Alcohol and Depression

Facts that Contradict this Belief

depression help

DO I DRINK BECAUSE I AM DEPRESSED?
OR AM I DEPRESSED BECAUSE I DRINK?

It is generally perceived that someone who drinks too much is a weak willed person. While someone who suffers from depression is suffering from an illness.
So a person who drinks excessively and suffers from depression will almost certainly believe he/she drinks because they are depressed.

  • Alcohol is a depressant (medical fact)
  • 40% of alcoholics/heavy drinkers have the symptoms of someone who’s depressed
  • Out of a study of nearly 3000 self confessed alcoholics, 30% had either sought help or were receiving medication for depression. This figure dropped to 15% once the subjects had abstained from alcohol for a prolonged period. Just slightly higher than the normal population
  • Alcohol taken in excess accounts for
    33% of domestic accidents
    40% of fatal domestic fires
    20% of work place accidents
  • Excess alcohol destroys the active ingredients in the majority of anti-depressants
  • Consuming alcohol in conjunction with anti-depressants is dangerous as you are effectively taking a sedative on top of a sedative

Sobering Thoughts

Without doubt in the majority of cases where the person suffers from depression and drinks to excess the primary problem is drink. However, when a patient visits their GP with drinking/depression issues they tend to be truthful in describing their depression problems but to minimise their alcohol consumption. So the GP receives a distorted picture of the situation and treats the depression rather than the primary cause, alcohol abuse; and in most cases the situation spirals out of control.

Alcoholism

Alcoholism is a disease that tells the patient they have not got it and, as such, most patients totally lie about their actual consumption. GPs are not mind readers and the fact that in their many years of education only two weeks are dedicated to the subject of alcoholism it’s difficult for them to decipher the truth. In many cases they will advise the patient to cut back their consumption i.e. to drink responsibly .  The same GP would not usually advise patients to cut back on smoking – how absurd would it sound if they advised people to smoke more responsibly.
The USA and The World Health Organization recognise alcoholism as a disease in the fact that if untreated the condition escalates. The NHS has not recognised this important fact as it cannot afford to do so. Why is this?

Our NHS states that any UK citizens are eligible for free medical assistance on any disease they have.  The only known successful treatment for this disease is total abstinence. Some people can only achieve this through residential treatment. This is expensive and the costs could run into millions.

If you find it hard to cope with your feelings and addiction, get in touch with The Haynes Clinic on 01462 851414