The fact of the matter is that drinking and depression often go hand in hand. There are many reasons for this, but perhaps the biggest one is that alcohol is a depressant. So, the correlation can be quite clear.
Better Understanding Alcohol Misuse and AUD
Alcohol misuse and alcohol use disorder (AUD) are still highly prevalent in the U.S. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), “28.5 million people ages 12 and older (10.5% in this age group) had AUD in the past year. This includes 17.4 million males ages 12 and older (12.6% in this age group)” and “12.1 million females ages 12 and older (8.5% in this age group).”
There are also many signs and symptoms that you or someone you love may be struggling with issues of alcohol misuse or AUD:
- Not being able to control one’s drinking despite the consequences
- An inability to stop drinking once one starts
- Having physical symptoms related to alcohol use, such as gastrointestinal, kidney, and/or liver issues
- Feeling overly anxious nervous or stressed out
- Losing interest in activities once enjoyed
- Feeling depressed, sad, and lonely
This last symptom is actually much more common than many people may think. There are many reasons for this.
Better Understanding Depression
Depression is one of the most common mental health issues currently faced within the U.S. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), “Major depression is one of the most common mental disorders in the United States. For some individuals, major depression can result in severe impairments that interfere with or limit one’s ability to carry out major life activities.” Also, “An estimated 21.0 million adults in the United States had at least one major depressive episode. This number represented eight.3% of all U.S. adults.”
There are also many signs and symptoms that someone may be struggling with depression, one of which is excessive and dangerous use of alcohol. The issue is that because many of the symptoms of AUD and depression can be similar, one or the other is often not diagnosed. This leads to a lack of proper treatment until a proper dual diagnosis is made.
The Relationship Between Drinking and Depression
According to the peer-reviewed journal, Current Reviews, “Psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety and mood disorders, commonly co-occur with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Depressive disorders are the most common psychiatric disorders among people with AUD. The co-occurrence of these disorders is associated with greater severity and worse prognosis than either disorder alone, including a heightened risk for suicidal behavior.” The key is to get properly diagnosed as soon as possible.
Drinking and depression are not just an individual issue either. Just as addiction is a “disease,” it is also a “family disease.” The good news is there are many effective treatments for a dual diagnosis of AUD and depression.
Drinking and Depression: Getting Help
Getting help for drinking and depression starts with reaching out. There are many great treatment facilities, like we here at Lantana Recovery, that have a special focus on co-occurring disorders.
We offer many means, methods, and modalities that can best help someone struggling with excessive drinking and depression. One of the most effective is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). This is because CBT gets to the underlying issues that are often related to drinking and depression. As is often said in many recovery groups, “It’s not the drinking, as much as it is the thinking.”
CBT has been shown to be highly effective in reducing symptoms of addiction and mental illness. According to the peer-reviewed journal, Cognitive Therapy and Research, “Consistent with the medical model of psychiatry, the overall goal of treatment is symptom reduction, improvement in functioning, and remission of the disorder. In order to achieve this goal, the patient becomes an active participant in a collaborative problem-solving process to test and challenge the validity of maladaptive cognitions and to modify maladaptive behavioral patterns. Thus, modern CBT refers to a family of interventions that combine a variety of cognitive, behavioral, and emotion-focused techniques.”
It is also important to try other alternative methods that may aid in recovery. For example, meditation has been shown to be highly effective for both issues of excessive drinking and depression.
Meditation offers a myriad of benefits. According to the International Quarterly Journal of Research in Ayurveda (AYU), “During the process of meditation, accumulated stresses are removed, energy is increased, and health is positively affected overall. Research has confirmed a myriad of health benefits associated with the practice of meditation. These include stress reduction, decreased anxiety, decreased depression, reduction in pain (both physical and psychological), improved memory, and increased efficiency.”
The Importance of Long-Term Success at Lantana Recovery
Here at Lantana Recovery, we believe in long-term success over short-term “fixes.” That is why we only offer individualized and comprehensive recovery plans.
Recovery is about the journey, never the destination. That successful journey of a lifetime can start right here at Lantana Recovery.
Drinking and depression often occur together. Like anxiety, an individual struggling with alcohol use disorder (AUD) may feel depressed because they cannot stop, because they don’t know how to ask for help, or because they may have a co-occurring depressive disorder. It’s also important to remember that alcohol itself is a depressant. If you feel like you or a loved one are struggling with issues of addiction, depression, or co-occurring disorders, we can help get you on the right road to recovery right away. You don’t have to do this alone. For more information regarding recovery from addiction and depression, please reach out to Lantana Recovery today at (866) 997-2870.
