The Connection Between Depression and Alcohol?

Most people would take alcohol to avoid feeling a painful emotion or feeling. A divorce, trauma, job loss or any other stressful event in life would make people to seek relief in alcohol. Alcohol definitely has a sedative effect on the human brain, but it is only with one or two glasses of alcohol and not with severe alcoholism and continuous addiction to alcohol. One or two glasses of beer will make your brain sedative and calm, relieving stress to some extent in the process.

Recent scientific studies have revealed a direct link between alcoholism and depression. The biggest question facing the scientific community is to find whether alcoholism causes depression or whether depressed people are consuming more alcohol to find some relief in their depressed state. There are no concrete findings still, to validate one over the other. The statistics reveal that more than 35% of the depressed people are also having an alcohol addiction issue.

Studies conducted in many depression cases show that depression was to occur first and then the person would find consolation in alcohol, in order to feel a bit of relief. This study also revealed that children who were depressed during their childhood years would most probably develop alcohol addiction issues once they reach adulthood. Women with depression are found to be addicted to alcohol, twice as much as men.

The real causes for the connection between depression and alcoholism is not found as yet. But, scientists suspect that it could be due to environmental factors and also to some extent: human genes. A variant of the CHRM2 gene is said to be behind the never-ending cycle of alcoholism and depression. This condition usually runs in the family. Also, a person's social condition and home environment could be another factor that would decide, if he or she would develop alcoholism and depression together. Anyway, depression and alcoholism are a never-ending cycle and staying away from both would be best for your health and well being.

Noticing The Warning Signs Of Alcohol Abuse

Alcoholism is one of the most prominent forms of addiction that impacts a wide variety of people from all different age groups and backgrounds. In order to recognize the signs of an alcohol addiction, it is important that you understand the impact that alcohol has on the mind, body and soul. Not only that, but there is also quite a devastating impact to be had on the loved ones of people who have developed an addiction to alcohol. Luckily, there are some early warning signs that you can look for that will help you to get your friend or loved one the treatment that they need in a timely fashion. The quicker an addiction to alcohol is noted, the better chance they will have of living a healthier, substance free life.

Quite often, someone who has a problem with alcohol will use it regularly or even on a daily basis. When you start to notice that someone around you is drinking each day, early in the day or even several times throughout the day, the chances are very good that they are falling victim to alcoholism. Usually, these will be people who are found to be drinking alone or even hiding it from friends or family members. Even a few drinks per day can lead to a dependence on alcohol that can worsen over time.

Does it seem as though you have a friend or a loved one who is easily agitated or becomes quite defensive when they are confronted about their drinking habits? If so, the chances are very good that they have a problem that they are unwilling to recognize. Many times, someone addicted to alcohol will also drink while on their lunch break from work, while in the presence of their children or even while they are driving a vehicle. All of these situations can have dangerous consequences that could lead to harm of themselves or of others around them.

Another tell-tale sign that someone is developing an issue with alcohol is noticeable anxiety or irritation. Whenever a situation arises where someone is denied alcohol, the chances are that they can become very angry if they are unable to have it. A lot of sufferers of alcoholism will also start to lose their ability to properly interact with others around them or will feel the need to back away from social settings altogether. If you start to notice these or other questionable signs, it is important that you look into getting your friend or family member into a treatment program.