Links between Alcohol and Depression

Links between Alcohol and Depression

Drinking alcohol, when done in moderation, is a great social activity and can even have some health benefits. But its short-term positive effects lead some to use it as a form of self-medication when dealing with a depressive illness. Used in this way, alcohol has a detrimental effect on recovery since it is in fact a 'depressant', not an anti-depressant, meaning that once the initial high wears off, the effects of depression will be exacerbated.

This leads to a vicious cycle as the sufferer constantly attempts to provide short-term relief of depression symptoms with alcohol, in the process worsening long-term effects. Since alcohol is readily available, it may seem to provide a more convenient treatment for depression sufferers than would the process of seeking professional help.

Alcohol may worsen depression but it's unclear whether alcoholism can trigger a depressive illness. It’s also unclear whether a depressive illness makes one more prone genetically to addiction, but experts believe that whatever genetic factors  influence depression may also increase risk of alcoholism. Environmental factors that contribute to one may also contribute to the other.

Studies indicate one third of depression sufferers have an alcohol problem, with the depression usually preceding the alcoholism. According to WebMD, children who suffered from depression are more likely to develop alcohol problems in adolescence.

Biological Effects of Alcohol on Depression

Though depression may seem purely mental to the sufferer, it actually has a strong basis in the physiology of the body. Scientific understanding is far from perfect, but the physical characteristics of the brain, genetic factors and hormones all play a role.

Since alcohol has a physical effect on the body, it can upset balance in ways that contribute to depression. According to Beatingdepressiontoday.com, alcohol can worsen depression symptoms in the following ways:

• Drains the body of B vitamins, which are used to regulate mood.
• Leads to sleep deprivation. Unhealthy sleep patterns contribute to depression symptoms.
• Drains the body of physical energy, leading to decreased exercise.

Of course, the impaired thinking patterns caused by alcoholism can also lead to altercations and relationship issues that create stress - the kind of thing unneeded by anyone, let alone sufferers of depression.

Recovery

Professionals treating patients for alcoholism will often include tests for depression symptoms. Since the two are so strongly linked, it’s natural that treatment for one may involve determining the risk of the other.

Where both conditions are present, treatment is complicated by the fact that alcohol withdrawal can trigger depression. Though the effects will subside and the patient will be better for it in the long-term, temptation will be strong to relapse into alcoholism in order to combat the rising depression symptoms.

Another issue is that anti-depressants often take time to work, or the particular anti-depressant in question may not be the correct one for the patient. This may lead the sufferer to turn to alcohol in search of short-term relief. But experts strongly advise against mixing alcohol and anti-depressants - they can interact with each other in damaging and sometimes dangerous ways.

Depression promotes negative and irrational thought patterns, as does alcohol once the short-term high has worn off and the biological factors take full effect. So the sufferer’s motivation to seek help may be hampered as he or she becomes convinced that treatment will not only fail to work, but will, in fact, make things worse. But in truth, professionals are well qualified to aid patients in their recovery from these debilitating conditions.

This guest post was written on behalf of Ramot Treatment Centre for Addiction, by Matthew Flax. Ramot is an alcohol and drug treatment centre in Cape Town that provides a holistic rehab programme for inpatients and support for outpatients.