Alcohol and Depression: How to Treat Co-Occurring Issues

These are life events that result in a variety of feelings, with sadness being a significant factor for them. Several medications and behavioral treatments can help with both depression and AUD. Sometimes it’s difficult to determine the cause-and-effect dynamic between alcohol and depression. People with AUD and depression often experience the most symptom relief when they receive treatment for both disorders at the same time.

On the other hand, both conditions also share certain risk factors, such as genetics and social isolation. Having either depression or alcohol use disorder increases your risk of developing the other condition. It can be tempting to drink if you’re feeling unhappy, but there’s a better solution out there.

1. Drinking too much alcohol is a risk factor for new and worsening depression.
2. 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.
3. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that 9 out of 10 adult binge drinkers don’t have a severe alcohol use disorder, but that doesn’t mean alcohol isn’t a problem for them.
4. But does regular drinking lead to depression, or are people with depression more likely to drink too much alcohol?
5. TMS uses magnetic pulses to stimulate parts of the brain to increase neurotransmitter production, similar to how medications are intended to act.

The authors reason that previous findings may be due to the confounding and bias that are pitfalls of traditional statistical methods and would be better addressed by MSM. The subgroup reporting risky drinking also had modestly increased depression. For example, a person with frequent episodes of severe depression may turn to drinking to self-medicate.

If you experience symptoms of depression for most of the day, every day, for a few weeks, the NHS advises you to contact your GP surgery to get help. And if you’re worried about your drinking, there are alcohol support services that can help. Similarly, the majority of alcoholics admit to experiencing periods of nervousness, including at least 40 percent who have had one or more intense panic attacks characterized by a brief episode of palpitations and binge drinking: what it does to your body shortness of breath (Kushner et al. 1990). Some of those studies did not identify the substance included in their studies, making the outcomes to all types of abused substances unsupportive in that area. Additionally, only SSRI was examined in combination with medications for alcohol dependence. Consequently, this drives the requirement for future studies that examine other anti-depressants with a different mechanism of action in this clinical setting.

Depression Classifications

Cognitive-behavioral therapy for depression (CBT-D) has also shown promising outcomes. Additionally, combined anti-depressants (mainly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors [SSRI]) combined with alcohol dependence medication (naltrexone) can improve treatment outcomes. Both depression and alcohol use disorder are treatable medical conditions. Some people may feel unsure about seeing a doctor, but the right treatment can ease symptoms and help a person live a better, happier life. A 2019 review reveals that depressive disorders are the most common mental health disorders in people with AUD.

Drinking Alcohol While Depressed

For example, alcohol may temporarily reduce anxiety and lower inhibitions. Almost 30 percent of Americans will experience alcohol use disorder at some point in their lifetimes. Depression may even cause people to begin consuming large amounts of alcohol. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that 9 out of 10 adult binge drinkers don’t have a severe alcohol use disorder, but that doesn’t mean alcohol isn’t a problem for them.

Risks of Alcohol/Antidepressant Interactions

Bad sleep can easily affect your mood the next day, since exhaustion and lingering physical symptoms can make it tough to concentrate. It’s often a lifelong commitment, but one that can improve your life, health, and well-being in the long term. Kennedy suggests that treatment options can vary depending on the severity of your condition. Or you might attend an intensive inpatient group a few times each week. Depression can also be directly caused by alcohol in the case of a substance-induced disorder. Individuals diagnosed with clinical depression should be extremely cautious when it comes to using substances such as alcohol.

You might feel depressed after drinking because alcohol itself is a depressant. The more you drink, however, the more likely your emotional state will begin plummeting back down. Excessive alcohol drinking can also cause problems socially, such as issues with family, school, employment, and friends. This could have a carryover effect on depression since loneliness and lack of social support are linked to depression. Another way that depression could lead someone to drink alcohol is through changes in their brain as a result of depression. These changes can heighten the physiological “rewards” of alcohol and increase the likelihood that they will continue their pattern of drinking.

This can look different for everybody, as some find support in attending religious services, spending time in nature, or exploring one’s own connection to the world around them. Methods used in psychotherapy aim to help individuals identify and change harmful behavioral and thought patterns. Reactive depression, also referred to as psychological depression, is the traditional representation of what a major depressive episode may be.

Mutual-help groups also can be effective elements of treatment for co-occurring AUD and depressive disorders. Many who struggle with alcohol use disorder (AUD), commonly known as alcohol hallucinogens effects, addiction potential and treatment options addiction, may also find themselves struggling with co-occurring mental health disorders. It is characterized by feelings of intense sadness and can last for months or even years.

You might consider joining a 12-step program like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or a non-12-step group like SMART recovery. Drinking can seem like an easy way to cope with difficult emotions in the moment, but it’s generally not effective in the long run. Taking action to manage negative emotions as you experience them can help keep them from getting too overwhelming.

Several studies, including a 2013 study that used a nationally representative sample, have found that people who drink to manage a psychiatric condition are more likely to abuse alcohol. Around age 22, Tietz started drinking alcohol — and by the end of that year, she drank alcohol every day. By the time she reached age 25, she could barely get out of bed in the morning due to her depression. There are many different classifications of depressive disorders as symptoms can manifest in many ways, leading to different diagnoses and treatment options. Alcohol misuse 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 therapist.