How Alcohol Abuse Can Factor Into Depression
Can alcohol cause depression or vice versa? Research has shown that there seems to be a bidirectional relationship between alcohol use disorder and depressive disorders both disorders can exist together, each disorder increases the risk for the other disorder, and each disorder can worsen the other.7 Regardless of the order of which came first, AUD or a depressive disorder, both issues are among the most prevalent psychiatric disorders and co-occur often.7,8,9,10
Are you in need of substance abuse and co-occurring mental health treatment? Plenty of American Addiction Centers locations across the nation offer specialized co-occurring disorder treatment. today to discover your treatment options.
Its important to note that the co-occurrence of AUD and depressive disorders, specifically major depressive disorder and persistent depressive disorder, is associated with greater severity and worse prognosis than either disorder alone. This includes a heightened risk for suicidal behavior.7
Its a vicious pairing that can be difficult to overcome, however, treatment can be effective.
Alcohol Effects The Entire Body Including The Brain The Gut The Heart Sleep And Sexual Functions
Alcohol effects the entire body including the brain, the gut, the heart, sleep and sexual functions.
The mental and emotional effects of alcohol vary from person to person. This is dependent on how much a person drinks, for how long and if any pre-existing mental illness is present.
Often people with depression and/or anxiety turn to alcohol as a way to try and cope. Some people use alcohol and drugs to mask their symptoms or to help make them feel better, not realising it can leave you feeling worse.
Alcohol Suicide And Self
Because alcohol can make you lose your inhibitions and act more impulsively, it may lead to actions such as self-harm or suicide. Heavy drinking is also linked to suicidal thoughts and attempts.
If youre having suicidal feelings, you can call Samaritans free any time. Call 999 or go to A& E if youve hurt yourself or think you might act on suicidal thoughts.
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Dangers Of Depression And Alcohol Abuse
One of the other well-known side effects of alcohol is its ability to remove inhibitions dancing wildly all night long or slipping between the sheets for a night of casual fun. We have reduced inhibitions because, according to Dr. Joshua Gowin writing in Psychology Today, the prefrontal and temporal cortex areas of the brain experience a decrease in activity. The prefrontal cortex controls decision making and logical thinking. While under the influence, this area of the brain allows for less inhibited actions.
This loss of inhibition has a dark side when drinking while depressed. Research shows that those who consume heavy amounts of alcohol have a five-fold higher risk of suicide than social drinkers, according to a 2010 article in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Further, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that in 2008, almost one-third suicides across 16 reporting states involved alcohol.
Dr. Howard Samuels puts it frankly the combination of depression and alcohol is much more likely to be lethal due to lowered inhibitions, increasing the risk of suicide. It will make you feel better when you take that first shot of scotch, he says, and then youll drink more and more and more andyour depression will turn into suicidal ideation the next day.
Take Our Am I An Alcoholic Self
Take our free, 5-minute Am I an Alcoholic? self-assessment below if you think you or someone you love might be struggling with an alcohol use disorder . The evaluation consists of 11 yes or no questions that are intended to be used as an informational tool to assess the severity and probability of an AUD. The test is free, confidential, and no personal information is needed to receive the result.
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Vicious Cycle Of Binge Drinking And Depression
When people with depression binge drink they can get caught in a vicious cycle. Their symptoms make life a bit unbearable so they turn to alcohol as a type of self medication. Initially the individual will feel a temporarily easing of their symptoms, but binge drinking produces further depressive symptoms. The individual is then caught in the terrible downward spiral of drinking to ease their symptoms which in turn is causing further symptoms. Unless the individual can escape this downward trajectory they will be heading towards suicide or an alcoholic death.
Combined Sample Of Ods And H2011
In the combined sample, the factors explaining HRQoL in the first model were age, BDI, AUDIT scores, and comorbid anxiety disorder, all p-values < 0.0001. In the corresponding analysis with the 6-month follow-up data of the ODS sample together with H2011 data, all above variables and also belonging to the ODS study group were found to be significant explanatory factors for poorer HRQoL . With these combined sample analyses we demonstrated that clinical depression has an impact on HRQoL in short-term follow-up regardless of the treatment intervention.
Table 4. Results of the tobit regression model with the 6-month follow-up data of the Ostrobothnian Depression Study sample together with Finnish Health 2011 Survey data.
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Ods Study Sample And Procedures
The ODS was a benchmark controlled trial that aimed to assess the impact of clinical intervention in routine settings. The detailed protocol of the ODS study is previously reported elsewhere and the study is registered in ClinicalTrials.gov with identifier NCT02520271 .
Patients were recruited from the natural patient flow of the participating units in the Department of Psychiatry in the South Ostrobothnia Hospital District, Finland during the period 20092013. The inclusion criteria were age 18 years and Beck Depression Inventory score corresponding to at least moderate-level depression at baseline . Finnish translation of BDI has been validated by defining cut-off points and predictive values . Patients with psychotic or organic brain disorders were excluded.
Table 1. All psychiatric diagnoses of the Ostrobothnian Depression Study patients at baseline according to the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview .
How To Avoid Alcohol
In order to avoid the symptoms of alcohol-induced depression the individual needs to stick to safe levels of alcohol consumption. This means no binge drinking. Social alcohol consumption is the safest pattern and this means:
* Less than one drink per day for women.* Two drinks per day for men under 65 years of age.* One drink per day for men over 65 years of age.* No alcohol for people who have any problems sticking to the recommended levels.
In the above recommendation a drink would be equal to a standard beer, a glass of wine, or a shot of pub spirits. It is not acceptable for people to save up their daily limit and drink this all in one go. For example, a person who only drinks one night a week but consumes 12 drinks at that time is not sticking to safe levels.
American Addiction Centers is in-network and negotiates coverage with most providers.
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Alcohol Can Worsen Negative Emotions
A low mood after a night of drinking can feel pretty awful. If you already have depression, you might feel even worse, since alcohol can magnify the intensity of your emotions.
Alcohol can affect the areas of your brain that help regulate emotions. You might start drinking in order to forget whats on your mind, but once the initial boost begins to wear off, you might end up wallowing in those feelings instead.
Since alcohol can cloud your brain, it can keep you from seeing helpful solutions to problems.
It also lowers inhibitions, so if youve been trying to keep some difficult emotions, like sadness or anger, under wraps, they may come flooding in when you drink.
This can lead to a tricky cycle. You might begin drinking more regularly in order to feel better or forget about those unwanted emotions and memories.
Increased alcohol use usually wont help, though. Its more likely to worsen negative mood states, along with physical health.
How Is Depression Diagnosed
Doctors use a physical exam, lab tests and a psychological evaluation to diagnose depression. These tests help determine the type of depression present, as well as eliminate the possibility of certain health conditions like thyroid problems and viruses. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is commonly used by physicians and psychologists to reach a formal diagnosis.
Questions that may be asked during the psychological evaluation include:
- In the past several weeks, how often have you felt hopeless, sad or depressed?
- Have you had thoughts about self-harm or harming another person when youre feeling down?
- How much uninterrupted sleep do you get each night?
- Do you drink alcohol or use any recreational drugs?
- How do your symptoms interfere with your personal and professional responsibilities?
- Does your mood fluctuate? If so, how often?
After the evaluation is complete and a diagnosis has been made, a doctor will discuss their findings with the patient and talk about treatment options. In the case of co-occurring conditions, a health provider may refer their patient to a treatment provider who is able to help them recover from both disorders simultaneously.
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How Can I Lift My Mood After Drinking
If you feel down after drinking, here are some tips to make you feel better:
Address Negative Feelings When They Come Up
Taking action to manage negative emotions as you experience them can help keep them from getting too overwhelming.
When you have healthy habits in place to cope with unwanted feelings, youll probably find it easier to use these strategies to push back against distressing emotions you might experience while drinking.
Helpful strategies for navigating difficult emotional experiences include:
- journaling or making art
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Alcohols Effects On The Brain
To understand alcohols relationship with depression, lets examine how alcohol affects our brain chemistry.
While its commonly referred to as a depressant, thats not all alcohol does for us. When it enters the bloodstream and ultimately the brain, it increases both our feelings of pleasure and dampens our mood.
As blood alcohol content rises during the initial stages, drinking acts like a stimulant, making you feel better. This happens thanks to an increase in feel good neurotransmitters such as dopamine, triggering the brains reward center. Initially, alcohol can feel like an effective way to treat the blues.
However, as blood alcohol content decreases, more of its suppressive qualities start to take hold. Alcohol dampens excitatory neurotransmitters that regulate energy levels such as glutamate, taking things down a notch. Meanwhile, alcohol also reaches the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA, which slows down the system, resulting in the downer feeling that can follow drinking.
By jacking up dopamine levels in your brain, alcohol tricks you into thinking that its actually making you feel great or maybe just better if you are drinking to get over something emotionally difficult, writes David DiSalvo in Forbes. The effect is that you keep drinking to get more dopamine release, but at the same time youre altering other brain chemicals that are enhancing feelings of depression.
Is Drinking Making You Depressed
Drinking has a firm foot in our culture, and it seems to fit any occasion.
Having a birthday and turning 21, 30, or 50? Have a round on the house!
Getting married? Crank up Rihannas Cheers and throw one back while grooving on the dance floor into the wee hours of the morning.
Going on a first date? Why not meet at the bar for a classy cocktail or glass of wine?
Had a hard day at work, bad week, or even a rough month when you just cant seem to shake that sinking feeling? Nothing a drink to lift the spirits cant solve
And thats where we begin to run into trouble self-medicating our depression through alcohol consumption.
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How Alcohol And Depression Coexist
Depression is a mood disorder. It can cause feelings of sadness, anger, loss, and emptiness.
People with depression frequently lose interest in activities that once brought them joy like hobbies and social events. They may struggle to complete daily tasks.
Depression is fairly common. More than 300 million people experience depression worldwide.
Individuals with alcohol use disorder may drink too much alcohol, too often. They may be unable to stop drinking once they begin.
If not treated, alcohol use disorder can become a life-long struggle. Almost 30 percent of Americans will experience alcohol use disorder at some point in their lifetimes.
Alcohol may be a form of self-medication for people with depression. The burst of energy from alcohol can be a welcome relief against some symptoms. For example, alcohol may temporarily reduce anxiety and lower inhibitions.
However, the flip side is that people who frequently use alcohol are more likely to also be depressed. Drinking a lot may worsen these feelings, which may actually drive further drinking.
Individuals with mental health conditions may be more likely to use alcohol as a treatment. suggest that military veterans are more likely to experience depression, post-traumatic stress disorder , and misuse alcohol.
Major depression and alcohol use disorder are also co-dependent in women, research suggests. Women with depression are also more likely to engage in binge drinking.
Does Depression Drive People To Drink
Not every person with depressive disorder drinks at all, much less is an alcoholic. However, individuals suffering from depression who are not in active treatment are more likely than the general population to be alcoholics. This tells us two things. One, depression and alcohol abuse are connected. Two, by treating the depressive disorder, it is easier for the individual to avoid falling into the trap of alcoholism.
To understand how alcoholism and depression play off of each other, one must understand what the mood disorder is. Perhaps the best way to understand this disorder is to look at its symptoms.
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You Have Frequent Blackouts
Binge drinking causes a sudden spike in blood alcohol. If your BAC reaches 0.16% you may start to blackout. A “blackout” makes you awake but it prevents you from forming new memories.
Blackouts are characterized by memory gaps and impaired cognitive ability. You may have poor judgment, act impulsively, and make bad decisions without remembering them.
People who blackout often wake up feeling guilty, ashamed, and anxious over their actions. If it happens too frequently, or if your action leads to consequences, blackouts can make you depressed.
Dual Diagnosis In Baton Rouge Louisiana
Historically, depression rates in Louisiana have been higher than the national average and treatment is not a one size fits all process. At Baton Rouge Behavioral Hospital, we are an accredited mental health facility prepared to treat mental health conditions and substance abuse together depending on your unique situation. Common treatment modalities for depression and alcohol use include psychotherapy, medication, lifestyle changes, or a combination of techniques. If needed, we also offer drug and alcohol detox.
Our Louisiana behavioral hospital also offers the following programs:
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The Effects Of Alcohol On The Brain
The fact is that alcohol is a depressanta substance that reduces nervous system activity and arousal. This is why some people turn to alcohol to unwind or relax.
However, consuming enough alcohol can lead to a slow central nervous system and symptoms such as slurred speech, stumbling, and the inability to make decisions. Alcohol can also decrease activity in the prefrontal cortex, which is associated with rational thought and decision-making. This is why people may have lower inhibitions and make risky choices while under the influence of alcohol.
While alcohol is a depressant, consuming a few drinks makes some individuals feel less inhibited and more energetic. Therefore, sometimes people drink alcohol due to its seemingly stimulating effects.
What If I Am Drinking Too Much19
- Set yourself a target to reduce the amount of alcohol you drink.
- Avoid high-risk drinking situations .
- Drink lower-strength, though full-taste, drinks, like 4% beers or 10% wines.
- Work out other things you can do instead of drinking.
- Involve your partner or a friend. They can help to agree a goal and keep track of your progress.
- Talk it over with your GP. For many people this simple step helps them to cut down their drinking.
- Caution: if you are drinking heavily, do not stop suddenly consult your GP.
Some people can stop suddenly without any problems. Others may have withdrawal symptoms craving, shakiness and restlessness. If this happens, ask your GP for help.
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Alcohol Abuse And Alcohol Addiction
Feelings of depression do not last for more than a few weeks. However, if you continue to exhibit alcoholism after your depressive symptoms go away, you may need alcohol addiction treatment.
Watch out for alcohol dependence and alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Frequent hangovers and increasing alcohol consumption may also indicate alcohol abuse.
The tell-tale sign of an alcohol use disorder is continuing to drink despite its negative consequences.
You’re Having An Alcohol Withdrawal
Drinking normally inhibits the N-methyl D-aspartate receptors in your brain. But if you have alcohol dependence and suddenly stop or reduce your intake, these receptors become excited.
This excitement is what causes alcohol withdrawal symptoms, like:11
If you have a history of depression, depressive symptoms can rebound during alcohol withdrawal.
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