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Alcohol addiction and depression
Alcohol, good or bad? Alcohol can actually be termed as a drug. When used wisely, it can also be termed as a medicine. So, giving a name of good or bad is not so specific for alcohol. Containing the properties of a harmful spirit, the relation between alcohol and your brain is not to be neglected. Persistent and excessive usage of alcohol is believed to hamper your brain and reduce its capacity to function properly.
Doses of alcohol are used by many of the people, especially teenagers for handling their sorrows and life problems. However, in many of the cases, this habit of using small doses of alcohol leads to alcohol abuse. By alcohol abuse, we mean the usage of alcohol not as a material but as a necessity. You become addicted to alcohol. Here is where the question “Is alcohol a depressant?” comes out.
So, what’s behind the question? Is alcohol a depressant or does depression leads to alcohol abuse. Any of the situations can occur first. By this we become clear that persistent and excessive use of alcohol acts as a depressant which leads to abnormal thinking, bad decisions, failure in any activity and so on.
As already stated, alcohol can be termed as a drug. However, some of the people change the word drug to medicine. The relation of alcohol to depression most of the times, depends on the people using it.
Alcohol can be related to depression in one of the two ways. Either you are depressed so you are using alcohol excessively which further worsens the case. Or you have the habit of drinking too much because of which you become depressed by the excessive usage of alcohol. The latter case is what we are interested in. If you are already depressed, consulting a good psychiatrist is what you need instead of searching for alcohol. In case you have the habit of consuming alcohol too much, all you need to do is to try and avoid the excessive usage of alcohol. Understanding the impacts of alcohol on your daily life and your career and acting accordingly is the cure.
Will drinking alcohol improve your previous depression?
Frequently asked question by most of the people. Don’t know where you heard of it but really, it’s no good myth. For a fraction of time, drinking alcohol seems to make you calm and forget your sorrow. However, for the long run, your depression worsens. Normally, depressed people are more likely to consume more because of their issues with life or similar other problems. After a certain dose, alcohol is assumed to make people stressed and anxious. Because of this, they even think of suicides and harming oneself.
How is alcohol a depressant?
Why do you experience such type of high when you consume alcohol? Why it seems that you are stressed free when you consume alcohol? Consumption of alcohol alters the neurotransmitters that control behaviors and emotion. Thus, for a small amount of time, you may feel like the emotion you were feeling i.e. depression is no longer with you as consumption of alcohol hinders your emotion.
Alcohol also releases dopamine in your brain. What is dopamine? It’s a chemical that helps to enhance pleasure and similar emotions to your brain. When created appropriately, dopamine release has lots of positive effects. But what alcohol does is, along with dopamine release, it alters other brain chemicals which enhance the feeling of depression in the long run.
How much alcohol am I consuming?
You may be drinking lots of beer or you may be addicted to Whiskey or it is winter so you may be attached with rum. So, what amount are you consuming with all these variations?
Drinks Alcohol Percentage
Vodka 45-60
Beer 2-8
Rum 40-50
Gin 40-50
Whiskey 45-50
Brandy 40-60
Is there anything I can do to control?
The best solution would be to join a rehab. If you are depressed because of alcohol, the amount you are consuming is probably more than normal. In such cases, rehab would be the best option. However, if rehab is not currently your choice, some tips would come handy.
- If it is too hard for you to avoid, always make your mind on how much you will drink. Try limiting the amount slowly.
- Practice yoga and exercises instead of using alcohol.
- If already depressed, consult with a psychologist rather than taking the help of alcohol.
- Occupy yourself with other drinks like juices, soft drinks or water.
