Yeah, Alcohol is also a depressant. Hard to have a good time when you're suffering from something that could result in your suicide.
Let's start with depression.
Photo courtesy of Meli F.
Depression is, obviously when you go through periods of being extremely sad. It's not the normal kind of sadness, in the sense where, if you're sad, you can get over it and it doesn't effect your day-to-day life. Whereas, depression STAYS, and effects your way of living. For example:
- Have a hard time getting up, or falling asleep. Or even both.
- Eat way too much, or lose a bunch of weight from eating too little.
- Have body aches and sores. Including constant headaches.
- Feel intense hopelessness, sadness, or guilt. All the time.
"The depression caused by alcohol actually starts with your physical body. First, alcohol lowers the serotonin and norepinephrine levels in your brain. These chemicals are the chemicals that give you your good feelings - a feeling of well being, and they help you to feel normal. The anti-depressant drugs were designed build these chemicals back up. After a long drinking career, since alcohol can take these brain chemicals down to ground zero, it can take a long time for the anti-depressants to bring these brain chemical levels back to where they need to be."
Bipolar image courtesy of Photobucket.
People usually get addicted to alcohol because they like the feeling of being drunk. But is it really worth all the things that follow? You are giving yourself more problems by getting drunk. If you thought you were depressed before, drinking it away isn't actually drinking it away. You'll get more depression, and as I said, more problems. DO YOURSELF A FAVOR, AND FIND OTHER WAYS TO RID YOURSELF OF DEPRESSION.
You could...
- seek talking therapy (psychologist, counselor).
- do aromatherapy (Where you bring out certain emotions by smelling certain things. Go here to AromaWeb for more information and recipes and etc.)
- talk to a friend or someone who is close to you. (Sometimes, just SAYING what's wrong can help ease it some)
- Call a depression hotline (like The Suicide PREVENTION Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK )
Depression sucks, and is obviously no fun to have. Please seek help if you think you need it, or if you think a loved one might need it.
Don't do this. On the label of your medication bottle, there's a label that will tell you not to drink alcohol while on your medicine.
" * You may feel more depressed. Alcohol can worsen depression symptoms, so by drinking it, you could counteract effects of your medication and lessen its benefit.
* You may become more intoxicated than usual. Some antidepressants may cause you to feel more intoxicated than normal when combined with alcohol, which can impair your judgment and ability to drive or do other tasks that require focus and attention.
* The side effects from your medication may worsen. Some antidepressants cause drowsiness, and so does alcohol. Mixing the two could make you sleepy, which is dangerous in situations where you need to be alert.
* Deadly reactions can occur with monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). Examples of MAOIs include isocarboxazid (Marplan) phenelzine (Nardil) and tranylcypromine (Parnate). When combined with certain types of beverages and foods, these antidepressants can cause a dangerous spike in blood pressure, leading to a stroke. If you take an MAOI, be sure you know what's safe to eat and drink, and which alcoholic beverages can cause a reaction.
Image courtesy of Photobucket.
- Thanks to EzineArticles on how alcohol depresses you.
- Thanks to MayoClinic for things that can happen if you mix anti-depressants and alcohol.
SWF is a blog raising awareness about the effects Alcohol and Drug use can have on a person's life. Whether it is the person who is addicted or whether it's the person who is the child of a Parent who is addicted, this blog covers it all.
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