Mixing alcohol and depression

A night of drinking alcohol provides a brief period of relief to many people, but the morning after heavy drinking inevitably leads to a more depressed state of mind.

Depression is a significant global problem. The WHO estimates that 5% of all adults suffer from depression globally. There are strong links between drinking too much and suffering from depression in its myriad forms.

This blog aims to outline the poisonous and volatile relationship between depression and alcohol and hopes to equip people with the knowledge they need to avoid both.

How is depression defined?

Depression is an extremely broad and personal label applied to something most people have felt at one time or another. One definition of depression is “a negative state of low mood or displeasure for long periods of time.”

The DSM-5 classifies depression as a mood disorder laden with persistent feelings of sadness and a loss of interest.

Depression is not easy to define but is terribly easy to feel. It is pervasive, intrusive and can appear shrouded or masked. Not everything that appears good for us at first benefits us in the long run. Unhealthy food is one example; it causes immediate gratification for your taste buds, but you are not being nourished over sustained periods.

Time is a critical factor for defining depression, as it is understood as a distinct state separate from regular mood swings. Hobbies you used to enjoy become unappealing after long bouts of depression, which goes to show how depression exists as much in the mind as well as the body. Depression results in worsened mental health and, over time, makes a person more physically unhealthy.

Symptoms and causes of depression are extremely varied, and presenting you with every characteristic of depression would be like trying to pin down a hurricane. It is simply too personal to be easily and quickly defined. When making choices in your life to help combat depression, some activities certainly are more helpful than others.

We’re outlining what happens when a person who is depressed increases their alcohol intake and the dark relationship between the two.

Heading into drinking while depressed

For a depressed person (defined clinically or otherwise), heading into a period of increased alcohol intake is like playing with fire. A person who drinks while they are depressed could be doing it for any reason or without even realising they’re truly depressed in the first place.

They might have a quick feeling of: I feel a bit low. I’ll ask my mate to come for a pint, then shrug off any warning or guidance they’ve read online about how one can fuel the other.

It might help to think of the two extremes of a depressed person drinking. Drinking without recognising depression and drinking to self-medicate.

• Drinking when you haven’t completely recognised you are depressed: It can easily be the case that a depressed person drinks alcohol without being fully aware of the risks they’re running. On many occasions, we drink for innocuous reasons and drinking to celebrate is as prevalent as drinking to commiserate. This state is quite different from drinking to self-medicate, as the intent isn’t necessarily there.
• Choosing alcohol as a form of self-medication: When a person chooses alcohol as the key to unlocking and then removing their depressed state, darker results often follow fleeting feelings of comfort. This is drinking with an ominous purpose, and self-medicating is always fraught with danger.

How alcohol interacts with depression

Now we’ve laid two opposite ways a depressed person might drink (self-medicated or not), there are likely to be dire consequences for a person who drinks excessively while depressed. A dual diagnosis of alcoholism and depression is extremely volatile, so let’s consider what happens when they mix.

What happens chemically when alcohol and depression mix?

In terms of medical disorders, alcohol use disorders and depressive disorders are two of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders in the world. Alcohol interacts with your brain’s natural reward system and often makes you feel happy or euphoric as you drink it.

That happiness is usually illusory and temporary, as the body eventually purges alcohol from the system. Alcohol is a depressant, so deep bouts of depression are likely to be exacerbated and intensified by heavy drinking.

How does this mixture affect my overall well-being?

The poisonous relationship between alcohol and depression might be better understood through a more holistic lens. A person who drinks a lot will suffer a lot of hangovers. Sometimes referred to as “hangxiety,” this basically means that the morning after drinking is going to take a massive hit. You become much more easily irritated and stressed, meaning depression comes on more easily.

When you’re hungover, your physical and mental health are impaired. Alcohol clouds the brain and damages decision-making, so regularly drinking can stop you from being able to seek help effectively.

Recognising the vicious cycle of alcohol and depression

The feeling of hopelessness that often comes to a person caught in the clutches of alcohol addiction intensifies depression. While going through a hangover, your impaired state can make you feel as though you need to resign from the day and relinquish your responsibilities and tasks. It’s easy to see how this makes someone feel more depressed.

While drinking, alcohol also lowers your inhibitions, which might mean that as you drink, emotions and feelings you’ve been holding in may come flooding out. This experience is different for different people, but most people do feel themselves releasing emotions through drinking. This might make a person feel regretful for losing control while drinking and then recollecting the memory the next day.

Both of these examples serve to show how drinking can lead to depression, and this depressed state might then increase the desire for alcohol again as a coping mechanism for their negative state. When this cycle begins to spin, we must act.

I want the depression I feel through alcohol out of my life

If you’ve recognised a part of yourself or a loved one in this article, knowing that there’s genuine support out there can come as a relief. Being depressed and drinking too much can lead to dire consequences if action doesn’t come at the right time.

Here at UKAT, our alcohol detox programmes are designed to help you or a loved one regain control of their lives. We understand the physical and mental challenges found in addiction and we know the path to recovery.

If you’re concerned for yourself or a loved one suffering from alcohol addiction, reach out to us. We’re only one decision away from helping you toward a healthier, sober life.