SonOfTom Posted September 2, 2017 Share Posted September 2, 2017 Just a question for you guys an honest question. Have any of you ever turned to alcohol at a time of severe depression. I have done it again recently have been drinking alcohol a lot of the last two weeks. Strangely enough I have sort of improved a little over the last few weeks no thanks to the alcohol though mostly due to changing other aspects of my lifestyle such as washing more and buying new clothes, but this depression is something you just cant kick no matter what you do. I do not ask this question to encourage alcohol abuse, I must make that clear. What made you resort to alcohol? Would anyone like to share their own personal story? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristlecone Posted September 2, 2017 Share Posted September 2, 2017 oil and water do not mix same for depression an alcohol. alcohol is a depressant. not much of a story just my experiences booze makes me sad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afterglow1978 Posted September 2, 2017 Share Posted September 2, 2017 I have consumed a lot of alcohol in my life, but always found it didn't affect my depression one way or another. Now, I enjoy alcohol but can't understand how it would help depression in spite of what all those country songs say. I couldn't possibly care less about bars and nightclubs. Nothing but a massive waste of time and money. I smoke cigarettes when I am really depressed. It doesn't relieve the problem so much as provide a distraction. Also, it provides the same sort of psychological stress relief that self injury does for some folks. I guess because each cigarette shortens your lifespan a little bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jman232 Posted September 2, 2017 Share Posted September 2, 2017 Yes and no. In large amounts at once (drinking heavy liquor to get plastered), alcohol almost always exacerbates my depression. If I'm in a bad spot, be it depressed or just upset, alcohol will make it worse for me.... But, I've often found, especially in stressful times, a cheap gas station tall boy, occasionally paired with a cheap cigar, helps take the edge off and improve my focus, mood, and emotional capacity to deal with frustrating circumstances. But that's only when in small doses. I won't encourage alcohol and tobacco use, as both are objectively detrimental to physical health, just speaking from my own experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downNotOut Posted September 2, 2017 Share Posted September 2, 2017 I used to try to self-medicate with alcohol. Sometimes it seemed to make me feel better for a little while, but it the long run it generally made things worse. Now I've decided that some people need to avoid alcohol all together, and that I am one of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhyl Posted September 3, 2017 Share Posted September 3, 2017 Nope. Never. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeeperJeeper Posted September 3, 2017 Share Posted September 3, 2017 Yep doing it right now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunshine_today Posted September 3, 2017 Share Posted September 3, 2017 yeah, makes me forget how much i hate myself and everything i've ****ed up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indigoblue Posted September 3, 2017 Share Posted September 3, 2017 Yes several times, it will definitely make you feel better temporarily, but when the next day comes you'll be in a much worse state. A hang over plus depression is pure hell. I tend to self medicate, but it only makes things worse. There seems to be no real escape from the suffering which plagues many of us, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik W Posted September 3, 2017 Share Posted September 3, 2017 I spent the last 2 1/2 years drinking basically every day and all day. At first it was the miracle cure. My anxiety was cured, I was more social, I was happier, but it was all just covering more and more problems. I'm still struggling with it. I've been to rehab more times than I care to mention, damaged trust in my girlfriend that I should have gotten engaged to years ago(thankfully she's still my biggest support), I hurt family and just got out of a mental hospital. That was a horrifying experience. My roommate would go psycho on people at random and try to hit them with garbage cans or whatever was nearby...so that was fun. Long story short I give alcohol a .01 out of 5 stars for treating depression. 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debbers Posted September 3, 2017 Share Posted September 3, 2017 The only thing alcohol ever did for me was make me pee my pants and black out. lol. I'd rather remember things I do and save the few brain cells I have! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheddarhead Posted September 6, 2017 Share Posted September 6, 2017 There was a 8 year time span when I drank a lot. Had good memories and bad ones as well. Alcohol always broke me out of my shell and made me feel more alive. Of course the health effects weren't worth it anymore so essentially I quit. Occasionally I miss those times. I don't want to fall back into that trap so I try to steer clear of bars and clubs. I'm a much healthier person these days because of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duck Posted September 6, 2017 Share Posted September 6, 2017 (edited) No. Edited September 6, 2017 by duck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris8088 Posted September 6, 2017 Share Posted September 6, 2017 I turned to alcohol for a while and enjoyed it. Then it went from good to bad. Now I seriously limit my alcohol intake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShhPatrick Posted September 6, 2017 Share Posted September 6, 2017 Nope, the medications I take don't mix with alcohol. I've had a lot of bad experiences with alcoholics through my life so it'd be nice to have a release but if I could, I'm not sure I would drink. Maybe socially on occasion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luis Posted September 6, 2017 Share Posted September 6, 2017 I am 26, and have never tried alcohol. Not even so much as a sip, despite that I've been struggling with depression since I was at least 17, and have been legally able to purchase alcohol for a handful of years now. I don't know, something seems illogical about resorting to alcohol to fix depression. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keeptrying21 Posted September 6, 2017 Share Posted September 6, 2017 On 2 September 2017 at 0:33 PM, SonOfTom said: Advertisement Just a question for you guys an honest question. Have any of you ever turned to alcohol at a time of severe depression. I have done it again recently have been drinking alcohol a lot of the last two weeks. Strangely enough I have sort of improved a little over the last few weeks no thanks to the alcohol though mostly due to changing other aspects of my lifestyle such as washing more and buying new clothes, but this depression is something you just cant kick no matter what you do. I do not ask this question to encourage alcohol abuse, I must make that clear. What made you resort to alcohol? Would anyone like to share their own personal story? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keeptrying21 Posted September 6, 2017 Share Posted September 6, 2017 Hi SonOfTom, I did indeed. . I "medicated" on alcohol for many years. It might work (sort of) in the short term but in the long term it can result in trading two problems for one i.e. alcoholism and depression. I gave it up about 20 years ago. I'd say if I had stayed at it I could very well be an alcoholic now. It is very common for people to present in hospital with both problems. Alcohol might relieve the fire in your head in the short term but I think its not worth the risk. I think you would be wiser to seek medical advice and if advised take suitable medication. Good Luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD4010 Posted September 6, 2017 Share Posted September 6, 2017 Yes. But I can't drink now. If I start, I'll keep going to the point of blackout. Then I'll feel miserable for days afterwards. For me, the weeeeed is most effective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtnDreams Posted September 6, 2017 Share Posted September 6, 2017 I've used alcohol many times in my life to deal with depression. It has not worked for me when I drank to excess. It has, however, done wonders for me when used moderately. I used to drink in an out of control fashion maybe 20 years ago. For about 10 years I would drink 4-5 times per week and would drink to the point of blackout and unconsciousness almost every time. I didn't know then but I know now that I drank because I could not interact with other people when sober (social phobia) and because I absolutely hated myself (which I still do). That type of drinking did not help me at all and it even caused many other problems, as you can imagine, that caused me considerable grief. I don't really know how but I stopped drinking like that about 20 years ago. I pretty much woke up one day and told myself that I don't want to do that anymore. And I didn't. I still drank a alcohol or two here and there but I never drank to excess again. Since then my depression has gotten worse and worse. And I've found no real relief. But I still have a alcohol or two probably two or three times per week. Those drinks help me tremendously because they take the edge off of my days. Whenever I've had or am having a terrible day I can sit down, have a alcohol, and then feel a heck of a lot better 30 mins later. I would be one rough, angry, disgruntled, miserable, human if I cut out all drinking. Now, maybe I should learn to live life without having to involve a bottle. But it doesn't cause me any problems, I really enjoy the beverage, and it certainly helps me in the end. So why not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sober4life Posted September 6, 2017 Share Posted September 6, 2017 Yes I have drank more alcohol in my life than all the people I know put together. I don't even want to know how much I've drank in my life. The empty containers would probably fill the entire house and the 2 and a half acre yard too. It would look like I was living at the dump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zagor Posted September 7, 2017 Share Posted September 7, 2017 (edited) I have been "treating" depression with alcohol before doctor gave me opioids for severe injury and I would feel good when I get the booze buzz but I'd feel like crap later or the next day usually. Right now I am not allowed to drink due to medication I take but maybe that was one thing that helped at times. Overall it is better to treat depression without alcohol because it is a depressant and can lead to severe alcoholism. But some people surely turn to alcohol/drugs because of their depression. Edited September 7, 2017 by Zagor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonOfTom Posted September 7, 2017 Author Share Posted September 7, 2017 Thank you all for sharing this with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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