Alcoholism and Depression; Which Comes First?

Many alcoholics have also needed to deal with depression at one time or another. For some of us it occurred as a result of our drinking while for others it was what drove them to the bottle in the first place. Knowing if it was alcoholism or depression that came first is important because if it was there to begin with there is a good chance it could return in recovery.

It can be hard to remember why we first hit the booze; maybe you were still in your early teens like me? Quite a few people fall into addiction in an attempt to self-medicate a mental illness like depression. These people may not have even realised that they were suffering with these depressive symptoms; they just knew that life somehow felt better with a few bottles on board. It is amazing how well alcoholism and depression can go together in the beginning; especially when you consider that alcohol as a depressant. Once full-blown addiction hits we tend to take bouts of depression in the same way as do hangovers; par for the course.

I have never known depression in recovery; one reason for this may be that I wasn't depressed to begin with. I was diagnosed with depression in my early twenties, but the doctor assured me that it was alcohol induced. I had a miserable year or two, but as soon as quit alcohol the symptoms vanished. Other people are not so lucky; they have been self-medicating to hide their depression. Once their addiction is resolved they can then be left with no defence; not that it was much of a defence to begin with. Alcoholism and depression might seem to go well together in the beginning, but there is a huge sting in the tail.

If you are not aware that you suffer from depression it can make recovery a miserable business. If you listen to those amateur psychiatrists you meet on your recovery path you may believe your symptoms are caused by your failure to get properly on the program. These people might mean well, but they can also easily lead you astray; getting you to blame yourself for something beyond your control. If your life away from addiction is not improving you need to ask yourself some questions, but don't just assume you are doing something wrong. Dual diagnosis is extremely common among addicts and you need to get this checked out; don't just accept the diagnosis of somebody in your recovery group.

Treating depression is almost always possible, but only if you get it diagnosed. Life in recovery should be joyful at least some of the time; it shouldn't be just the same old same old. Failure to treat your depression could easily lead back to addiction or even to suicide.