Depression link with alcohol question
So one of my parents suffers from depression and I HOPE that I haven't got the genes from them to have it myself like seriously hope. (but I don't know that so can't really do much about that)
But my question is, can drinking alcohol increase your chances of getting depressed/having the actual mental illness of depression? Or are depression and alcohol different functions in your brain, since depressions to do with dopamine for all I know and alcohol just slows down the speed of neurons?
I'm not sure about this, hence why I came here, responses are appreciated.
But my question is, can drinking alcohol increase your chances of getting depressed/having the actual mental illness of depression? Or are depression and alcohol different functions in your brain, since depressions to do with dopamine for all I know and alcohol just slows down the speed of neurons?
I'm not sure about this, hence why I came here, responses are appreciated.
Original post by Anonymous
So one of my parents suffers from depression and I HOPE that I haven't got the genes from them to have it myself like seriously hope. (but I don't know that so can't really do much about that)
But my question is, can drinking alcohol increase your chances of getting depressed/having the actual mental illness of depression? Or are depression and alcohol different functions in your brain, since depressions to do with dopamine for all I know and alcohol just slows down the speed of neurons?
I'm not sure about this, hence why I came here, responses are appreciated.
But my question is, can drinking alcohol increase your chances of getting depressed/having the actual mental illness of depression? Or are depression and alcohol different functions in your brain, since depressions to do with dopamine for all I know and alcohol just slows down the speed of neurons?
I'm not sure about this, hence why I came here, responses are appreciated.
Alcohol is a depressant and can make you more susseptible to just about any emotion. Alcoholics tend to be agressive or down in the dumps because alcohol amplifies negative emotions and that can be applied to lower alchol consumption too. I'm not too sure on why or how that happens though.
A bit of a drink now and then won't do any long term harm but regular drinking could put you at more risk. You may also find that in te moment you get more of a depressive affect. Since you are concerned about it you may want to be more careful with what you drink and be sure of your limits.
Not much is actually known about depression and it's questionable wheather dopamine changes are a cause or result of depression. Depression can also be triggered so negative affects of alcohol could be a trigger. A single drinking session shouldn't have a long term affect as far as i'm aware, but regular consumption could lead to a downhill slope.
Try not to worry too much about "getting the depression gene" or anything. It's really unclear why people get depression and if/ how it relates to family. Depression can vary a lot so even if you were to get it you could have a really mild or short bout. About 1 in 4 people experience depression at some point so your chances (like anyone elses) are statistically high anyway regardless of your parents experiencce. You may even be better off because you are more likely to recognise it and know what to do since you have experience with it
