Drinking and Depression

Research suggests that alcohol changes the brain’s chemistry to increase the risk of depression, and increases anxiety and depression in those who already have a problem.

Drinking can lead to several mental health problems besides depression, such as dementia (memory loss), psychosis, hearing voices, obsessive-compulsive disorder, self-harm and eventually suicide.

Drinking Alcohol and Depression: The Health Facts

Researchers have also found that people with a current alcohol abuse problem were almost five times as likely to have an antisocial personality disorder.

Studies in the UK show that 39% of men and 8% of women who attempted suicide were chronic problem drinkers. Furthermore, alcohol had been consumed before 70% of attempted suicides by men and 40% of attempted suicides by women.

Depression usually decreases within a few weeks of stopping drinking. Major depression is worsened by the quantity of alcohol consumed per session, especially for women, according to studies.

Drinking Alcohol and Depression

"Depression is most strongly related to a pattern of binge drinking," said Kathryn Graham, senior scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. "Those who usually drink less than two drinks per occasion and never drink as much as five drinks are less depressed.”

Graham added that clinical depression may encourage some women to drink large amounts of alcohol in hopes of numbing depressed feelings, with risks of alcohol abuse and dependence. “Therefore, clinicians treating women for depression really need to be concerned about women's use of alcohol, because of the risks that women may try to medicate their moods with alcohol," she said.

Binge drinking is anything over 8 units in a day for men, or 6 units for women. A unit is a small glass of wine or half a pint of beer.

Drinking Alcohol and Depression: Alcohol and Crime

Research shows that alcohol intoxication greatly increases your chances of becoming a victim of a violent crime, or of perpetrating one. In 41% of contact crimes including muggings, domestic violence and assaults, the offender had been drinking. In the UK, 61% of violent facial injuries take place when either the victim or attacker had been drinking alcohol.

Intoxicated people may be more likely to be victimised because they engage in more risk-taking behaviours, are more likely to be out at night and to frequent places where violence is likely, and may be unaware of subtle cues of misbehaviour or behave in a confrontational way. They also often have reduced thinking/problem-solving abilities that impair their abilities to deflect or avoid violence.

"In short, intoxicated people go places and do things that their sober counterparts would not," said investigator Gary M. McClelland.

Do you suffer from depression or alcoholism? Or is your partner, mother or sibling suffering from depression and alcoholism? Share your thoughts, views and experiences on depression and alcoholism with other users using the Comment on this Article box below. Plus, to keep up to date with all the latest menopause health news and lots more health tips on diet, healthy eating and more, sign-up for the monthly KeeptheDoctorAway Newsletter below.

Read More

Understanding Alcohol: Find out more about alcohol and its affects on the body.

Alcoholism - The Signs: Find out what to look for to see if someone you know is an alcoholic.

Alcohol: The Health Dangers: Understand the Health risks involved with heavy drinking.

Alcohol & Driving: Know your limits.

Drinking & Depression: Understand how drinking can cause depression in certain people.

Alcohol and Pregnancy: Information and advice on how much you can drink when pregnant and the health effects.

Alcohol & Family Life: How drinking can affect your family life, plus information on teenage drinking.