Depression and low mood

Alcohol, recreational drugs and depression

Alcohol and recreational drugs are ‘mood-altering substances’, in other words they have an effect on the mood and state of mind of anyone using them (in addition to other effects on the central nervous system). Their effect can be particularly heightened for people who have depression or experience low moods, and depression and anxiety can be made worse by consuming large quantities of alcohol.
In some instances, drinking alcohol may counteract the benefits of antidepressant medication or it can be unsafe to take the two together. Alcohol can also make people more likely to act impulsively, and there is a known link between alcohol use and suicide. Here young people talk about their experiences of alcohol and depression and also talk about recreational drug use.

Drinking alcohol
Young people we spoke with talked about their views and experiences of drinking alcohol and its effects on their moods and depression. Most of them said they did drink alcohol although a few said they only drank very little and very rarely. Some didn’t like the taste of alcohol, couldn’t afford to buy it or just generally weren’t keen on drinking and the drinking culture. One man who was training to be a doctor said he wouldn’t drink alcohol because he knows “how much damage it can do”. Another woman had stopped drinking because alcohol could trigger and enhance her anxiety attacks.

Many people felt that drinking alcohol was an important part of their lifestyle and went hand in hand with school, college or university culture. Some felt sometimes unspoken pressure to join their friends by drinking alcohol, or had thought it was ‘cool’ because their older friends were drinking. Mostly people said they drank alcohol because it was “a good laugh”, “fun” and a social thing to do in the park, pub or club with their mates.

Many hoped that drinking would lift their moods or help them “escape” feeling depressed. They described drinking to “cheer” themselves up, to “take mind off” worries and problems. One woman said she drank every night to help her sleep while another one described how she drank so she “didn’t have to think about how I felt”.

Effects of alcohol on mood and depression
Generally, people said they were fine as long as they stuck to what they felt was their “safe limit” or drank “moderately”. Drinking “too much” made depression much worse. They pointed out that initially a couple of drinks made them feel better but after a few more, they felt a lot worse. One woman described alcohol as “a natural downer” so she’d stopped drinking. Some said going out and drinking lifted their moods and they were fine “when drinking” but that they felt “million times worse” the next day.

A few people felt that hangovers heightened their feelings of depression and anxiety and a couple said they suffered from a moral hangover after a big night out. One woman described how drinking affected her moods;
 

“(I was) absolutely miserable and miserable about being miserable”.

Some people found it difficult to drink “moderately” as they said that after they “hit a point” it was hard to stop. Drinking “too much” made some feel “stupid” and “do silly things”. They would mix drink and drugs, pass out or get “in trouble”. For some there was also a link between drinking and aggression. Some people described how they got angry much more easily when drunk and ended up in fights or arguing with people. Many young people also said that when they were drunk they were more likely to self-harm and feel suicidal. See also our section on ‘Depression, self-harming and suicidal thoughts’.

 

Source: http://www.healthtalk.org/young-peoples-experiences/depression-and-low-mood/alcohol-recreational-drugs-and-depression