How are Alcohol and Depression Related?
There is indeed a relationship between alcohol and depression, but it has proven difficult to say if the abuse of alcohol contributes to depression or if depression triggers problems with alcohol. Both trains of thought have some basis in fact, and studies on the connection between alcohol and depression have yielded decidedly different results. Most experts agree that alcohol is a depressant, and those who suffer from clinical depression should not consume it during treatment.
There is indeed a relationship between alcohol and depression, but it has proven difficult to say if the abuse of alcohol contributes to depression or if depression triggers problems with alcohol. Both trains of thought have some basis in fact, and studies on the connection between alcohol and depression have yielded decidedly different results. Most experts agree that alcohol is a depressant, and those who suffer from clinical depression should not consume it during treatment. Chemically, ethyl alcohol is considered a depressant, which means it suppresses or slows the natural function of whatever system or organ it encounters in the body. Once alcohol crosses the blood/brain barrier, it essentially numbs the areas of the brain responsible for rational thought processes and mood control. While the short-term effect of alcohol may be feelings of euphoria or a lowering of social inhibitions, in the long run alcohol often triggers feelings of confusion, sadness and hopelessness. These sym
