Depression and Substance Use

People with depression are prone to alcohol and drug use (1/3 of people with depression also have an alcohol problem). The opposite is also true. People who use drugs and alcohol are also more likely to experience depression.

It is often the case that depression comes first, perhaps developing in adolescence. While people with depression begin drinking as a form of self-medication for depression, the reality is that alcohol makes depression worse. People have more frequent and more severe episodes of depression. Alcohol use makes anti-depressants less effective. Consequently, people with both problems are more likely to think about suicide and, when drunk and disinhibited, act on these thoughts.