Alcohol And Depression

The relationship between alcohol and depression is very clear and care may need to be given for both problems at the same time to get better.

For people who are alcohol dependent, alcohol can have a toxic effect on their serotonin neurotransmitters . Alcohol increases depressive symptoms, increasing both their frequency and severity.

While alcohol can produce a pleasant and relaxed state of mind for a short time, it is safe to say that alcohol contributes to the development of depression.

Up to 40 per cent of people who drink heavily have symptoms that resemble a depressive illness.

Research shows that people who have alcohol problems before and after age 60 have the highest rates of depression. It has also been suggested that the existence of alcohol problems ealier in life predicts the onset of depression in later life.

The newest research has shed some light on the way alcohol affects the brain. We now know that some of the systems in your body that are involved in producing the symptoms of low mood, anxiety, poor sleep and reduced appetite in depression are also affected by alcohol in the same way. This is one explanation of why alcohol can cause depression.

Sometimes you can't tell which came first, the alcohol problem or the depression. The important thing to understand is that when you have both of these problems, the sooner you get treatment, the better.

Either problem can make the other worse and lead to bigger troubles. You need to be honest about both problems - first with yourself and then with someone who can help you get help. It's the only way to really get better and stay better.

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