Does alcohol help depression

Alcohol Use, Abuse, and Depression: Is There a Connection?

Written by Stephanie Watson

Medically Reviewed by Jennifer Robinson, MD on November 15, 2020

Does Depression Drive You to Drink?

Nearly one-third of people with major depression also have an alcohol problem. Often, the depression comes first. Research shows that depressed kids are more likely to have problems with alcohol a few years down the road. Also, teens who've had a bout of major depression are twice as likely to start drinking as those who haven’t.

Women are more than twice as likely to start drinking heavily if they have a history of depression. Experts say that women are more likely than men to overdo it when they’re down.

Drinking will only make depression worse. People who are depressed and drink too much have more frequent and severe episodes of depression, and are more likely to think about suicide. Heavy alcohol use also can make antidepressants less effective.

Does Drinking Too Much Make You Depressed?

Alcohol is a depressant. That means any amount you drink can make you more likely to get the blues. Drinking a lot can harm your brain and lead to depression.

When you drink too much, you’re more likely to make bad decisions or act on impulse. As a result, you could drain your bank account, lose a job, or ruin a relationship. When that happens, you're more likely to feel down, particularly if your genes are wired for depression.

Are Genes or Lifestyle to Blame?

It's not always clear if depression makes you drink or vice versa. Studies of twins have shown that the same things that lead to heavy drinking in families also make depression more likely.

Researchers have found at least one common gene. It’s involved in brain functions like memory and attention. Variations in this gene might put people at risk for both alcohol misuse and depression.

Home and social environment also play a role. Children who were abused or raised in poverty appear to be more likely to develop both conditions.

Alcohol and Depression: What to Do

It probably won't hurt to have a glass of wine or beer once in a while for social reasons unless you have a health problem that prevents you from drinking. But if you turn to alcohol to get you through the day, or if it causes trouble in your relationships, at work, in your social life, or with how you think and feel, you have a more serious problem.

Alcohol abuse and depression are both serious problems that you shouldn't ignore. If you think you have a problem with either, talk to your doctor or psychologist. There are lots of choices when it comes to medication that treats depression, and there are drugs that lower alcohol cravings and counter the desire to drink heavily. Your doctor will probably treat both conditions together. You can also get help from Alcoholics Anonymous or an alcohol treatment center in your area.

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Can drinking alcohol cause depression and, conversely, can depression lead to misusing alcohol? If you or someone you care about are struggling with depression and alcohol abuse, you may be interested in learning more about how alcohol can play a role in depression and vice versa, as well as the different factors that can affect alcohol, depression, and addiction.

Simultaneous treatment for alcohol use disorder and a depressive disorder can help you or your loved one take back control of your mental health, physical wellbeing, and overall happiness. Know that you’re not alone and help is available.

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Understanding Depression

Everyone feels blue or down from time to time, and people often say that they feel “depressed” during these temporary bouts of sadness. But clinical depression isn’t just a matter of feeling the occasional ups and downs or periodic sadness caused by issues of daily life.

Major depressive disorder, persistent depressive disorder, and other depressive disorders are treatable mental health disorders that are characterized by symptoms of sadness, emptiness, or irritable mood that affects a person’s body and mind, specifically the ability to function. Although researchers have identified several risk factors for depressive disorders, they can occur in anyone. Not everyone who experiences risk factors will develop a depressive disorder, but risk factors can play a role in its development. These risk factors include:^1,2,3,4,5

Genetics and heritability. Genes are not destiny, but a family history of depression is considered a risk factor. First-degree family members of individuals with major depressive disorder have a risk two- to four-times higher than the general population.
Biological factors and illness. This includes your physical health, such as having a serious illness like cancer, diabetes, or heart disease, as well as your levels of neurotransmitters (brain chemicals), which can become imbalanced and influence depression.
Stress, major life changes, and exposure to trauma. Any of these can be a risk factor, but particularly if you experienced them in childhood.
Taking certain medications. Some of the side effects of medications can cause or contribute to depressive symptoms.
Low socioeconomic status. While socioeconomic status can play a role at any point in your lifespan, it can be a particular risk factor early in life.
Using illicit substances or alcohol. Different substances can increase your risk of developing 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.
Irritability, frustration, or restlessness.
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 (insomnia) or sleeping more than usual (hypersomnia).
Changes in appetite with significant weight loss or weight gain (e.g., a change of more than 5% of body weight).
Having thoughts of self-harm, death, or suicide, or making suicidal attempts.
Aches, pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that aren’t easily explainable and do not improve with treatment.

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 (AUD) and depressive disorders; both disorders can exist together, each disorder increases the risk for the other disorder, and each disorder can worsen the other. ⁷Regardless 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. Call our admissions navigators today to discover your treatment options.

The pathways leading to the development of co-occurring AUD and a depressive disorder are complex and intertwined. Some individuals may be genetically susceptible to both. For others, symptoms of a depressive disorder can influence the development of an AUD. One possible contributor to cooccurrence is that people may alleviate symptoms of a depressive disorder with substances like alcohol. People who experience major depressive symptoms may start to rely on alcohol to ease their symptoms and feel better, but over time, this can develop into a full-blown alcohol use disorder. ¹⁰ Even in instances where a person doesn’t develop an AUD, self-medication may not be helpful long-term, as it is associated with increased psychiatric comorbidity, higher stress levels, and lower health-related quality of life.^3,10Research also has associated AUD with a risk not only for the onset of depressive symptoms but also depressive disorders.

It’s 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

It’s a vicious pairing that can be difficult to overcome, however, treatment can be effective.

Can Alcohol Make Depression Worse?

Yes, alcohol can exacerbate depression and depressive symptoms. In addition, a clinical review in the journal, Professional Psychology: Research and Practice explains that drinking can interfere with recovery from depression. Depressed study participants who were heavy drinkers displayed worse outcomes from depression treatment; furthermore, even mild to moderate amounts of alcohol appeared to worsen depression, with depressed patients who drank low levels of alcohol (less than 1 oz per day) experiencing worse outcomes from pharmacological treatments.¹³

Alcohol use disorders may be more prevalent in people who also have depression than they are in the general population. The occurrence of alcohol use disorder and a depressive disorder are associated with greater severity and a worse prognosis for both disorders.

How Long Does Alcohol-Induced Depression Last?

The duration of alcohol-induced depression can vary widely. Generally speaking, depressive symptoms associated with alcohol-induced depression have been shown to improve significantly after you’ve abstained from alcohol for a certain amount of time, typically 3-4 weeks in many cases.¹¹ However, research also suggests that substance-induced depression can turn into independent depression should symptoms of depression persist following cessation of alcohol or other substances of abuse.

Take Our “Am I an Alcoholic?” Self-Assessment

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 (AUD). 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.

Treatment for Co-Occurring Depression and Alcohol Use Disorder

Treatment often includes an integrated approach to simultaneously address both alcohol use disorder and depression..

Many treatments can help co-occurring depression and AUD. Some of these can include:^14,15,16

Detox. This is usually the first step in the recovery process followed by entry into a formal drug rehabilitation program. Detox helps you safely and comfortably withdraw from alcohol.
Antidepressants/Medications. You may receive antidepressants, which can help treat both the depression and some symptoms of AUD. In addition, you may receive naltrexone, a medication that helps people stop drinking and reduces depressive symptoms, disulfiram, which is used as an alcohol deterrent (it causes unpleasant symptoms if you drink alcohol), or acamprosate, which is used to help maintain abstinence from alcohol.
Behavioral therapies. These can include:
- Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). This helps you learn positive coping mechanisms to replace the thought and behavioral patterns that can contribute to or worsen AUD and depression.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (CBT). This is mainly used to help reduce self-harm and suicidal behavior.
- Behavioral Activation. This is a type of behavioral therapy that is effective for both AUD and depression. It involves developing an understanding of how negative life experiences and behaviors influence your mood and emotions and encourages you to take an active approach to increase your positive life experiences.
- Mutual support groups, which include 12-step groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and non-12-step groups like SMART Recovery. These groups are effective both as treatment and as aftercare for both AUD and depression. You’ll benefit from the support of others who know what it’s like to be in your shoes, which can lessen feelings of isolation and help you feel connected.

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Is there a way out of the vicious circle? For some, this condition passes quickly, for others it develops into a real illness - depression. In such cases, of course, the help of a specialist is needed, but most people still try to solve the problem on their own, which often only leads to the development of the disease.

Alcohol as a remedy for depression

One of the unacceptable treatments for depression is the use of alcohol. Under the influence of alcohol, people forget about all the problems, feel more confident, look at life with different eyes. But it must be remembered that the effect of alcohol ends sooner or later, and the feeling of despair after that only intensifies. In addition, alcohol negatively affects the nervous system, thereby exacerbating depression.

As a rule, if you do not control the dose of alcohol you drink, the “treatment” with alcohol will not be limited to one drink. Suffering once again from a hangover syndrome, complaining of weakness, malaise, headache, a depressed person tries to draw attention to himself, arouse pity and sympathy from the people around him. Not receiving, as it seems to him, due attention, he will again flood his suffering from misunderstanding with alcohol. Thus, a vicious circle is obtained, a way out of which can only be found by a specialist, that is, a psychologist.

In some cases, alcohol during depression can lead to tragic consequences. A drunken "sea is knee-deep", therefore a person who has had suicidal thoughts more than once in his head is capable of committing suicide while intoxicated.

Alcohol as a cause of depression

But is there an inverse relationship between alcohol and depression? Yes, alcohol also affects the occurrence of depression, as depression affects the development of alcoholism treatment. It is known that alcohol changes the chemical composition of the brain, and this contributes to the onset of depression. It is also known that people who regularly take high-grade drinks often have conflicts in the family and at work, memory deteriorates, problems appear in their sexual life, and all this is accompanied by stress, which in turn leads to depression.

It must be remembered that alcohol is not a solution. By encouraging yourself with alcoholic beverages, you not only run the risk of becoming addicted to alcohol, but also completely losing your taste for life.

There are many causes of depression: bad weather, problems at work or in your personal life, dissatisfaction with your figure, lack of creativity, etc.

It is best to prevent depression at the very beginning of its inception. First you need to believe that you control your emotions, not they control you.

Recipes for depression

How can you keep your spirits high and not get discouraged? Here are some recipes for depression:

Good lighting. Most often, depression catches us in the fall or winter. This is not at all strange: it is at these times of the year that we experience a lack of sunlight, which affects the mood. So do not save on light, try to make it brighter at work and at home.
Meeting with friends. A good company has never bothered anyone, the main thing is that it should be cheerful and be able to distract you from negative thoughts, setting you on a positive one. In the circle of close people you will not be sad and lonely.
Favorite occupation. Each of us has a favorite pastime: some like to draw, others like to read, others prefer to watch movies. Your main task is to escape from boredom and monotony. Therefore, feel free to pick up a pencil, your favorite book or sit down to watch your favorite movie. Just remember one thing - the movie or book must be fun (horror, dramas and thrillers are cancelled).
Change of scenery. It's never too late to try something new: rearrange your home or start a renovation. Believe me, even minor changes can help you look at life with different eyes. This applies to new activities, and even to a change in daily routine.
Physical activity. Go in for sports or just try to move more, even ordinary walking will do. As you know, small physical activity contributes to raising the mood and improving the figure.
Gift for yourself. Give yourself a nice gift, like treating yourself to your favorite food or shopping for clothes.
Another attitude to life. Try to look at life from the other side: take some things with humor, try to find something good in every situation, do not be vindictive and vindictive, do not envy, believe in yourself and remember that you are worthy of happiness.

There are so many interesting things in life that it is just a shame to spend it on despondency and sadness. Therefore, find joy in the little things more often, and do not forget that your happiness is in your hands.

The editors would like to thank the specialists of the medical center "AlcoMed" for their help in preparing the material.

References

Ng SY., Soh BS., Rodriguez-Muela N., Hendrickson DG., Price F., Rinn JL., Rubin LL. Genome-wide RNA-Seq of Human Motor Neurons Implicates Selective ER Stress Activation in Spinal Muscular Atrophy. // Cell Stem Cell - 2015 - Vol17 - N5 - p.569-84; PMID:26321202
Wang L., Wei F., Liu S., Wan Y., Chen N., Cui S., Zhong R., Huang Y. Can Modified Kurokawa's Double-Door Laminoplasty Reduce the Incidence of Axial Symptoms at Long-term Follow -up?: A Prospective Study of 152 Patients With Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy. // J Spinal Disord Tech - 2015 - Vol28 - N4 - p.E186-93; PMID:25611142
Aznar Lucea J. Umbilical cord blood banks. ethical aspects. Public versus private banks. // Cuad Bioet - 2013 - Vol23 - N78 - p.269-85; PMID:23130743

Can I drink alcohol when I'm depressed?

Alcohol is commonly referred to as a "depressant" and it would seem that depressed people should abstain from alcohol if they feel low. But, as life and pop culture often show us, many people turn to alcohol too often when trying to cope with pain, lack of feelings, anxiety, or other symptoms of depression. TONIC talked to scientists about whether people with depression can drink alcohol.

Why do depressed people drink?

According to the director of the American National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, George Cube, this form of self-treatment of depression is common, and perhaps even more so than is commonly believed. This is not strange or paradoxical behavior. As experts point out, alcohol is a complex and multifaceted substance, and simply calling it a depressant may not be right. Its short-term effects seem to alleviate episodes of depression. However, alcohol also has many short-term and long-term negative effects that can exacerbate depression, which largely outweigh the short-term subjective benefits.

“It's hard to figure out exactly how alcohol interacts with depression because there are so many forms of depression,” says Harvard Medical School psychiatrist Rocco Iannucci. - The question of how exactly different types of depression differ, and where the boundaries between them lie, remains vague and controversial. Depression pushes some people down - they have no energy, they lie in bed all the time, they don’t eat anything. Other people have more agitated depression.

Each person can seek their own unique solace, or respond in their own way to any kind of self-healing. However, alcohol has a wide range of effects on the mind and body. It does not appeal to everyone suffering from depression. But someone who is looking for relief from a variety of symptoms of depression can theoretically find something attractive in a couple of drinks.

Why does alcohol make me feel better when I'm depressed?

A major reason alcohol is attractive to many people, Cube points out, is that alcohol causes the release of feel-good neurotransmitters and blunts, at least temporarily, the feel-good neurotransmitters. It also suppresses activity in the part of the brain responsible for deep thinking and planning. For some people, it helps to disconnect from negative feelings that usually scrape somewhere on the fringes of consciousness, adds Susan Ramsey, professor of psychiatry and human behavior expert at the Warren Alpert School of Medicine. Negative memories and emotions may fade. As a result, many people experience relief from pain and complexes, a carefree euphoria - at least for a while.

A little alcohol can also unwind, helping people with social anxiety move past barriers that bother them, says Joseph Boden, an alcohol expert at the University of Otago in New Zealand. In anxious forms of depression, all experts interviewed point out that alcohol often relaxes the body and leads to early sleep. The quality of such sleep is poor, but for people suffering from depressive insomnia, this is usually not important.

There are general effects of the initial stages of alcohol consumption. But people experience them differently. “We don’t know why one person can get a greater burst of euphoria from drinking the same amount of alcohol than another with the same body type or metabolism,” Kube admits. (Although some research suggests that people who get high are also more likely to abuse alcohol.) All that scientists know is that the "antidepressive" qualities of alcohol are more attractive and "effective" for some depressed people than for others.

But this does not fully explain why so many depressed people turn to alcohol. People with anxiety depression may just want relaxation rather than the euphoria of a drink, while those who feel lethargic and lack of feeling may want the opposite. But each person may need a little bit of both. Sedatives like alprazolam may be better for the former, and drugs like cocaine for the latter, with more targeted physiological effects.

All interviewed experts note that, indeed, many people use other substances to cope with depression. But the peculiarity of alcohol is that it is legal in most countries of the world. You don't need a prescription for it, you don't need to look for a drug dealer. Plus, Boden points out, most people in drinking countries are more familiar with the effects of alcohol from adolescence than they might be familiar with the effects of controlled substances, and consider it safe and acceptable.

Cube, however, suspects that many people trying to cope with depression enjoy the fact that alcohol is a multifunctional agent that acts on many aspects, and at the same time works faster than other substances. This, in part, explains why alcohol consumption is common even in cultures where it is considered illegal - people are especially attracted to this particular substance.

Can alcohol make depression worse?

Unfortunately, for those who resort to alcohol to cope with depression, its various effects are a double-edged sword. Even at its peak, Boden points out, alcohol slows down mental processes, metabolism, breathing, and other functions. For some people, the symptoms of depression are exactly that, so they may feel that their condition is getting worse. These effects, the scientists suggest, may intensify after the initial peak of euphoria.

Also, when the blood alcohol level begins to drop (which Cube points out can happen fairly quickly after a person stops drinking), the body begins to experience a mini-withdrawal. It doesn't necessarily mean a bad hangover, Boden points out. Even after a small amount of alcohol, a person may experience - at least to some extent - mental and physiological symptoms that resemble a hangover.

The body begins to cope with the overload of the pleasure system. Moreover, neurotransmitters associated with stress begin to be released. The neurotransmitter dynorphin is also released, which makes a person feel disgusting. The intensity of this sudden reduction in pleasure and increase in stress, like other effects of alcohol, varies from person to person. But in someone who is experiencing an active phase of depression, they are likely to be increased. It's almost impossible to tell how long this "low" phase will last after drinking alcohol.

When a person goes from an initial withdrawal to an actual hangover, they experience the physical symptoms of dehydration and indigestion, says Iannucci. This, in most people, only adds to all the neurochemical problems, because, the scientist notes, if you do not feel good physically, it is unlikely that your mood will be better. This physical feeling of being unwell can make it difficult to control your depression on the day after alcohol - eat well, don't smoke, exercise.

The next morning after, a person will have to deal with what he usually regrets. When a person is depressed, he is vulnerable enough, notes Iannucci, that what was a small social failure yesterday can be hyperbolized in the mind. A person may think about this for a long time when the higher nervous functions become active again.

How does alcohol interact with antidepressants?

If a person is taking antidepressants, there is good evidence that an evening spent with alcohol will temporarily reduce their effectiveness. Combining alcohol with antidepressants such as monoamine oxidase inhibitors can cause negative side effects, such as an increase in blood pressure, which can only increase the overall feeling of stress and anxiety on the day after excessive drinking.

As already mentioned, alcohol is quite attractive to people who are depressed and looking for a quick relief. After a glass or two, many people feel better - for a couple of hours. But the long-term effects only increase the symptoms of many forms of depression, affect the pleasure centers, increase stress levels, and worsen the next day's physical condition. It doesn't help depression, Iannucci says, and it probably even makes it worse.

Unfortunately, some people with depression go into a vicious circle. Alcohol makes them feel worse and even more desperate for relief. So they drink alcohol again, hoping for its short-term antidepressant effect. And they are in trouble again. Not everyone with depression goes through this spiral, Cube says, but for some, the cycle will eventually develop into alcoholism. The person will become addicted to alcohol, which provides temporary relief, with increasingly severe withdrawal and more severe depressive episodes in the process.

Can I drink alcohol if I am depressed?

Addiction, Ramsey points out, can further alienate a person from his supportive environment and impair coping mechanisms, and this will further worsen depression. Addiction is also associated with an increased risk of suicide, and alcohol only spurs impulsivity and limited thought patterns.

With this in mind, Boden recommends that anyone suffering from depression simply abstain from alcohol. “I don’t think that any amount of it can be called safe,” he says. However, the scientist acknowledges how difficult it will be for many people, especially in places where alcohol is an important element of social bonding, to completely give up alcohol, even if they do not have addiction problems.

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