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Alcoholism and its relationship with reactive depression

The connection between Alcohol and Depression may be compared to the relationship between wind and fire. Alcohol feeds depressive symptoms, increasing both their frequency and severity. This is not suprising given the fact that alcohol is not in fact a stimulant, but rather a central nervous system depressant. Depressed people often turn to alcohol in the belief that it has the ability to ease their symptoms.

What they fail to realise is that nothing could be further from the truth.

Consuming alcohol has the effect of sending the various systems of the body on what can only be described as an intense roller coaster ride. The initial stages are all about 'going up', but within a few hours all exhilarative effects wear off. From then on it's all about coming down and hitting the ground- hard and fast. When the alcohol induced euphoria wears off and sobriety ensues, depressed people more often than not find themselves feeling lower than they did prior to their first drink.

Alcohol falls into a category of drugs known as 'sedative hypnotics.' Other well known drugs in this class include tranquilizers like Librium, Valium and Xanax. In the initial stages following ingestion of an alcoholic beverage, individuals may feel as though all their self - consciousness and anxiety has dissolved. This due to the inhibitory effect that alcohol has on certain sections of the central nervous system.

The euphoric feelings produced by the drug are however soon replaced by sensations of drowsiness, petulance and irritability. Where consumption continues, motor co-ordination and balance may become impaired. The drinker may feel confused and disorientated and lose all sense of rationality. In the end, the desire to sleep will override everything else with the result that in some cases drinkers may even pass out wherever they are.

In addition to affecting conscious behaviour alcohol also has a disruptive effect on natural sleep cycles. Heavy consumption of alcohol is known to have a particularly detrimental effect on the second half of the sleep cycle. In addition to bringing about fitful dreams, consuming alcohol before retiring may prevent the onset of final stage or REM sleep. This destabilises levels of neurotransmitters in the brain which can be particularly detrimental to those already suffering from a depressive disorder.

Due to the initial euphoric sensations that it produces, those suffering from depression will often turn to alcohol in an attempt to make themselves feel more in control. They are therefore far more likely to develop a dependency on alcohol than non-depressed individuals. In addition, the affect that heavy drinking has on the central nervous system is likely to be even more detrimental to the wellbeing of depressed patients than non depressed individuals. This is due to the fact that alcohol may further upset chemical balances in the brain and thus promote the onset of depressive episodes. For this reason, health care practitioners often advise those who are predisposed to depression to abstain from drinking altogether.

Often, when one experiences depression with alcohol there is a good possibility it has become addictive. One simple question to ask yourself - when seeking medical attention for depression, do you purposely "not mention" the correct amount of alcohol intake you are currently using? If the answer is yes, your depression is more than likely a result of alcohol addiction. For help in this area see our sister site Guide4Living - addiction and alcohol.

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