It is often the case that alcohol abuse and depression tend to be two conditions that can very frequently occur together, creating a cycle that can be very damaging in many ways if the problem is not addressed and treated in the right way.
Breaking that cycle may well mean getting help at a drug and alcohol rehab center and this sort of positive action in treating alcohol misuse and depression should help improve both conditions simultaneously.
Here is a look at how alcohol and depression regularly coexist and the issues that this scenario can cause.
Depression
The first thing to say about depression is that it is a very common problem that affects an estimated 300 million people worldwide according to the World Health Organization.
It is believed that alcohol can often be seen as a form of self-medication for some people who are experiencing a bout of depression. The initial impact of drinking alcohol is that it may seem to provide some brief respite against the depression, helping to make you feel less anxious and taking your mind away from your problems for a short period.
Of course, this is not actually treating the depression and even though individuals with health conditions will invariably seek out alcohol in the hope that it acts as a treatment the reality is somewhat different.
It is a bit of an ever-decreasing cycle as people who drink regularly have a greater tendency to be depressed. Drinking excessively can exarcebate the symptoms of depression and lead to even heavier drinking.
The end result is that alcohol misuse and depression can conspire together to put you in a situation where you eventually need to break the cycle with some professional help.
What is the root cause of alcohol misuse and depression?
One that is still pretty unclear, despite plenty of studies, is whether you can say which comes first, alcohol misuse or depression?
One of the reasons why studies are inconclusive is that because we are all individuals we all handle mental health and addictive tendencies in a slightly different way.
There are some pointers such as bening genetically predisposed to being vulnerable to depressive or alcohol problems.
It could also be that your personality and how you view life may influence whether you suffer from depression. We can’t all be happy every day and some might slide into depression more easily than others.
Finding a way forward
Based on the general conception that depression and alcohol misuse are closely linked to each other it makes sense to take the view that if you treat one of these conditions it will lessen the impact of the other at the same time.
It is perfectly feasible that a medical professional will look to treat both conditions at the same time in order to find the most effective and quickest solution.
Working on the basis that alcohol can make depression symptoms worse, it may be that antidepressants are prescribed.
In addition, rehab might be necessary to bring a dependency on alcohol under control.
Understanding that there is a definite link between alcohol and depression will help to put you on a path that improves your chances of conquering these two debilitating problems once and for all.
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