Drugs/Alcohol and Depression

Many people with depression also have problems with alcohol or other drugs. Either the depression comes first, and the drug and alcohol use comes after as a means to escape the depression, and feel good in the short term. Or, alcohol and drug use comes first, and leads to depression due to the drug itself, withdrawl from it, or the problems that the drug/alcohol use causes.

Even though drugs and alcohol can make you feel better and take some pain away when you are depressed, in the long run they only cause more harm. For one, it is only a temporary solution. And two, you risk becoming addicted, which is another problem you would have to deal with, and another thing that could contribute to your depression.

Alcohol and drug use can also decrease the effectiveness of some medications, such as anti-depressants. They can cause the antidepressants to have less of an effect, or no effect at all. This is yet another reason to try and avoid or at least highly moderate your alcohol/drug intake. An occasional drink or two is usually OK (ask your doctor first to make sure!), but drinking often, drinking alone, or drinking to "drown your problems" are things you should avoid, as they can cause even bigger problems in the long run.

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