topic Alcohol & depression in Depression

Alcohol & depression

Jo3 — Sat, 15 Nov 2014 02:27:42 GMT

Last night I was invited to join 3 other friends for dinner. Two of us drank a bottle of wine. I was feeling really happy and was feeling relaxed and having good time. But that changed very quickly. By the time I got home I was so feeling a bit strange. Within a few minutes of going to bed I could feel my anxiety building up; I could feel my emotions rising. I don't know if it was the alcohol and anti depressants.

Why couldn't that relaxed feeling stay with me a bit longrer. Maybe if I keep drinking my body will get used to it and I would feel good. The 3 hours of being together with friends and drinking was good, I didn't even think of any negative thoughts.

Alcohol & depression

Jo3 — Sat, 15 Nov 2014 23:41:16 GMT

Now I am 'owning up' to more drinking .....

yesterday I went to a party and drank quite a bit - it was quite good

Alcohol & depression

Pixie15 — Sun, 16 Nov 2014 04:46:26 GMT

Hi Jo,

Alcohol is a mood depressor. It actually works in opposition to anti depressants if you are taking them.

Grateful.

Alcohol & depression

Jo3 — Sun, 16 Nov 2014 06:46:33 GMT

Hi Grateful

Do you mean drinking alcohol will make me feel even more depressed. Sorry I don't understand what mood depressor is???? now i feel dumb.

Alcohol & depression

White_Rose — Sun, 16 Nov 2014 14:20:04 GMT

Hello Jo

Alcohol makes you feel good for a while and then starts to work in reverse, as it were. I find that after two glasses of wine, if I don't fall asleep, I can be very merry but the down side is I feel so awful afterwards and as I say, it's after only two glasses of wine. Wine makes me whine.

Best to stay away from alcohol when on ADs. The two don't mix.

Love

Mary

Alcohol & depression

Pixie15 — Sun, 16 Nov 2014 22:25:10 GMT

Hi Jo,

Sorry I did not really intend to post such a short response. I was interrupted yesterday.

I believe that the AD's and the alcohol work on the brain differently you might want to research it if you are really interested. Alcohol can relax anxiety and combined with the AD's it can have a dis-inhibiting effect which can help in social situations and I know a couple of people who suffer anxiety who find it relaxing to have a drink or two and are not really affected by moderate drinking.

As not every individual is equally affected by side effects and drug combinations it probably is something to work out for yourself, if you want to drink, what your tolerance level is.

Grateful.

Alcohol & depression

Jo3 — Mon, 17 Nov 2014 06:12:09 GMT

Hi Grateful

Thanks for your explanation. I actually came home and drank a little bit of wine, it was a nice feeling.

But I have a feeling that I am using alcohol as a 'fix' for all my problems and that's not going to happen is it?

Alcohol & depression

Pixie15 — Tue, 18 Nov 2014 01:46:14 GMT

Hi Jo,

I agree that alcohol can not be a fix for any problems.

I like to have a drink socially but try not to make it habitual now, something I did more when I was younger. If I can choose to drink or not drink and just be moderate I can not see it being an issue for me.

If I go out for dinner I will have a glass of wine and a glass of water going at the same time. A standard drink of wine is surprisingly small amount.

Grateful.

Alcohol & depression

Jo3 — Tue, 18 Nov 2014 02:20:56 GMT

Hi Grateful

I have just come back from my GP and told him about my drinking. We talked about it and I know that alcohol is not a good mix with AD. He has increased my meds and said to try and not drink as they will only 1/2 work when drinking.

I think I was trying to find 'something else' to fix my problems and this will makes things worse.

Alcohol & depression

Pixie15 — Tue, 18 Nov 2014 22:30:39 GMT

Hi Jo,

Glad you spoke to your doctor about your own situation. Seems a sensible thing for anyone to do who is taking medication. I think you are right that alcohol can not fix problems. It seems more for avoiding facing or trying to forget that there are problems.

Grateful.

Alcohol & depression

White_Rose — Tue, 18 Nov 2014 23:22:57 GMT

Hello Jo

I also am glad you spoke to your GP. Do you remember the old song "It's illegal, it's immoral, or it makes you fat". I would add or it makes you depressed. Not fair is it? It seems there is something wrong with most of the enjoyable options in life. Ah well, we struggle on.

You know I am so pleased that you are working through your difficulties. OK there are some wrong choices. I wish I could say I have never made any but I have, big time. Refusing ADs for ages was a biggy. Trying to manage on my own was another. But we learn and when things wrong we do as Wellington said, "Tie a knot and move on." Great advice I found. Read it too many years ago to reveal.

I have found that it's not the big things in life that trip me up, such as alcohol, as I have always known this did not make for a good time. It's the small things, or rather the smaller things. Forgetting or ignoring that someone loves me. thinking too much about myself instead of getting on with life, even though this can be difficult. The biggest of all is procrastination. I'll do it later, tomorrow, when I've done this, when I've had a sleep, and the list goes on. Causes me more anxiety than everything because it is hanging over me like a black cloud until I get off my backside and do it.

We all have our personal downfalls. I wonder how big a list they would make if they were all collected together. Not sure I really want to know.

Jo, you are sounding so much better every time you write. I know we all step backwards at times but on the whole there are at least two steps forward for one back, and on average more than two forward. Being so close to the action makes it hard to see the progress and we need to rely on others to point it out. So well done Jo. Go get 'em girl.

Mary