Help With Alcohol And Depression

Signs And Symptoms Of Depression

To be diagnosed with major depressive disorder or another depressive disorder, people typically need to display symptoms almost every day for at least 2 weeks. The symptoms are severe enough that they cause significant stress and impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.5 While the specific types of depressive disorders can look a bit different, they tend to share common symptoms that include:1,5,6

• A persistent low mood, feelings of sadness, and/or feeling anxious or empty.
• Feeling hopeless or pessimistic.
• Feeling excessively or inappropriately guilty, worthless, or helpless.
• Losing interest or pleasure in activities or hobbies you once enjoyed.
• A lack of energy or fatigue.
• Moving or talking more slowly than usual.
• Difficulty thinking, remembering, or making decisions.
• Changes in sleep, such as trouble falling or staying asleep or sleeping more than usual .
• Changes in appetite with significant weight loss or weight gain .
• Having thoughts of self-harm, death, or suicide, or making suicidal attempts.
• Aches, pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that arent easily explainable and do not improve with treatment.

Admitted To God Ourselves And Another Human Being The Exact Nature Of Our Wrongs

Step 5 helps you confront mistakes you have made in the past that may have harmed you or people you love. This step is where you can recognize the root causes of your depression and alcohol misuse that you have control over. You can admit to the character defects and poor choices that may have kept you from healing.

Admitting your wrongs to another person can be freeing, allowing you to move on and believe that you can become better physically and mentally with the help of your higher power.

How Are They Diagnosed

Your doctor will likely conduct a physical exam and a psychological evaluation. These tests help them calculate your risk factors for either condition. This multi-test approach will help them rule out other conditions that might account for your symptoms.

Likewise, if youre diagnosed with one of these conditions, your doctor may ask about symptoms of the other. This is a common part of diagnosis because both so frequently occur together.

help for depression or alcohol MISuse

Treating one of these conditions may improve symptoms for both. However, for the best results, your doctor will likely treat them together.

The most common treatments for alcohol misuse and depression together include:

Medication

Alcohol can significantly impact the levels of neurotransmitters in your brain, making depression worse. Antidepressants can help even levels of these chemicals and can help relieve symptoms of depression.

In addition, your doctor may prescribe medicines that are meant to lower alcohol cravings, which can reduce your desire to drink.

Rehabilitation

Individuals with alcohol use disorder often develop a physical dependency on alcohol. Quitting suddenly can cause symptoms of withdrawal. These symptoms can be severe and even life-threatening.

Many doctors recommend patients check into a rehabilitation facility. These clinics can help someone go through the withdrawal process with medical supervision.

Therapy

Read Also: Getting Through The Day With Depression

The Connection Between Depression & Alcohol

Unfortunately, when many people feel depressed, they turn to alcohol, a drug that is so common we often think that we understand it better than we do. Relying on alcohol when we are feeling down can turn a run of bad luck or an unfortunate life event into something worse.

Many people drink alcohol responsibly without a problem though some people have difficulty controlling their drinking. As will be discussed in this article, drinking to deal with depression can lead to a vicious cycle of worsening symptoms and dangerous coping mechanisms.

Why Does Depression Make Recovery From Aud Harder

Recovering from depression and AUD is difficult because the disorders can worsen one another. Often, people turn to alcohol to help relieve their depression symptoms.

In addition, attempting to stop drinking and going through withdrawal can worsen depression, making it even harder to quit.

Whether depression is a stand-alone diagnosis or caused by drinking, alcohol often worsens symptoms. However, depression symptoms can improve after abstaining from alcohol for about

Once you begin your healing journey, its important to engage in self-care. Consider looking into holistic therapies such as yoga or meditation.

In one 2018 study , 60 people who recently detoxed from alcohol experienced fewer depressive symptoms after participating in Sudarshan Kriya Yoga for just 2 weeks.

You might also want to consider natural supplements such as tyrosine, 5-HTP, and ashwagandha to help rebalance your brains neurotransmitters. Just check with your doctor before trying these, especially if youre taking medication.

Its also important to have a strong support network. You might consider joining a 12-step program like Alcoholics Anonymous or a non-12-step group like SMART recovery.

Being around others who are experiencing the same challenges can help you feel connected and reduce feelings of isolation.

Also Check: What Is The Best Medication For Social Anxiety And Depression

Depression And Binge Drinking

Research studies have found that binge drinkers are more likely to have symptoms of depression,8 with people who reported regular hangovers most at risk.9

In addition, binge drinking puts you at greater risk of accidents and injuries,10 and can also cause other serious health problems like alcohol poisoning.11,12

Alcohol is known to affect several nerve-chemical systems which are important in regulating mood.

Alcohol Use Disorder And Depressive Disorders

Part of the Topic Series: Alcohol Use Disorder and Co-Occurring Mental Health Conditions

R. Kathryn McHugh and Roger D. Weiss

R. Kathryn McHugh, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, and an associate psychologist in the Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts.

Roger D. Weiss, M.D. is a professor in the Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, and the chief of the Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts.

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What Is Samhsa’s National Helpline

SAMHSAs National Helpline, , or TTY: is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations.

Also visit the online treatment locator, or send your zip code via text message: 435748 to find help near you. Read more about the HELP4U text messaging service.

The Difficulty Of Establishing A Connection Between Alcoholism And Depression

There are several reasons why alcoholism and depression might both be present without there being a sign of a causative or genetic link.

Both problems are very common so that gives an increased likelihood of the two occurring together without any significant connection.

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Solution: Treat The Alcohol Problem And Depression Separately As Co

Since addiction and depression are separate conditions, they each need distinct treatment.

PLEASE NOTE: If you suffer from both alcoholism and depression, this does NOT mean you are broken. As youve just read, depression & alcoholism reinforce one another. They are conditions affecting the mind and body. Not signs of a ruined/hopeless life. You can resolve them both. Often by using similar techniques and structures in your daily lifetechniques anyone can learn.

In the rehab field, this is called a co-occurring disorder. More than one condition happening at the same time, feeding on each other, dragging you down.

The best way to resolve them, is to treat them as separate, but interconnected conditions. For the alcoholism, you use one of the treatment programs we discuss in our Services pages.

For depression, you use a separate form of therapy. These are proven-effective examples:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy A form of therapy that helps people address problematic thoughts and feelings.
• Holistic Therapy A complement to other therapies. These include yoga, counseling, art therapy, etc.
• Antidepressants Medication to help restore proper chemical balance in the brain. Best used in concert with another therapy.
• Support Groups Good news! The same support groups you can visit for alcoholism, will often have the means to help you recover from depression. Our support groups do, as part of their co-occurring disorder training.

Alcohol Worsens Depression Depression Worsens Alcohol Abuse

While alcohol abuse can lead to the symptoms of depression becoming worse, the same can be said in reverse. As feelings of depression worsen, your natural instinct may be to drink more alcohol. Nonetheless, with heavier alcohol use, serotonin levels in the brain drop. Unfortunately, it is serotonin that helps regulate your mood. Lowered levels of this chemical can result in a worsening of the symptoms of depression, which can then lead to a need to drink more alcohol. And so, a vicious cycle ensues.

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Also Check: What Are General Methods Used To Treat Depression

How Can A Psychologist Help

Psychologists who are trained and experienced in treating alcohol problems can be helpful in many ways. Before the drinker seeks assistance, a psychologist can guide the family or others in helping to increase the drinker’s motivation to change.

A psychologist can begin with the drinker by assessing the types and degrees of problems the drinker has experienced. The results of the assessment can offer initial guidance to the drinker about what treatment to seek and help motivate the problem drinker to get treatment. Individuals with drinking problems improve their chances of recovery by seeking help early.

Using one or more of several types of psychological therapies, psychologists can help people address psychological issues involved in their problem drinking. A number of these therapies, including cognitive-behavioral coping skills treatment and motivational enhancement therapy, were developed by psychologists. Additional therapies include 12-Step facilitation approaches that assist those with drinking problems in using self-help programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous .

These therapies can help people boost their motivation to stop drinking, identify circumstances that trigger drinking, learn new methods to cope with high-risk drinking situations, and develop social support systems within their own communities.

How To Support Your Loved One Through Their Journey

Treatment of alcohol use disorder is an ongoing process. Dont consider your part done after your friend or family member is in therapy. If they are open to it, attend meetings with them. Offer to help out with work, childcare, and household tasks if they get in the way of treatment sessions.

Standing by your friend or family members progress during and after treatment is important, too. For example, alcohol is everywhere. Even after recovery, your person will be in situations they cant predict. Ways you can help include avoiding alcohol when youre together or opting out of drinking in social situations. Ask about new strategies that they learned in treatment or meetings. Stay invested in their long-term recovery.

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Will I Go Through Detox

You can expect to go through a detox, which involves stopping the use of alcohol . Detox is the first step to seeking treatmentbut should not be mistaken for treatmentand in many cases, will involve symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. Whether or not this detox takes place under the supervision of a medical professional is up to your treatment team. In some cases, alcohol withdrawal can be accompanied by severe symptoms, which should be a consideration when choosing supervised or unsupervised detox.

Prevalence Of Depressive Disorders And Aud

Major depressive disorder is the most common psychiatric disorder, affecting an estimated 10% to 15% of people in their lifetime, according to U.S. and international population-based surveys.7,8 Dysthymia is less common than major depressive disorder, affecting less than 2% of people in their lifetime.9

Data from large population-based surveys suggest that the prevalence of alcohol-induced depression is small. For example, among people who also had a substance use disorder, less than 1% of their depressive disorders were classified as substance induced.1 Studies have found a much higher prevalence of substance-induced depressive disorder among patients with AUD who were in treatment settings, when compared with studies of general population samples. One study reported that more than 25% of patients experienced a substance-induced depressive episode in their lifetime.10 Nonetheless, studies have found that many cases initially diagnosed as substance-induced depression were later reclassified as independent depression because the condition persisted after a period of abstinence.11

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Does Alcohol Cause Depression And Can You Fix It

Many people use alcohol as a way to cope with troubling life events, unwind at the end of a long day, or celebrate important milestones. However, some people wonder about the link between alcohol consumption and depression. This article will cover the connection between alcohol and depression as well as discuss ways you or someone you care about can get help.

Made A List Of All Persons We Had Harmed And Became Willing To Make Amends To Them All

Step 8 increases your humility and begins to break down the isolation may people with depression and alcohol misuse experience. By identifying the people who may have been harmed when you were in the darkest days of your substance use disorder and mental illness and thinking about how you may be able to make amends, you can begin to see the path forward toward healthier relationships.

Recommended Reading: Where To Go If You Re Depressed

Alcohol Alters Your Brain Chemistry

Our brains rely on a fine balance of chemicals and processes. Alcohol is a depressant. This means it distorts the chemical messaging processes in your brain, making it difficult to predict how you will feel and react to it.

While initially you may get a relaxed feeling after your first drink, over time it can contribute to feelings of depression and anxiety. Alcohol can lower serotonin and norepinephrine levels, both of which help regulate mood. Lower levels of these chemicals can make a depressed person more depressed.

Encouraging Your Loved One To Get Help

Dont expect your loved one to overcome a drinking problem alone. Even if they dont require medical supervision to withdraw safely, theyll still need support, guidance, and new coping skills to quit or cut back on their drinking.

You can encourage your friend or family member to get help by:

• Offering to accompany them to doctor appointments, group meetings, or counselling sessions.
• Sitting with them while they call a helpline for advice.
• Making a concrete plan with them, detailing what changes theyll make and how.

Your role doesnt end when your loved agrees to seek help. Recovery is an ongoing process, requiring time and patience. Someone who abuses alcohol will not magically become a different person once theyre sober. In fact, theyll face a host of new challenges. Theyll have to find new ways of living without alcohol and theyll also have to tackle the problems that led to their alcohol abuse in the first place. But with your ongoing support and love, they can get there.

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Useful Resources And Information

• Al-Anon offers support and understanding to the family and friends of problem drinkers.
• Alcohol Change UK campaign for better alcohol policies and improved support for people whose lives are affected by alcohol problems. They offer help and support if you want to change your drinking habits.
• Alcoholics Anonymous runs free self-help groups for anyone who thinks they have a drink problem.
• Drinkaware provides advice, information and tools to help people make better choices about their drinking.
• Drinkline is a free, confidential helpline for anyone worried about their drinking or someone elses. Call 0300 123 1100.
• SMART Recovery groups help people build their motivation to change and offer tools and techniques to help with their recovery.
• Turning Point offers tailored support to people with drug or alcohol problems. This could be advice, medical treatment, peer support, social activities or help getting back into work, for example.

• We Are With You offers free, confidential support with alcohol, drugs or mental health.

LGBTQIA+ support services:

• The Gay and Sober website has regularly updated information on online LGBTQIA+ recovery group meetings.
• The LGBT Foundation provides information, support and advice to LGBTQIA+ people. They offer one-to-one and group support for people concerned about their drug or alcohol use.
• Alcohol Change UK has more resources for LGBTQIA+ people who drink in moderation or dont drink.

References:

How Alcohol Affects Your Brain

Alcohol is a depressant, which can disrupt the balance of neurotransmitters in your brain and affect your feelings, thoughts and behaviour.

Alcohol affects the part of your brain that controls inhibition, so you may feel relaxed, less anxious, and more confident after a drink. But these effects quickly wear off. The chemical changes in your brain can soon lead to more negative feelings, such as anger, depression or anxiety, regardless of your mood.

Alcohol also slows down how your brain processes information, making it harder to work out what youre really feeling and the possible consequences of your actions.

In the long-term, alcohol uses up and reduces the number of neurotransmitters in our brains, but we need a certain level to ward off anxiety and depression. This can make you want to drink more to relieve these difficult feelings which can start a cycle of dependence.

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Is Alcohol A Depressant And Will I Get Depressed From It

Men with depression are at high risk of alcohol dependence, and men who are heavy drinkers already are at risk of developing depression.

Medically reviewed by Dr. John Ogrodniczuk, PhD Written by Quinn Storey and the HeadsUpGuys Team

Posted November 10, 2022. Updated November 21, 2022.

“While our pain may be temporarily numbed by using alcohol, it never goes away, and often increases because consuming alcohol doesnt address whatever issues are underlying the pain.”

In many cultures, drinking is a part of daily routines or social activities with friends and family. Because of how ubiquitous alcohol is, its easy to forget that alcohol is also a drug that causes changes in our thoughts, feelings, and behaviour.

Alcohol can have both short- and long-term impacts on our health. Being aware of the ways alcohol affects our minds and bodies is crucial to making informed decisions about when and how much to drink.

This is especially true for men who are battling depression, as men who misuse alcohol are 2.5 times more likely to report more difficulties with depression. So, we should pay extra attention to the effects of alcohol on our symptoms.