Treatment of Depression With Alcohol and Substance Dependence: A Systematic Review PMC

Substance-induced depression is different from major depressive disorder and, by definition, should improve once a person stops consuming substances (such as alcohol). « An experienced psychiatrist [or another mental health professional] familiar with mood disorders and the effects of alcohol abuse can be instrumental in recommending appropriate medications and monitoring medication efficacy, » says Kennedy. Major depressive disorder involves persistent and prolonged symptoms, but depression, in general, takes on many different forms. Depressive symptoms can result from life stressors, mental health conditions, medical conditions, and other factors. Drinking persistently and excessively can increase your risk of developing a major depressive disorder. It can also aggravate symptoms of pre-existing depression and endanger your health and mental health.

• For example, if a patient has had multiple relapses despite numerous encounters with AUD treatment programs but no prior treatment for depression, the clinician may be more inclined to treat the depression aggressively.
• Brief tools are available to help non-specialists assess for AUD and screen for common co-occurring mental health conditions.
• Disagreement also exists about whether longer term independent treatment for depressive or anxiety diagnoses is required for the alcoholic person to achieve a normal level of life functioning.

Alcohol can increase the risk of dangerous symptoms

Reach out to a mental health professional to talk about treatment and strategies for dealing with depression. Alcohol use disorders may be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the combination of symptoms you’re experiencing, but drinking problems can exist regardless of a clinical diagnosis. If you believe you’re susceptible of experiencing alcohol addiction or depression, you may want to speak with a mental health professional, such as a social worker, alcohol and depression counselor, or therapist, about these concerns and how best to prevent or cope with these disorders. It is important to remember, however, that certain studies show some overlap among depressive, anxiety, and alcoholic disorders in the same family. Many of these studies are mentioned in the Schuckit and Hesselbrock review, including the work by Merikangas and colleagues (1985). Other such studies are highlighted in the review by Brady and Lydiard (1993).

How is Depression Diagnosed?

When that happens, you’re more likely to feel depressed, particularly if you have a family history of depression. If you have depression and drink too much alcohol, then you may be wondering if there are any treatments or lifestyle changes for someone in your situation. Individuals with alcohol use disorder may drink too much alcohol, too often. It’s very important https://ecosoberhouse.com/ to address both alcohol misuse and depression simultaneously when looking into treatment options, as these conditions are closely intertwined and can exacerbate each other, Kennedy explains. Whether you’re experiencing depression or not, it’s essential to evaluate your drinking habits and consider why you drink, when you drink, and how you feel when you drink.

Major depressive disorder

This may be because MDD is one of the most common conditions in the general population. Some researchers have suggested that the effects of psychotherapy may account for some of the pill placebo response observed in medication studies. The aforementioned depressive disorders each have slightly different diagnostics criteria. However, according to the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), major depressive disorder is the most common and well-known example of this group of disorders.5 Thus, the following info focuses on this particular disorder. Previous trauma is also a risk factor for alcohol misuse and depression. Children who have major depression as a child may drink earlier in life, according to one study.

Treatment options

• Don’t stop taking an antidepressant or other medication just so that you can drink.
• Furthermore, these patients usually suffer from treatment-resistant depression.
• Specifically, some studies focused on drinking patterns rather than on alcohol dependence or described mood/anxiety symptoms rather than true psychiatric disorders.
• Among people in treatment for DSM-IV AUD, almost 33% met criteria for major depressive disorder in the past year, and 11% met criteria for dysthymia.
• And often, people may use the word “depressed” as a way to verbalize how they are feeling.

If you already feel a little low, giving yourself a hard time for overdoing the alcohol probably won’t improve matters. It’s more likely to worsen negative mood states, along with physical health. Alcohol can affect the areas of your brain that help regulate emotions. You might start drinking in order to forget what’s on your mind, but once the initial boost begins to wear off, you might end up wallowing in those feelings instead. Bad sleep can easily affect your mood the next day, since exhaustion and lingering physical symptoms can make it tough to concentrate. People with AUD are 1.7 times more likely to have had PDD in the previous year.

What are the immediate clinical implications of coexisting depressive and anxiety states among alcoholics?

Tips to change your relationship with alcohol

• Many clinical features of AUD have significant overlap with other psychiatric disorders, including sleep disturbances and negative emotional states such as worry, dysphoria, sadness, or irritability that often occur during cycles of alcohol intoxication, withdrawal, and craving.
• Signs to look out for include things like continuous low mood or sadness, feeling hopeless and helpless, having no motivation or interest in things, and – for some people – thoughts about harming themselves.
• In the short term, drinking alcohol can make you feel good, sociable, and even euphoric.
• However, as pointed out by Kushner (1996), larger studies of COA’s who have passed the age of risk for most disorders will need to be conducted before final conclusions can be drawn.

Stick to moderate drinking

• As recently reviewed in the literature, some interesting data also support a possible relationship between longstanding anxiety or depressive disorders and alcoholism (Kushner et al. 1990; Kushner 1996).
• PTSD may facilitate development of AUD, as alcohol is commonly used to numb memories of a traumatic event or to cope with symptoms of posttraumatic stress, and AUD may increase the likelihood of PTSD.29 The relationship between PTSD and AUD may have multiple causal pathways.
• Although the study participant had a general physical examination done (including blood pressure, temperature, and body weight check), no laboratory or radiological investigations were done in the current study.
• Opioids were also examined in two studies [15,18], and cannabis was examined in two studies [18,20] (Table ​(Table11).
• Some experts also suggest that both depression and alcohol use disorders share underlying pathophysiology in that they are both neuroinflammatory conditions.
• In this article, learn more about the links between alcohol and depression, as well as when to see a doctor.