Alcohol and Depression: How They Impact Mental Health

Hulse and Tait (2002) evaluated the efficacy of a brief motivational intervention among psychiatric patients who reported drinking at hazardous levels prior to hospitalization. The patients were randomized to either the motivational-intervention condition or a psychoeducational condition when discharged from does alcohol make depression worse an inpatient hospitalization. At a 6-month follow-up, patients in the motivational-intervention condition reported a significantly greater reduction in weekly alcohol consumption compared with the psychoeducational group. Technically speaking, alcohol is classified as a central nervous system (CNS) depressant.

Emotional Numbing

Though depression is experienced by many, it can often go undiagnosed and untreated. You don’t have to battle the depression alone and relying on alcohol to make you feel better will only cause further pain. Reach out to a mental health professional to talk about treatment and strategies for dealing with https://ecosoberhouse.com/ depression.

How Does Alcohol Make Depression Worse?

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 struggle with depression or any other mental illness, talk to a mental health professional today. From there, alcohol quickly enters the bloodstream causing the blood vessels to widen for increased blood flow. This is responsible for the redness and flushing that occurs with drinking, as well as an artificial feeling of warmth. Both alcohol use disorder and depression are treated simultaneously.

How alcohol can make depression symptoms worse

Alcohol may provide a temporary escape from emotional pain, but its long-term effects often intensify mental health struggles. Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, meaning it impairs the brain’s ability to process emotions and regulate mood. For people with depression or anxiety, alcohol can heighten feelings such as sadness, hopelessness, and nervousness over time. Fortunately, several alcoholism treatment important ongoing studies will help answer some remaining questions regarding the treatment of coexisting depressive or anxiety disorders in the context of alcoholism. The COGA investigation will gather more data regarding potential alcoholic subtypes and will continue to explore possible genetic linkages between alcohol dependence and major depressive and major anxiety disorders.

So if the person has been trying to keep their challenging emotions at bay, such as anger or sadness, it’s possible those feelings can come flooding in when the person drinks. When a person uses alcohol to cope with depression, they risk developing an alcohol use disorder alongside their depression. Self-medicating with alcohol, particularly in individuals with depression, significantly increases the risk of developing co-occurring disorders, which require simultaneous treatment for effective recovery. If one is on antidepressants, there is also fair evidence that a night of drinking will temporarily reduce their effectiveness, the experts I’ve spoken to agree.

• This integrated approach tailors treatment to your unique needs, supporting whole-person healing.
• It’s not always clear if depression makes you drink or vice versa.
• In the context of what we are exploring here, it’s when a person drinks alcohol with the goal of medicating their feelings.
• Depression and alcohol use disorder (AUD) are the most commonly diagnosed co-occurring disorders.
• In particular, she’s committed to helping decrease stigma around mental health issues.
• So if the person has been trying to keep their challenging emotions at bay, such as anger or sadness, it’s possible those feelings can come flooding in when the person drinks.

Give Now to Support Women and Families Healing from Addiction

Individuals diagnosed with clinical depression should be extremely cautious when it comes to using substances such as alcohol. According to Kennedy, for those taking antidepressants, combining them with alcohol can reduce their efficacy. Much will depend on what’s going on in your life, including your history with alcohol and other variables. But just as sure as the sun rose, the depression was still there. At some point, it dawned on Mike that his use of alcohol might be unhealthy.

How Does Alcohol Affect the Brain?

Brief alcohol interventions can address ambivalence directly by asking patients about both the pros and cons of their current drinking levels. Decision-making models suggest that expectations about the effects of behavior change determine, in large part, whether a decision to change is made (Sutton, 1987). Other research has demonstrated a prospective relationship between depression and heavy alcohol use. For example, Aalto-Setala, Marttunen, Tuulio-Henriksson, Poikolainen, and Lonnqvist (2002) found that depressive symptoms among high school students predicted problem drinking in early adulthood. In a population study, Wang and Patten (2001) found that depressed women were at greater risk than nondepressed women of becoming frequent heavy drinkers.