Content
There is a strong link between alcohol use and depression, a mental health condition that includes feelings of hopelessness, emptiness, fatigue, loss of interest, and more. But does regular drinking lead to depression, or are people with depression more likely to drink too much alcohol? If you binge drink alcohol, your depression and anxiety may also worsen. Many studies have found that alcohol dependence is closely linked to depression.
Frequent hangovers and increasing alcohol consumption may also indicate alcohol abuse. The more you drink the greater your tolerance for alcohol, meaning you need to drink more alcohol to get the same feeling. If you rely on alcohol to mask feelings of depression, you may find you become reliant on it – putting you at risk of alcohol dependence. For some people alcohol can be a trigger for suicidal thoughts too. It is important to note that medications for alcohol use disorder are a first-line treatment.
Generally, you should limit your intake to 14 units of alcohol in a week — this is equal to six standard glasses of wine or six pints of lager. Be sure to spread those drinks out evenly over the week and have drink-free days in between. If you keep drinking a lot of alcohol, it can cause more problems and make your depression and anxiety worse over time. The use of medication to treat an alcohol use disorder and a major depressive disorder depends entirely on the individual and their circumstances.
He says his drinking — and depression — "skyrocketed" at age 24 after his grandmother died. "I used alcohol to cope with feelings of isolation and sadness," he says. Tietz began feeling intense self-loathing and having thoughts that her husband might be better off without her. She quit drinking for 90 days as a result of these suicidal thoughts and noticed they quickly went away.
Individuals with alcohol use disorder often develop a physical dependency on alcohol. The good news is that treating both alcohol misuse and depression can make both conditions better. Depression may even cause people to begin consuming large amounts of alcohol. I would love to see a clinical trial done to definitively show that eating citrus can lower the risk of depression, or maybe even alleviate the condition in some cases. There’s such a huge unmet need for depression treatments, and eating citrus doesn’t really have any major side effects, so it would be great to see how much this simple treatment can help.
This continual state of “high alert” can also affect your serotonin levels, increasing depression. If you’re concerned about your drinking habits or fear it may be affecting your mental health, help is available. The best thing to do is reach out to your healthcare provider. They have lots of experience with people going through something similar and will be able to check your physical health and connect you with support services.
Shortly after becoming a mother, Kitley began coping with her depression through binge drinking. If you drink a lot you are more likely to struggle with depressed feelings. Detoxification, or detox for short, is removing alcohol from your system while managing withdrawal symptoms. This typically takes place in a medically supervised facility.
Excessive alcohol use also leads to mental health conditions. A drinking-related condition is also known as a dual diagnosis or co-occurring disorder. The presence of depression and alcohol use disorder suggests that you have a co-occurring disorder. It requires dual diagnosis rehab — a specialized treatment that addresses both issues.
But depression and anxiety sometimes go together - feeling anxious and worrying constantly can make you feel low. Many of us have been there — after a bad day or a stressful event, it’s not uncommon to turn to a glass of wine to take the edge off. But making this a regular habit can impede your mental health, especially if you already have depression. Here’s what to know about how depression and alcohol interact, the risks and warning signs for both depression and alcohol use disorder, and when to get help. For example, having a family member with an alcohol use disorder is a risk factor for both depression and alcohol use disorder. Emerging research has found that there is a genetic link between AUD and depression.
If you feel unable to keep yourself safe or think you might harm yourself it’s a mental health emergency. Twelve-step program Call 999, contact your local mental health crisis team or go straight to A&E if you’re able to safely. There are signs that depression and alcohol dependency may be impacting your or a loved one’s health and well-being, Anand says. People with depression may use alcohol as a form of self-medication.
Chai was a national health reporter at Global News in Toronto for 5 years, where she won multiple awards, including the Canadian Medical Association award for health reporting. Her work has also appeared in the Toronto Star, Vancouver Province, and the National Post. She received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Ryerson University in Toronto. “None of this will help with mood, which precipitates depression. So now you’re also depressed because of your drinking and because alcohol is what you turn to, to feel at least temporarily better, you continue to drink,” Anand says. A dual diagnosis can be complicated to treat, no matter the circumstances.
Alcohol may be a socially acceptable drug, but it’s still a drug. Alcohol abuse and dependence are both considered an alcohol use disorder, with studies finding that alcohol dependence is more closely tied to the persistence of depressive disorders. Drinking persistently and excessively can increase your risk of developing a major depressive disorder. It can also aggravate symptoms of pre-existing depression and endanger your health and mental health.