According to the World Health Organization, about XNUMX million people suffer from depression of varying severity every year. The state of anxiety, depression, lack of interest in life arises as a result of various everyday troubles, including job loss, divorce, loss of loved ones. In the case of regular alcohol abuse, depression after alcohol occurs without any objective reasons. Next, we will understand why this happens.
How alcohol affects mood
Alcohol is one of the most popular depressants available to everyone. Like all psychoactive substances of this group, it depresses the central nervous system. Ethanol blocks the work of neurotransmitters responsible for the function of inhibition, which at first relieves internal tension and gives a feeling of euphoria and relaxation. However, as a result of regular alcohol abuse, the mechanism of the brain is disrupted, and instead of improving mood, a person feels a deterioration in mental state, which is expressed in bouts of anxiety, anger and aggression.
Alcohol and depression are closely related. Studies have shown that ethanol causes metabolic and neurophysiological changes in the body, which seriously increase the risk of developing depressed psychological conditions. The hormone of pleasure serotonin ceases to be produced at a normal intensity, at the same time there is an increased selection of norepinephrine, which excites the psyche, leads to the appearance of aggression. In a state of hangover, the concentration of hormones in the blood drops sharply, resulting in weakness, weakness, apathy and muscle weakness.
Alcohol is often consumed to relieve the mental pain of life’s problems, but the result is a vicious cycle. Regular use of alcohol to quell depression leads to addiction and exacerbates psychiatric disorders. As a result, there is a whole range of comorbid disorders that require professional treatment.
If the symptoms of depression are caused by alcohol, giving up alcohol for four weeks leads to an improvement in the mental state. In the case of major depressive disorders, long-term drug therapy is required to correct chemical changes in the brain and return all its functions to normal.
Consequences of treating depression with alcohol
The combination of alcoholism and chronic depression is a dangerous condition for the psyche. The deterioration occurs during withdrawal, when the depressed mood is aggravated by poor physical health.
Withdrawal syndrome is characterized by:
- problems with concentration;
- acute sense of guilt;
- feeling of own worthlessness;
- nightmares;
- suicidal thoughts.
Depression after alcohol and subsequent psychosis is the cause of 50% of suicides in the world, and dependence on alcohol ten times increases the risk of suicide. Complex and not fully understood relationships between depression and alcoholism make diagnosis difficult.
Often the picture is blurred due to the numerous endocrine disorders that alcohol abuse causes. Doctors agree that the most effective is the simultaneous treatment of all pathologies that have arisen, and often this requires a long stay in a hospital.
Apply complex therapy, including:
- taking medications (antidepressants, restorative drugs);
- psychotherapy sessions;
- physiotherapeutic procedures.
The course of treatment takes from several months to a year, and medication is combined with a complete rejection of alcohol. According to doctors, the best way to prevent depression is a healthy lifestyle. Regular physical activity increases the production of pleasure hormones and reduces the risk of depression.
It has been noticed that people who are passionate about a hobby are less likely to suffer from mental disorders, especially if it is associated with being outdoors. Regular trips to nature, going to baths or saunas, attending exciting activities reduce stress and serve as the best prevention of depression.
Attention! Self-medication can be dangerous, consult your doctor.