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)
Hi I think I’m depressed n stuck in basically a third world country while I’m depressed so basically it all started when I was young living in the UK (born n bred in the UK n proud)a young hyper lad who was known for being a ladys man nd never backing down from a fight n being the main guy of a crew of about 20 lads my father being a gangster like figure in the Asian community was known for helping his ethnic families so the time came for me to get married when I was 20 which is normal considering some youngsters get married when they r 16 (yeh what a shite tradition) your brains not functioning rite n they decide for you to find you a wife anyway my dad takes me to a family friend of his who I don’t know at all n shows me a glimpse of my wife as we are sitting at the house talking to her brother when she brings in the tea n to be honest I don’t see her well as we leave my father looks very happy because it is good for the family if I marry from her he asks me what I think and I’m thinking n he sez its a good house n there nice n the girls this n that (usual bullshit) n I agree like a tit n marry her later I realise she comes from a stupid background who has thieving criminal brothers n feared very well not I give a Fuck to em anyway I sleep with her she gets pregnant we go bk to the UK n I start thinking shit wat have I done n don’t talk to her for 2 years n have a boy who I love more than anything but hate his mum n think of a women who I realy loved in my hay day when I was 16 now am 26 then my father tries to sort things up n be nice to me since he only gave shit to me previously all ny life (once kicked me in on my ass in middle school infront of the school friends for fighting n I cried like a bitch lol) anyway I started drinking takin cocaine n I got caught with it n which was only for personal use but my father tricked me in to going to our grandparents house in Pakistan for my rehabilitation n sed I would end up in prison for possessing cocaine with intent to supply n I new its all bullshit Yeh what for 5 grams first offence any way cut the long story short I went like a tit n have been stuck here ever since cry all the time on my own like a sad cunt I miss my real country the real UK the food the cold weather the fish the roads n pubs n the Wat not but I realy hate every 1 my mum dad wife n fink wen I go back am gona Fuck u all wen I get my chance but I really love my kids 2 boys n wifes having a daughter in a month n my dad sez I will go back wen my daughter gets her passport like my second son but I just hate him so much n every time a friend of mine comes over with UK wisky I drink and think why me n cry so much and think of the good times I had with my friends could I BEE DEPRESSED I KNOW I WILL GO BACK THOUGH ALTHOUGH BEEN HERE 4 YEARS HELP PLZi
every time drink alcohol at my mum and dad’s my life stops working.
i’ve been drinking quite recently. and i’ve been drinking alot. you know i drink and it’s depressing again, and it’s not fun. and i get up to all sorts of stupid mischief which i shouldn’t do and i end up being talked about in staff and family team meetings when i do it. you know it just offends people who i like. theres triggers to things that make me go off and get pissed, and theres triggers to stuff that it makes me a bit nasty, violent and dangerous againest other people, and i know when that’s happening. i’m not looking for perfection at all, cos i’ll never get it. i’m just looking for a best way for me to live my life. all i know is that i can’t really get drunk. that’s what i know!!!!
Never had that, but in th uk they don’t see alcohol as th major problem. Mine has been an isue since 2002. Depression follows, I only keep it under control secretively, no one knows, I simply can’t let the family know, but this helps.
I have been suffering with using alcohol since I was young and this year took an overdose which lead me to be prescribed Effexor/Venlafaxine. Since then my drinking increased, I have been done for drink driving and have had a serious fall resulting in a serious facial injury.
Whilst looking up Effexor I have found numerous sites that state Effexor actually GIVES you cravings for alcohol and can in fact make 1 glass of wine the eqivilant to 3 glasses. A lot of people have stated it gave them a drink problem when they never had one before.
I am now very worried and confused as to why I have been presecribed this if this is the case and am wondering if you had heard anything in regards to this?
Thanks
Hi liz and thomas , im now a year and 2 months on prozac but have only started to admitto myself that i need to stop drinking its only my second night off it so wish me luck guys .
nice sentament thomas hope you have a boy ( sorry liz ) lol.
keep me posted cheers to you both .
god bless .
Kenny .
HEY Kenny & liz i totaly understand how you both feel.I went through the same problem as you both did.I have to say quiting alcahol was the best advised my girl friend(alvina) gave me.Just know after I quit I’m thinking of having a baby and start looking out for my family.To tell you both the truth if its a boy i will name it Kenny & if its a girl I’ll name Liz because i’m happy that there are other out there just like me.
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
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.
Prozac is not addictive. It takes a long time to leave the bloodstream, so its effects linger a long time after the last dose is taken. Quite different from anti-depressants like Paxil or Effexor, which are perhaps what the above writer meant. These drugs are metabolized very fast and could be called “addictive” in the sense that you’ll go through withdrawal symptoms if you forget a dose. On the other hand, you won’t become tolerant of them so you won’t need ever-higher doses, and they won’t give you “cravings”, just a purely physical reaction to their withdrawal.