The Relationship Between Alcohol and Depression

A man struggles with alcohol and depressionAlthough alcohol is a depressant, it doesn’t necessarily make people sad. For instance, some people drink and become friendly extroverts. Addiction experts categorize alcohol as a depressant because of its sedative effects. However, if someone develops an alcohol dependence, they’re more likely to struggle with depression. Depression isn’t a mood, it’s a mental illness. Unfortunately, alcohol addiction exacerbates it. More specifically, what’s the connection between alcohol and depression?

The Link Between Alcohol and Depression

Some people drink to cope with stress. Drinking lowers overall inhibition, so they may feel less anxious after having a drink or two.

Knowing if alcohol causes depression or if depression causes alcoholism isn’t easy to conclude. When a person develops a drinking dependence to deal with life’s hardships, serious problems ensue.

Trying to drink your troubles away never works. Keep in mind, once you sober up, your problems remain. To make things worse, alcohol dependency is just another problem you’ll have to deal with.

Drinking alcohol actually increases depression symptoms which include:

Why Alcohol Won’t Help Your Depression

Initially, you might feel better when drinking. Therefore, you might think alcohol is helping your depression. However, depression is a mental illness, and alcohol abuse isn’t a method for treating it. Besides increasing symptom severity, abusing alcohol can decrease the effectiveness of antidepressants. You may also find yourself experiencing suicidal thoughts when dealing with alcohol and depression.

Instead of turning to addictive substances that won’t help you battle depression, you should look for treatment that helps you overcome addiction. Then, you’ll be in a better position to tackle your depression with the necessary therapy, counseling, or medication.

It doesn’t matter which came first. What matters is not falling victim to the belief that drinking alcohol helps depression. Above all, you need real assistance to battle your addiction.

We’re Here for You

At 1st Step Behavioral, we provide long-term treatment that addresses your unique needs. Our trained staff works hard to promote a caring atmosphere where you’ll feel welcome. We’ll assign you to a primary care therapist who’ll partner with you throughout the course of your recovery.

Our substance abuse and addiction treatment programs include:

Inpatient and outpatient rehab

To prepare you for life after recovery, we’ll help you develop crucial life skills for a better future. For example, you’ll learn how to manage your time, and we’ll even give you grocery shopping tips to help you make healthy selections.

Furthermore, our dual diagnosis treatment works to help you cope with anxiety and depression symptoms. Once you address these problems and see the relationship between alcohol and depression you’ll be in a better position to leave addiction behind.

Getting the necessary help is always possible. Are you ready to start your recovery? Then call us today at (855) 425-4846.

Take the First Step Today

We can help you get better. Contact us today to find out which program might be right for you, or to begin the process of arranging for treatment.

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