Alcohol makes Depression even worse
Unfortunately, one of the biggest causes of people drinking too much alcohol is as a way of coping with depression. The unfortunate thing is, that as a solution it’s probably the worst there is, because alcohol itself causes further depression.
It directly reduces the levels of Serotonin in the brain – this is the neurotransmitter that anti-depressant drugs like Prozac (an SSRI) increase your levels of.
Only when you cut down your drinking will you be able to feel any happier. But once you’ve cut down, how do you stop the cycle beginning again? You have to deal with your depression some other way…
Read this report from the Mental Health Foundation on the effects of Alcohol on Mental Health, it explains in more depth the link between alcohol and depression.
(if you don’t have Adobe Acrobat installed to read this pdf, get it from the Adobe Website)
I believe that alcohol can raise the levels of serotonin just for a little while (just right after drinking), but in a short while it happens just like it was said in this article. But Prosac shouldn’t be used in the treatment of alcohol addicted people since it’s an addictive substance and for people who have some predisposition to addiction can Prosac become a substance for abuse instead of alcohol.
Hi my name is kenny , I am 44 years old I have been having serious bouts of depression since I was 16 , I have been on fluoxitine again for the last 6 months , this has been the worst bout of depression I have had in years , this time the anxiety seems a whole lot worst too , could this have something to do with me drinking to much , if so should I quit ? Many thanks – Kenny.
Hi Kenny, I was on fluoxitine for 8 months last year – i had some CBT counselling through my then employer’s occ health too – I completely stopped drinking as the tablets advised and felt much better for it.
My main problem since is my friend’s (plural) failure to understand that depression or mental health issues do not just go away when you come off the medication. Yes i feel better than I did but i am not cured! I never want to feel that bad again and if avoiding alcohol can minimise the low moods when they hit then I am all for that – it hurts that they feel I am being boring if I don’t drink when I am out but I need to look after myself. Yes I do miss it sometimes but i don’t miss feeling rubbish…Try quitting, what have you got to loose? Take care, Liz