depression and alcohol
Discussion
Hi
A few years ago I got into the habit of sharing a bottle of wine with the OH every night, which eventually increased to me drinking an entire bottle (and sometimes another glass on top). At the same time I was diagnosed with depression and was given Prozac and I stopped drinking but over time was back up to a bottle a night. Looking back it seems mad that I was taking both at the same time and no surprise that I felt so bad! After looking in the mirror one morning (I had put on 3 stone) I decided I would stop drinking and slowly stop taking prozac. I combined that with exercise and have felt much better since.
My question is really about alcohol - I don't drink much now apart from the odd glass of wine maybe once a week (half a bottle max), but when I do I feel really down a couple of hours later, and also the following day. I know alcohol is a depressant but it seems to have a huge impact on me now. I just wondered if anybody else has a similar experience?
tim
A few years ago I got into the habit of sharing a bottle of wine with the OH every night, which eventually increased to me drinking an entire bottle (and sometimes another glass on top). At the same time I was diagnosed with depression and was given Prozac and I stopped drinking but over time was back up to a bottle a night. Looking back it seems mad that I was taking both at the same time and no surprise that I felt so bad! After looking in the mirror one morning (I had put on 3 stone) I decided I would stop drinking and slowly stop taking prozac. I combined that with exercise and have felt much better since.
My question is really about alcohol - I don't drink much now apart from the odd glass of wine maybe once a week (half a bottle max), but when I do I feel really down a couple of hours later, and also the following day. I know alcohol is a depressant but it seems to have a huge impact on me now. I just wondered if anybody else has a similar experience?
tim
Not strictly true, alcohol is a central nervous system depressant which isn't the same as 'depression'. If you are suffering any sort of depression then it's best not to drink, especially in combination with some medications. I'm quite wary of saying much on here, there are always keyboard warriors who know better, but I don't see why having one glass of wine would have that affect on you. Could it be something else, like blood sugar levels, or something you eat when you drink?
jenpot said:
Not strictly true, alcohol is a central nervous system depressant which isn't the same as 'depression'. If you are suffering any sort of depression then it's best not to drink, especially in combination with some medications. I'm quite wary of saying much on here, there are always keyboard warriors who know better, but I don't see why having one glass of wine would have that affect on you. Could it be something else, like blood sugar levels, or something you eat when you drink?
Keep in mind that blood sugar levels take a massive spike when you drink alcohol - it's not the alcohol as such, it's the fact that it's all sugar (thus non-alcoholic sugary drinks can actually produce the same sort of result).Personally I find that when I'm drinking on a regular basis, I'm all-around worse. I feel down, I start snapping at people, I get lazier. It doesn't help that when I drink I tend to keep going until I fall asleep (moderation is not something I'm good at), so hangovers tend to be an issue as well.
Usually takes a week or two after drinking (if it lasted more than one night) before I feel completely good again. I don't want to give it up completely, because I really enjoy it - but I have had to say to myself that I'm not going to drink unless it's with someone else, as part of an actual event/evening out. No buying alcohol for myself, either - only if it's to be shared.
Meoricin said:
Keep in mind that blood sugar levels take a massive spike when you drink alcohol - it's not the alcohol as such, it's the fact that it's all sugar (thus non-alcoholic sugary drinks can actually produce the same sort of result).
.
A glass of wine has less cals than a banana and a bottle far less than an average meal,about 550? What is this 'spike' and why is it relevant to depression?.
Is there something other than the completely normal function of the body happening?
There is something in the mindset of those prone to depression/anxiety that when we start to feel low for whatever reason we react by trying to get rid of those feeling by suppressing them or trying to think our way out of them. In ours heads we get lost in the search for that solution and become preoccupied. This in itself is exhausting.
When we first recognise that our mood is swinging downwards it's not the mood that does the damage but how we react to it.
Alcohol and medication is a funny one for me. I used to have a theory that the alcohol stopped the medication from working. The reality is that before I was taking medication I always suffered terribly from hangovers and with that the tiredness and "blues" that have been mentioned. I too have a problem with drinking in moderation whilst socialising. 99% of the time alcohol relaxes me and to be honest I enjoy it.
So many other factors contribute as have been mentioned so whilst you should drink with an awareness of your medication I would not focus too much on this alone.
When we first recognise that our mood is swinging downwards it's not the mood that does the damage but how we react to it.
Alcohol and medication is a funny one for me. I used to have a theory that the alcohol stopped the medication from working. The reality is that before I was taking medication I always suffered terribly from hangovers and with that the tiredness and "blues" that have been mentioned. I too have a problem with drinking in moderation whilst socialising. 99% of the time alcohol relaxes me and to be honest I enjoy it.
So many other factors contribute as have been mentioned so whilst you should drink with an awareness of your medication I would not focus too much on this alone.
Gassing Station | Health Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff