells are living beings, and if you want to fix the issue of depression at the level of the cells, they cannot be inebriated,» says Taylor. «Alcohol makes us feel drunk and confused because alcohol makes the cells drunk and nonfunctional.» Because of this shared connection, treatment for both should include a diet to improve gut function and reduce endotoxin load that contributes to neuroinflammation.
Nearly one-third of people with major depressive disorder also have alcohol use disorder. Some research also shows that children with depressive disorders are more than twice as likely to start drinking alcohol early on in life. At the same time, excessive alcohol use, or binge drinking, has also been linked to depression and anxiety.
In particular, she’s committed to helping decrease stigma around mental health issues. It can get worse over time, especially when combined with regular or heavy alcohol use. These blues usually don’t linger, though, so you’ll probably feel better in a day or so. The only certain way to prevent depression after drinking is to avoid alcohol entirely. You can, however, take steps to lower your chances of emotional side effects when drinking. Spending time in nature can also have health benefits, including improving your mood.
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