People who experience mental health issues, including depression and anxiety, often use alcohol as a way to try and cope. Some people use alcohol to mask their symptoms or to help make them feel better, not realising it can leave them feeling worse.
Persistent depressive disorder greatly increases the likelihood of developing a substance use disorder, such as alcoholism. Co-occurring depression and alcoholism can take a toll on a person's physical and emotional health, as well as their relationships with loved ones.
Alcohol abuse is rampant among sufferers of depression. At least 30%-40% of alcoholics also experience a depressive disorder. People are often seduced by the sedating effects of alcohol and use it as a kind of medication to help distract them from persistent feelings of sadness.
Alcohol abuse can cause signs and symptoms of depression, anxiety, psychosis, and antisocial behavior, both during intoxication and during withdrawal.
In 1980, the third edition of the Manual, DSM-3, identified alcoholism as a subset of a mental health disorder. The current edition, DSM-5, classifies alcoholism, now referred to as Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) or Substance Use Disorder (SUD), as a mental disorder presenting both physical and mental symptoms.
Generally, alcoholics seem to have the same kinds of personalities as everybody else, except more so. The first is a low frustration tolerance. Alcoholics seem to experience more distress when enduring long-term dysphoria or when tiresome things do not work out quickly. Alcoholics are more impulsive than most.
There are many mental health conditions that can co-occur with alcohol abuse. Some of the most common conditions include depression, bipolar disorder, and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
There are three main categories that users of alcohol fall into; social drinker, alcohol abuser or alcoholic. Most people who drink alcohol will not have any problems with their consumption; however, for those who do have a problem handling it, oftentimes, their problem will gradually worsen.
However, vodka was also listed by both men and women as a drink that made them feel anxious, and men told us it made them feel sad and scared. Whiskey was also frequently associated with negative feelings. Men and women told us it made them feel overwhelmed and sad.
Over time, excessive alcohol use can lead to the development of chronic diseases and other serious problems including: High blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease, and digestive problems.
For example, many depressed people hold on tightly to beliefs such as “I am defective,” “I am unlovable,” “I will never be successful,” or “The world is doomed to disaster.” These types of thoughts are cognitive symptoms that occur as commonly in depression as a fever occurs as a symptom of an infection.
Some people drink alcohol to try to help them feel better, but for people who struggle with anxiety or depression, alcohol usually makes these feelings more intense. This can lead to a vicious cycle of feeling bad, drinking to feel better, and then feeling worse.
Sullivan. Alcohol interferes with the brain's communication pathways and can affect the way the brain looks and works. Alcohol makes it harder for the brain areas controlling balance, memory, speech, and judgment to do their jobs, resulting in a higher likelihood of injuries and other negative outcomes.
For men, binge drinking is 5 or more drinks consumed on one occasion. Underage drinking: Any alcohol use by those under age 21. Heavy drinking: For women, heavy drinking is 8 drinks or more per week. For men, heavy drinking is 15 drinks or more per week.
Delta: Inability to stop drinking; continual drinking to avoid withdrawal symptoms.
Alcohol slows down the central nervous system (CNS), which can create feelings of relaxation. This is why some people turn to alcohol as a coping mechanism to deal with stress, anxiety, or other unpleasant emotions. Alcohol is a vehicle for some people to distance themselves from the various stressors in their lives.
In fact, some estimates suggest that men are as much as four times more likely to be afflicted with alcoholism than women. This is evidenced by a NIAAA report, which states that of the 88,000 people who die every year from alcohol-related death, an astounding 62,000 are men and only 26,000 are women.
Teenage years are the riskiest time to develop an alcohol dependence. Youth who start drinking before the age of 15 are 4 times more likely to be one who alcoholism affects later on in life.
Failing to do what you should at work or at home because of drinking. Not being able to remember what happened while you were drinking. Not being able to stop drinking once you start. Hurting someone else as a result of your drinking.
Impaired control over alcohol use
This might mean not being able to control how long a drinking session is, how much alcohol you consume when you do drink, how frequently you drink, being unable to stop drinking once you start, or drinking on inappropriate occasions or at inappropriate places.
Overall, there are an array of factors that contribute to alcohol dependence, not only with brain chemistry but underlying factors as well. Things like mental health, environmental influences, and genetics can all contribute to a drinking problem.