Posted by pedr on January 25, 2002, at 7:23:49
In reply to For some alcohol is medicine...How to sort it out?, posted by Mr. Scott on January 23, 2002, at 22:48:50
> Last weeks I was feeling GREAT and thinking hey this combo of Effexor/Adrafanil/Fish Oil/Klonopin is working! But then I drank 5-6 drinks (KettleOne-tonics) on Saturday and have felt miserable, irritable, anxious, and depressed since although it seems to be less intense this time than usual (maybe it’s the meds).
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> I have been drinking on the weekends since 7th grade, often times heavily and have done a lot of illicit drugs throughout the years as well, all while taking psychiatric medicine. These days I only drink about twice a month in the amount that I specified, but occasionally more. This is no different from the other people my age I know (who don't have psychiatric disorders and take medications of course).
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> I have told myself thousands of times I can't drink because it makes me feel depressed, but I always end up drinking again and my mood predictably deteriorates. I’m pretty sure it is causative although now and again I wonder if it’s a bipolar cycle and the drinking is of no consequence and only serves to calm me down. I wonder if I get hypomanic (mentioned I was feeling Real Good last week) and then drink thinking I can get away with it, and this is some type of mood cycle. Alternatively I might just have mood consequences as a result of drinking. I can’t tell.
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> Regardless how big of an impact do you think the amount of drinking I’m describing have?.
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> ScottMr Scott,
I too have problems with alcohol and depression. As a brit, since you become 15 you generally aim to get blootered every weekend. The problem is that I feel especially low when hungover [for several days] - not just from feeling sick but my depression seems to intensify massively.I discussed this with my psych and he reckons I hold an irrational belief that:
hungover = > Increased depression.
i.e. I say to myself "I'm hungover, I must not be hungover, I will get severe depression" and promptly "believe myself into depression". Is it possible you hold a similar belief?I believe that aswell as my irrational belief, being hungover makes you biologically more prone to depression.
These days I try and stick to 3-4 pints which allows me to enjoy the evening [going out socially in Britain when sober is a big no-no] but not be too hungover and cognitively impaired the next day. I guess all this echoes the "drink in moderation" tip.best wishes,
pete
poster:pedr
thread:91360
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020124/msgs/91527.html