Alcohol and Depression: 5 Important Facts
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Alcohol consumption is a
common thing for most adults.
While some do not have any
problems with drinking, this
could be a warning sign for
others, especially when it
comes to their mental health.
Alcohol and depression are
often connected regardless of
which one comes before the
other. This is because people
who feel depressed often turn
to the effects of alcohol to
escape their problems and
emotions.
A coping mechanism like this,
however, makes one
dependent on alcohol and
perpetuates a vicious cycle of
drinking and further
depression. Here are five
important things to note when
discussing how alcohol can
increase depression and what
can be done about it.
Alcohol may worsen depression.
Many people turn to alcohol when
they feel sad or depressed. They
fixate themselves on the
temporary relief that alcohol gives
them, allowing them to forget
their problems in the meantime.
However, while it might be
able to improve the way you
feel in the short term, what
people who suffer from
depression don’t realize is that
this could actually worsen the
depression that they are
experiencing in the long run.
Drinking alcohol can lead to
more and frequent severe
episodes. Apart from this,
drinking can also increase
thoughts of suicide.
Alcohol makes antidepressants
less effective.
Alcohol and antidepressants are
a bad combination for both your
mental and physical well-being.
Alcohol can easily counteract
your antidepressant medication
and instead cause harmful side
effects.
It will make you drowsy all the
time and affect your judgment
and body coordination. Overall,
drinking alcohol while on
antidepressants is even more
dangerous than alcohol intake
alone.
As such, consuming alcohol
and depression treatment,
when done together, can never
work. The former defeats the
purpose of the latter.
Drinking and depression lead
to a vicious cycle of alcohol
dependency.
Since alcohol worsens
depression, t