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Friday, July 23, 2010

The Relationship Between Depression And Alcohol

It quite unfortunate that many people around the world do not know that there is a relationship between alcohol and depression.Part of the problem with alcohol, as it relates to depression, is that it is difficult for some to have just one drink. Another concern is that depressed people often times want to drink their troubles away only to find the next day that their troubles not only still exist but have taken a turn for the worse. Mostly men try to drink a lot in order to avoid depression but they do not know that alcohol makes worse and provokes symptoms of this nervous disease.

So what is the mechanism that makes alcohol so unpredictable

According to some experts, alcohol might biologically play a significant role on triggering depression. This is a conclusion they have arrived after empirical evidence suggests that alcohol affects the human brain's chemistry. Sometimes alcohol can have a direct effect on the brain's serotonin levels. Serotonin happens to be the neurotransmitter linked directly to depression.

Alcohol may have physical effects, which may deepen the depression. Alcohol inhibits the the part of the brain that controls the motor skills of the body. The same thing happens to the brain's abilities regarding coordination and balance.

Alcohol clouds the rational thinking. This can cause frustration as well as low mood since the person struggles to cope with these effects. People sometimes feel sleepy and ultimately pass out due to the depressive effects of the alcohol on their systems.

Depression experts also note that alcohol consumers who're depressed often decide to go for an 'alcoholic solution' when they consider this as a self-medicating option. These people actually look for the superficial pleasing feelings that come through intoxication. This is like pouring fuel to put out a fire.

Once these feelings pass out, alcohol may suppress the drinkers' mood. They start feeling tired, irritable as well as disoriented. This might feed into the almost unbreakable depression cycle, as the drinkers might also start feeling guilty of their uncurbed drinking motive.

1 comment:

  1. I recently read about a study that showed that depressed people who are taking antidepressants and drinking alcohol on regular basis are in danger of becoming more severely depressed. Many people are not aware of this danger because antidepressants are often sold without clear warning of their harmful interaction with alcohol. For this reason it would be important to treat possible alcohol problem before starting to take antidepressants. To read more about this topic see this article: http://www.brain-depression.com/science-of-depression/49-depression-and-alcohol.html

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