Depression-is it a separate issue?
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: CA desert
Posts: 1,599
Depression-is it a separate issue?
Does alcohol create depression, or does it add to depression that may already exist?
Do you treat depression as a separate issue or do the twelve steps solve clinical depression too? Or, do you treat the alcoholism first, then deal with the depression issue, or both at the same time.
I think I've been depressed since forever, even as a kid, and I've always thought it was just part of who I am. Can it be that this is a separate issue that I can successfully find treatment for, as well as dealing with the alcoholism, because I'm wondering if the depression is a very strong factor in the relapses I've experienced. Also, what kind of dr. treats depression?
Anyone else's experience here would be greatly appreciated.
Do you treat depression as a separate issue or do the twelve steps solve clinical depression too? Or, do you treat the alcoholism first, then deal with the depression issue, or both at the same time.
I think I've been depressed since forever, even as a kid, and I've always thought it was just part of who I am. Can it be that this is a separate issue that I can successfully find treatment for, as well as dealing with the alcoholism, because I'm wondering if the depression is a very strong factor in the relapses I've experienced. Also, what kind of dr. treats depression?
Anyone else's experience here would be greatly appreciated.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 6,947
Depression and Alcoholism are often intertwined... one causing the other causing the other... some times it's impossible to separate cause and effect.
Several different specialties can treat depression... it's important that whomever you see understands alcoholism and your own history with it. If you aren't already hooked up with a good primary care physician who can either treat and/or refer you... perhaps check out an addictionologist... he or she would understand the connection quite well as well as the pitfalls involved in treatment...
Go for it...
Mark
Several different specialties can treat depression... it's important that whomever you see understands alcoholism and your own history with it. If you aren't already hooked up with a good primary care physician who can either treat and/or refer you... perhaps check out an addictionologist... he or she would understand the connection quite well as well as the pitfalls involved in treatment...
Go for it...
Mark
RIP Sweet Suki
Join Date: Apr 2008
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It can be either one. If you were depressed prior to drinking, then it could be that your depression is a separate issue. Alcohol is a depressant, so it can cause depression on its own and it can certainly make any depression you had before worse. Some people find that once they stop drinking, their depression goes away. Others still have the depression and seek medical attention for it.
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: New England
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For me, depression was fueled by alcohol, I don't know if it will come back now that I am sober. I think Mark's suggestions are good. I did speak with a CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapist) once, I think they are generally a good place to start and some Health Care covers it.
Good luck! It is very hard to get over alcohol addiction if you are also dealing with depression, ironically getting rid of alcohol should help your depression.
Good luck! It is very hard to get over alcohol addiction if you are also dealing with depression, ironically getting rid of alcohol should help your depression.
RIP Sweet Suki
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: In my sanctuary, my home
Posts: 39,865
I had depression long before I ever started drinking. The alcohol just exacerbated it. I wish I had back all the money I wasted on Paxil while I was drinking. It was like just flushing them down the toilet.
Thriving sober since 12/18/08
Join Date: Sep 2008
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I bet you could find a good therapist that could address both at the same time, it's a wicked double edged sword. While alcohol itself is a depressant, it's a central nervous system 'depressant' which by definition means it slows down brain activity.. quite useful in medications created to treat anxiety and insomnia, not so useful housed in alcohol and drank by an alcoholic. That is different from the clinical mental health/emotional type of depression (same words, different meanings!), but I think a lot of us either were depressed before, and tried to medicate with alcohol, or depressed during, situationally due to the horrors of living with addiction, or even afterwards as emotional depression may have been masked for x number of years that we've been numbing away our emotions.
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Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: las vegas nv
Posts: 180
I'm sure as stated above, it's different for each individual. IMO though, I think the depression is first, and consequently people start drinking/using to mask those feeling and feel better. Remember how happy you felt the first time you got buzzed? Like you were on top of the world without a worry in the world.
Some people think I'm crazy when I say this but it works for me: I totally embrace the depression when it comes; I cry, sulk, listen to music, and pamper my depressed self with baths and relaxation. Believe it or not this helps me. These emotions have been masked and hidden for so long, the deserve to come out in drones. It's better than living as life as a robot, not feeling anything. What's the point of living if you don't really experience things.
Plus the bad times make the good times so much better.
Good luck to you and hang in there, we all get depressed, it's OK.
Some people think I'm crazy when I say this but it works for me: I totally embrace the depression when it comes; I cry, sulk, listen to music, and pamper my depressed self with baths and relaxation. Believe it or not this helps me. These emotions have been masked and hidden for so long, the deserve to come out in drones. It's better than living as life as a robot, not feeling anything. What's the point of living if you don't really experience things.
Plus the bad times make the good times so much better.
Good luck to you and hang in there, we all get depressed, it's OK.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: las vegas nv
Posts: 180
I'm sure as stated above, it's different for each individual. IMO though, I think the depression is first, and consequently people start drinking/using to mask those feeling and feel better. Remember how happy you felt the first time you got buzzed? Like you were on top of the world without a worry in the world.
Some people think I'm crazy when I say this but it works for me: I totally embrace the depression when it comes; I cry, sulk, listen to music, and pamper my depressed self with baths and relaxation. Believe it or not this helps me. These emotions have been masked and hidden for so long, the deserve to come out in drones. It's better than living as life as a robot, not feeling anything. What's the point of living if you don't really experience things.
Plus the bad times make the good times so much better.
Good luck to you and hang in there, we all get depressed, it's OK.
"It's not the beginning of the end, it's the return to yourself" Enigma
Some people think I'm crazy when I say this but it works for me: I totally embrace the depression when it comes; I cry, sulk, listen to music, and pamper my depressed self with baths and relaxation. Believe it or not this helps me. These emotions have been masked and hidden for so long, the deserve to come out in drones. It's better than living as life as a robot, not feeling anything. What's the point of living if you don't really experience things.
Plus the bad times make the good times so much better.
Good luck to you and hang in there, we all get depressed, it's OK.
"It's not the beginning of the end, it's the return to yourself" Enigma
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Join Date: Feb 2009
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I had pre existing depression which I self-medicated with alcohol but over time that just exacerbated the problem, it is in fact a depressant and made my anxiety issues worse over time.
I really had to get sober before the depression could be properly dealt with. I tend to treat them as separate issues, personally. That's to say, I'm not in AA but if I were it's not something I'd be bringing into meetings, that would be for my doctor and psych to deal with. If you are on anti depressants, alcohol interferes with their action and can prevent their effectiveness.
Depression/mood swings can also be a part of post acute withdrawal, it can take awhile after you get sober for a firm diagnosis. My doctors knew all about both my alcoholism and mental health history.
I really had to get sober before the depression could be properly dealt with. I tend to treat them as separate issues, personally. That's to say, I'm not in AA but if I were it's not something I'd be bringing into meetings, that would be for my doctor and psych to deal with. If you are on anti depressants, alcohol interferes with their action and can prevent their effectiveness.
Depression/mood swings can also be a part of post acute withdrawal, it can take awhile after you get sober for a firm diagnosis. My doctors knew all about both my alcoholism and mental health history.
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Join Date: Aug 2003
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My depression started in my teens.
It was not until my mid-forties when I started drinking to deal with the endless sadness.
For me, I had to get the depression properly treated before I could stop drinking. Before that, I honestly didn't care enough to stick with recovery.
Of course, the drinking ultimately makes the depression worse.
It was not until my mid-forties when I started drinking to deal with the endless sadness.
For me, I had to get the depression properly treated before I could stop drinking. Before that, I honestly didn't care enough to stick with recovery.
Of course, the drinking ultimately makes the depression worse.
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Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Kansas
Posts: 10,182
It's similar to the question, which came first, the chicken or the egg?
You would need a proper diagnosis from a psychiatrist specializing in addictions/alcoholism.
I wasn't assessed properly for clinical depression until I had been sober a few years.
In looking back, I had been extremely depressed from adolescence on.
However, the alcoholism had to be addressed first for me.
Today I address my alcoholism through AA, and my depression through mental health professionals.
You would need a proper diagnosis from a psychiatrist specializing in addictions/alcoholism.
I wasn't assessed properly for clinical depression until I had been sober a few years.
In looking back, I had been extremely depressed from adolescence on.
However, the alcoholism had to be addressed first for me.
Today I address my alcoholism through AA, and my depression through mental health professionals.
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Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 2,013
One thing is for sure and that's depression will never be treated effectively for as long as alcohol is being abused.
Through my experience then trying to treat mental health stuff whilst using alcohol and drugs is like p*ssing in the wind. However most people being reffered to mental health are the vey people using alcohol/drugs the heaviest. Iwas no different. However i had no intention of giving the booze and drugs up as they were my restbite and solution to my terrible depression. Though most people aren;t alcoholics/addicts. However many, like myself actually were/are, it's just they didn;t realise/accept it.
I guess it very much depends on the individual. Though alcoholism and depression are so closely related it is very difficult to say exactly. My recovery means that I won't let myself slide down into deep depressions like I used to do. If I did that then I wouldn;t be working my recovery properly and I would be drinking again before long. My recovery certainly has helped my mental health greatly. However there were underlying things that I still wanted to address outside of the recovery from alcoholism model.
peace
Through my experience then trying to treat mental health stuff whilst using alcohol and drugs is like p*ssing in the wind. However most people being reffered to mental health are the vey people using alcohol/drugs the heaviest. Iwas no different. However i had no intention of giving the booze and drugs up as they were my restbite and solution to my terrible depression. Though most people aren;t alcoholics/addicts. However many, like myself actually were/are, it's just they didn;t realise/accept it.
I guess it very much depends on the individual. Though alcoholism and depression are so closely related it is very difficult to say exactly. My recovery means that I won't let myself slide down into deep depressions like I used to do. If I did that then I wouldn;t be working my recovery properly and I would be drinking again before long. My recovery certainly has helped my mental health greatly. However there were underlying things that I still wanted to address outside of the recovery from alcoholism model.
peace
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 7,910
My story is similar to Anna's - my depression started in my late teens and I was in my thirties when I started medicating myself for it (plus insomnia). I highly recommend to anyone who feels they're drinking to cope with mental/emotional issues to see a psychiatrist who specializes in addiction. It's hard enough to stay sober without the extra challenge of depression, bi-polar disorder, anxiety, or other even more severe disorders.
I think in the future, mental/emotional evaluations will be a part of general health check-ups. At least I hope so.
I think in the future, mental/emotional evaluations will be a part of general health check-ups. At least I hope so.
Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: BC, Canada
Posts: 18
Difficult to say in my case which came first since I started drinking as a teenager and I'm middle aged now! Drinking definitely makes my depression worse. As others have said various specialties treat depression. You may want to visit a GP first to rule out physical causes that may be contributing to feelings of depression.
seeking recovery
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: NSW
Posts: 171
I have been depressed on a low grade level ever since I can remember..When I look back on my life though, my drinking seemed to escalate when on antidepressants... I have decided it is much safer for me to stay away from all mood-altering substances.
I am trying meditation and exercise now to manage the both.
I am not against meds as they can be life saving..
I am trying meditation and exercise now to manage the both.
I am not against meds as they can be life saving..
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