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Is Alcohol a Depressant?

Posted , 8 users are following.

AIDT
AIDT

When people are depressed, they usually want to get their minds off of their stress and become happy. It is a misunderstanding that the most common solution to their problem is alcohol.

2 likes, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • Ellie1943
    Ellie1943 AIDT

    Posted

    Alcohol is known to be a depressant if you look it up. It might bring temporary relief but long term it makes depression and anxiety much worse! It does not mix with medications and if you are prescribed anti depressants or certain painkillers can make you very ill especially if you drink large amounts. Definitely not a solution to anything! frown
  • jackie82937
    jackie82937 AIDT

    Posted

    I've also been told alcohol is a depressant, my husband is now self medicating with alcohol and in a relationship with an alocholic woman, he refuses help from anyone in treating his psychiosis and clinical depression.  I think he is drinking to numb the anxiety attacks but have been told by medical professionals that things are likely to get much worse and it will not end well.  Another guy also told me that they drink due to guilt.
  • LawrenceK-B
    LawrenceK-B AIDT

    Posted

    Yes, it begins to slow down your central nervous system and disinhibits you. This is why alcohol can kill so easily. This is why it's dangerous to drink when you're feeling very depressed as the lack of inhibition impairs your judgement and make you act impulsively. The giddiness and confidence it causes after the first drink or so is because it releases dopamine.
    • hypercat
      hypercat LawrenceK-B

      Posted

      Yes I have found the same when drinking while depressed.  It is great for a short time but if I am bad I avoid it like the plague.  I have learnt  from experience how I can behave with it!   Not good.  x
    • audrey96558
      audrey96558 LawrenceK-B

      Posted

      Totally agree with this.

      I discussed alcohol and taking meds with my dr once ages ago (I was on very low dose fluoxetine at the time) and he said basically to think of alcohol as a mood intensifier.

      So say if I was at a party or social gathering and feeling happy and having fun, a couple of glasses of wine or similar would be fine on occasion.

      But that if I was ever feeling negative emotions not to go near it at all as it would likely intensify those feelings.

      It was very helpful advice at the time because I was just 18 and thought oh god I'm never going to be able to have a glass of wine with my friends or raise a toast at their birthdays.

      I guess it's just about being sensible and avoiding alcohol when you're feeling remotely down or vulnerable.

      It's hard though I guess because when one is that low level it's hard to fully grasp how one is feeling...

      Anyway I thought your advice was spot on smile

  • deirdre._03652
    deirdre._03652 AIDT

    Posted

    Hi you are soooo right...posting as a reformed..( I tend to ignore that label. ) alcohol is the worst addiction you can imagine...

    I was sectioned four times into a mental health HOSPITAL..

    It is like trying to climb a HUGE. HUGE, HUGE wall, just holding on by your fingernails......that is WITH ALCOHOL......-WITHOUT.ALCOHOL, YOU COULD LITERALLY, RIP YOUR HEAD OFF !!!!! . It is no fun whatsoever... ever, ever ever ..my friends ,,,, ..huge .huge and more .huge hugs to you all...

    • jackie82937
      jackie82937 deirdre._03652

      Posted

      Deirdre

      Thank you for sharing your experience, sounds like you have come a long way and are doing reall well. 

  • Welsh_girl
    Welsh_girl AIDT

    Posted

    Yes i used alcohol for years, didn't realise i was self medicating, due to a bereavement and other things life throws at you! Then i became addicted hard to come off the stuff! shouldn't really have been drinking as taking antidepressants! Been sober now 5 years! Still difficult at times coping now with depression head on! But my anxiety is better, my head is clear and i feel i can handle any depression i get now head on!

      Also alcohol is a depressant, great at the time, but after the low's are so bad! When you don't drink your feelings are so much clearer and you can recognise your feelings and cope with them!

    • peter2824
      peter2824 Welsh_girl

      Posted

      Hello there, I have read all the posts and there are a lot of good parts written by people whom have or have had alcohol problems. I am glad to hear that most have turned the corner and are on the right track. I myself never call anyone an alcoholic, they are individuals first, who have a problem understanding limits that alcohol changes their behaviour. Each individual have different tollerances, so a person may only consume 3 units of alcohol to change their behaviour and be called an alcoholic. People who binge drink at week-ends are also classed as alcoholics. They cannot wait until Friday night to go out and get trashed. The reason is you have a choice whether to consume or not. I understand that people drink to get rid of their problems but when they sober up the problem has not gone away. The only way forward is to confront their problem. Once it has been dealt with there is no need to drink alcohol at all. Remember those who partake of alcohol you are drinking the effluent of a brewing process. Just think of that when you are tempted to pick up a glass again. Good luck to everyone affected and to you all there is help out there all you need to do is ask. Drug and alcohol counselor.
    • peter2824
      peter2824

      Posted

      Someone with depression will nearly always take any substance to make themselves feel better, however because of the depression and alcohol abuse people are reffered to as dual diagnosis. So Alcohol is a depressant.

       

  • Welsh_girl
    Welsh_girl AIDT

    Posted

    5 years ago trying to give up alcohol on my own, i just couldn't do it! I knew i had a problem and was scared! I agree with you Peter about being an alcoholic, i joined AA for me it worked i stopped drinking, and i began to truely live! However 5 years on, i don't feel i need AA anymore, it's just seems to be holding me back i want to leave it all behind! Every meeting we introduce ourselves, my name is ? and i am an alcoholic! We follow a 12 step program, and we learn if we leave AA we will start dring again and die!

     For any of you struggling with alcohol i truely believe that AA can work because you meet people and you are all in the same boat!

     But for me now! I feel so much stronger, i know i don't need alcohol i know what it does to me! I could never stop at one or two glasses of wine! and i really believe that some of us, because of our make-up get addicted to alcohol very easily!

     For those of you stuggling with depression, and drinking to mask it! Don't use alcohol it really is a downward slope! If you struggle to stop drinking, try AA it really will help!

     As i said earlier with alcohol out of your system, you can tackle life head on!

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