Alcohol is a depressant: it alters the delicate balance of chemicals in your brain. Drinking heavily and regularly is associated with depression.
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.
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.
Alcohol, like other depressants, impairs and slows both physical and psychological activity. Because of the way that alcohol slows down brain activity, it reduces a person's ability to make rational decisions. It also contributes to lessened inhibitions and distorted judgment.
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.
Generally, people drink to either increase positive emotions or decrease negative ones. This results in all drinking motives falling into one of four categories: enhancement (because it's exciting), coping (to forget about my worries), social (to celebrate), and conformity (to fit in).
Alcoholics generally drink excessively, often much more than four drinks per day and in a manner they can't control. Excessive drinking is a serious health problem for millions of people in the United States. Alcohol addiction, or alcohol use disorder (AUD), is one facet of problem drinking.
Alcohol affects the part of your brain that controls inhibition, so you may feel relaxed, less anxious, and more confident after a drink. But these effects quickly wear off. The chemical changes in your brain can soon lead to more negative feelings, such as anger, depression or anxiety, regardless of your mood.
For example, the liver will be overworking to process alcohol, you'll be tired from little and/or poor quality sleep, you're likely to be urinating more as alcohol is a diuretic, leaving you dehydrated and headache-y – and any post-night out vomiting can irritate the stomach for several days.
Unfortunately, alcohol is a coping mechanism the temporary benefits of which are often outweighed by the long-term negative effects on health and relationships, poor decision-making under the influence, as well as increased dependency.
Alcohol abuse can cause signs and symptoms of depression, anxiety, psychosis, and antisocial behavior, both during intoxication and during withdrawal. At times, these symptoms and signs cluster, last for weeks, and mimic frank psychiatric disorders (i.e., are alcohol–induced syndromes).
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.
Psychopathological studies have observed that alcoholism and affective disorders (e.g., depression and mania) interact and can coexist; moreover, the vulnerability to both alcoholism and depression can run in families (Merikangas and Gelernter 1990; Merikangas et al. 1994).
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.
They may experience altered perceptions and intensified emotions, such as jealousy, anger, and depression. Alcohol affects emotional reactions and worsens anxiety. Also, alcohol may cause a loss of emotional control.
When we start drinking alcohol, our bodies produce extra dopamine, which travels to the parts of the brain known as 'reward centres' – the bits that make us feel good and make us want to do more of whatever we're doing [1]. So, our first couple of drinks are likely to make us feel good.
People like to drink alcohol because of its ability to alter emotional states. Alcohol induces euphoria, relaxation, and disinhibition while reducing stress and anxiety.
8 So, when you stop drinking, you can reduce these symptoms. As you achieve your sobriety goals (small and big) and work toward a healthier you, you will begin to notice an improvement in your mental health. This can include increased self-confidence and self-respect, along with decreased anxiety and depression.
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.
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.
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.
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.