People who drink alcohol for a long time in large quantities often face a depressive syndrome. This disorder is characterized by mental disorders associated with the suppression of emotions, a feeling of devastation, guilt, uselessness. Often such a state aggravates the thought of suicide. In addition, because of alcohol, internal organs suffer: heart, liver, esophagus, brain, kidneys. Therefore, alcoholic depression requires a comprehensive approach to treatment: drug therapy should be combined with the help of a doctor-psychotherapist.
- Why alcoholism causes depression
- Psychological causes of alcoholism
- What is alcoholic depression?
- Symptoms
- Treatment of a depressive state
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Why alcoholism causes depression
Depression on the background of alcoholism is a problem caused by a variety of factors. At the physiological level, everything starts with hormones. In a normal state, neurotransmitters work stably in a person who are responsible for transferring impulses between neurons, poise, pleasure, and much more. When drinking alcohol, their activity is disrupted, endorphins begin to be artificially produced in large numbers, which leads to a brief euphoria.
When the level of the hormone of happiness decreases, there is depression, a feeling of dissatisfaction. A man tries to experience euphoria again and reaches for another portion of alcohol. There comes a post-alcohol depression, characterized by a deterioration in mental health.
Important! Post-alcohol depression is often confused with the withdrawal syndrome (the moment of giving up alcohol). However, in the first case, only the psyche usually suffers, and in the second case, the state of health worsens even at the physical level.
Hangovers after taking large doses of alcohol are characterized by a decline in glucose levels, which is manifested in a decrease in strength, weakness in the muscles. This effect can last about a day, depending on the state of the human body. So, those who do not abuse alcohol, the hangover lasts several hours, and after 2-3 days the blood is cleared of toxins. For people with alcoholism, the period of full recovery lasts longer than 5 days.
Dependence on alcohol is not formed immediately. An abstinence syndrome is one of the first alarming signals that makes a person think about the amount of alcohol consumed. With a hangover, there are neurological, somatic disorders, removed by a regular dose of alcohol. The craving for alcohol in men is formed in a few months, in women, this habit is developed much faster. Therefore, alcoholic hangovers and depression are inextricably linked with each other.
Psychological causes of alcoholism
Mechanisms for the formation of dependence are not only physiological (due to the development of endorphins), but also psychological. A person for some reason is not satisfied with the quality of his life, he resorts to a kind of doping to feel good, despite external circumstances. Among the psychological reasons contributing to the development of alcoholism, there are:
- impossibility of self-realization;
- problems in personal life;
- complexes and fears;
- deep emotional turmoil.
A person begins to drink alcohol in the hope of liberating, to establish social contacts or, conversely, to forget, so as not to feel traumatic experiences. Thus, instead of solving the problem, the alcoholic prefers to drown it. Therefore, for those who ask the question "Does alcohol help with depression?", The answer is unequivocal: it not only does not help, but also aggravates the psychological state.
Important! A person who decided to give up alcohol, the reality seems dull, since the habitual development of endorphins does not occur in his brain. Therefore, he wants to find a new stimulant, which can be drugs, gambling, dangerous sports.
What is alcoholic depression?
The first mention of this diagnosis appeared in the early 20th century under the term "alcoholic melancholy". Its severity is directly dependent on the duration of alcohol use and the stage of alcoholism. The average age of people suffering from this disease is 35-40 years. Among young people, this problem is less common.
How long the alcoholic depression lasts is hard to say unequivocally. This condition can take place within 2 weeks, and may be delayed for a month. Severe stages of alcoholism are characterized by symptoms that do not pass for years. Also in the course of the disease, the sex of the patient plays an important role.
Women are more likely to be overtaken by depression accompanying alcoholism. But in men the disease is more complicated. Often, it is complicated by the appearance of suicidal thoughts and actions, since men are rarely ready to seek qualified help. It is usually provided by drug addicts, psychiatrists, and psychotherapists.
It happens that a depressive disorder manifests itself at a time when a person has not consumed alcohol for a while. The breakdown in the period of remission is due to the fall of the alcoholic from the social environment, the loss of communication skills, a sense of inferiority, the inability to re-enter the normal rhythm of life. If there is no external support at the same time, the internal strength of the patient may not be enough, which causes a breakdown.
Symptoms
The symptomatology of the disease is presented, first of all, by psychological changes, but sometimes it is expressed by affective disorder (a vivid manifestation of emotions). The main symptoms of alcoholic depression:
- emotional depression;
- feeling of loss of colors of life;
- headache;
- retardation;
- lack of appetite.
Psychological problems are supplemented by the inhibition of all brain processes. The patient has a monotonous voice, the variety of facial expressions is lost, leaving only the expression of sadness on his face. People spend most of their time in prostration, it is difficult to answer the question and formulate their thoughts.
This condition is rarely accompanied by hallucinations. However, often the patient experiences increased anxiety (especially if it is an elderly person). He shows a tendency to hypertrophy the negative sides of his life and engage in self-flagellation. In this case, alcoholics can view suicide as a way out of a hopeless situation in which there is nowhere to wait for help.
Know! Light stages of alcoholic depression sometimes pass independently, without medical intervention. However, they can be repeated at different intervals.
Treatment of a depressive state
As a rule, treatment at home with this condition is not possible. It is best to place the patient in a hospital under the supervision of doctors. This is due to the fact that at home the alcoholic will be more difficult to control, which threatens with new disruptions and relapses. In addition, it is important for a specialist to see how the patient is treated. Therefore, the only thing that patients can ask, how to help themselves, is to completely give up alcohol, show willpower and not succumb to temptation. The rest of the work will be done by doctors.
In total, the treatment goes through several stages:
- Diagnostics. Allows you to evaluate the stage of alcoholism for choosing appropriate treatment. It is determined on the basis of the collected anamnesis and manifestations of the disease.
- Detoxification. If necessary, the patient is driped intravenously with drip solutions, vitamins, antioxidants to eliminate the effects of the drink. They improve the patient's health by speeding up the decay products, restoring the supply of brain nutrients.
- Antidepressants. They are appointed in order to normalize the mental state of the alcoholic. To such, for example, is Fevarin - an antidepressant of a new generation, used to treat many mental disorders.
- Preparations for the elimination of symptoms. If the patient has problems with sleep or has marked anxiety, the doctor prescribes a course of hypnotics and tranquilizers.
- Psychotherapy. Classes with a psychotherapist help not only to get the patient out of the state of apathy, it's easier to shift the refusal from alcohol, but eliminate the very reason for using it. The specialist will help to solve the problem, which once led the patient to alcoholic depression, which is one of the most important steps in the entire treatment complex.
Timely hospitalization and adequate treatment help to find a way out of this difficult situation. Depression caused by alcohol consumption is gradually disappearing. In some cases, episodes can also appear after therapy, but such moments are quite rare.
The main thing is not to try to get rid of the harassing problem yourself. In such a case, it is better to seek qualified help, as well as enlist the support of relatives. Only in this case it is possible to defeat the disease.
