A dual diagnosis can be complicated to treat, no matter the circumstances. The most common treatment options are included below, but know that recovery requires a personalized treatment plan that best suits your mental health needs. Some experts also suggest that both depression and alcohol use disorders share underlying pathophysiology in that they are both neuroinflammatory conditions. Though depression is experienced by many, it can often go undiagnosed and untreated.
How Alcohol Makes Your Depression Symptoms Worse
- According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), over 14 million adults in the U.S. (5.8 percent of this population) suffer from alcohol use disorder (AUD).
- Exercising activates the neurotransmitters, making you happier, more outgoing, and energized.
- As you drink more, you become intoxicated and unsteady, and you might do or say things you normally won’t.
- Sometimes people drink alcohol to help with the symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression.
- Start your recovery journey with peace of mind, knowing your care is covered.
- This isolation can intensify depressive symptoms and contribute to a sense of hopelessness.
There are many different classifications of depressive disorders as symptoms can manifest in many ways, leading to different diagnoses and treatment options. So is talk therapy with a mental health specialist who understands addiction and substance abuse. Generally, when we talk about alcohol and depression, we’re speaking specifically about co-occurring depression and alcohol abuse. There is a clinical term for experiencing depression after quitting alcohol and it’s called alcohol-induced depressive disorder (AIDD).
Mental health therapy for alcohol use disorder and symptoms of depression
These are life events that result in a variety of feelings, with sadness being a significant factor for them. Because anhedonia is unpredictable and can lead to relapse, it’s important to does alcohol make depression worse communicate with your doctor or mental health specialist to get additional support during these episodes. It helped, but shortly thereafter (like a week or two later), I learned I was pregnant and that was the final push I needed to ditch the cigarettes for good. My mental health didn’t improve as much as I’d hoped (thanks, hormones), but it was the beginning of my path to recovery, even through a really difficult pregnancy.
Why Alcohol Might Make You Feel Better
It can also interfere with how your body absorbs Alcoholics Anonymous essential nutrients in the digestive system and lead to nutritional deficiencies over time, particularly vitamins B, D, and folate. Children who were abused or raised in poverty appear to be more likely to get both conditions. In some people, the initial reaction may feel like an increase in energy. But as you continue to drink, you become drowsy and have less control over your actions. Start your recovery journey with peace of mind, knowing your care is covered.