Self-Medicating Depression with Alcohol

The Mental Health Foundation in the U.K. has just released a study about the relationship between mental health and drinking alcohol.

They note that the idea that people 'self-medicate' their depression or other mental health problems using alcohol is well known and documented. They note that as far as this notion goes,

"the basic premise is that the psychopharmacological properties of alcohol help individuals deal with negative effects of mental ill-health by altering the chemistry of the brain, which in turn counters the negative feelings. The prevalence of alcohol dependence among people with psychiatric disorders is almost twice as high as in the general population."

"..Little has been said in public policy documents about the way the general population relies on alcohol - a legally available drug - as a mood-altering substance that is used to mask other problems, or to deal with emotions. "

The study is relatively bland in its pronouncements. I mean, I think what you will find here would seem obvious to most people who drink. But if you want to dig deeper into the interesting connection, see this book: The Thirst for Wholeness : Attachment, Addiction, and the Spiritual Path