Alcohol and Depression: Which Comes First?
Do you drink large amounts of alcohol? Are you feeling down and hopeless? Do you also have difficulty concentrating and remembering? Studies find that there is a strong connection between alcohol and depression. Some people may drink to cope with depression, and people who have depression may drink to cope. While there can be a debate as to which issue came first, there is no debate about the importance of receiving dual diagnosis treatment.
Signs of Depression
When it comes to co-occurring disorders, alcohol and depression occur alongside each other quite often. In fact, a common sign of depression can be an increase in alcohol consumption, which leads to signs of alcohol abuse.
Other symptoms of depression can include:
- Irritability
- Persistent anxiety
- Lack of energy
- Feelings of worthlessness
- Insomnia or excessive sleeping
- Suicidal thoughts
Many of these may seem like minor problems that everyone has to handle, but when they affect your daily functioning, they may be signs of depression. When alcohol and depression begin to negatively affect your wellbeing, it’s time to seek out an alcohol addiction treatment center.
Alcohol and Depression- What Came First?
Studies show that alcohol abuse is likely to lead to depression. This may be due to the toxic effects that alcohol has on the brain. On the other hand, someone may reach for the bottle to try to relieve depression symptoms. However, alcohol can be deceiving. It may take care of the symptoms temporarily, but because drinking increases the risk for depression, the cycle continues. In addition, studies show that a family history of alcoholism or depression increases the risk of developing either condition.
A depression treatment program at an addiction treatment center allows you to care for both your alcoholism and your depression. You learn healthy coping skills and stress management to help manage your mental health without turning to harmful substances like alcohol.
Dangers of Alcohol and Depression
People who struggle with alcohol and depression are at a greater risk for attempting and following through with suicide. Along with worsening depression, alcohol makes drinkers act on impulse. Alcohol is usually a factor in suicides that involve driving a vehicle or overdosing. If you are having suicidal thoughts, please call 1-800-273-TALK. You don’t have to live like this. A person who has depression and abuses alcohol should be treated for both conditions. If only one is addressed, he or she may not completely recover. So don’t go halfway with recovery—get treatment for alcohol and depression at Lakeview Health.
Dual Diagnosis Treatment at Lakeview Health
If you’re struggling with alcohol and depression, it doesn’t matter what came first. What matters is that you receive the dual diagnosis treatment you need for recovery. Through dual diagnosis treatment, both your depression disorder and alcohol addiction receive the attention they need. Too often, individuals only receive care for one of the issues, most often the addiction, without addressing the needs of the other. This keeps them trapped in a cycle. With addiction treatment programs at Lakeview Health, you are able to receive care for both alcohol and depression.
Our programs include the following:
- Residential treatment program
- Partial hospitalization treatment program
- Intensive outpatient treatment program
- Aftercare program
We also offer a range of addiction treatment therapies to help our clients succeed.
For help with alcohol and depression, contact Lakeview Health today by calling 866.704.7692. Our team of specialists are ready to help you achieve your recovery goals.
Lakeview Health is staying updated on all COVID-19 developments to ensure the safety and health of our clients and staff.
We currently accept Aetna, Cigna, and United Healthcare. We do not currently accept Medicare, Medicaid, or Florida Blue.
