I write this article to raise your awareness of the dangers of combining alcohol with depression. I hope in reading this you will see just how dangerous it is. Don't be mistaken, I know the common conception is that depression drives one to drink but plenty of evidence exists to show that drinking heavily can actually cause or make someone more susceptible to depression.

The most obvious thing alcohol does that can lead to depression is the very fact that the drug itself is a depressant. This is the reason you tend to be more upset, agitated and paranoid the following morning. While alcohol's initial effects are to relax and loosen inhibitions the longer term effects of it are to depress people.

When you drink alcohol it effects your physical being. It soaks up nutrients in your body and leaves you sluggish and tired. It also lowers the serotonin and norepinephrine levels in your brain. These are chemicals inside your brain whose job it is to make you feel normal and well adjusted. It has been proven that lowering these can leave a person depressed. Most anti-depressants actually focus on increasing these chemicals in your brain which goes to show their importance. If you are a sufferer of depression but do not drink often or at all take this as a big red warning sign.

If you find that drinking is having a negative effect on your life or your self confidence you may need to join a support group. I do not advocate AA as I have a conflict with it's “higher power” philosophy but if it helps you go do it. If you have been drinking heavily for some time you should see a doctor first as your body could suffer withdrawal or even shock from the alcohol leaving your system.

While medication has it's place in helping cure depression you really have to battle depression with more than one tactic. The pills should only be seen as a method to get get yourself up enough to get motivated and get working on beating the blues yourself.

Become active. Find a sport or activity you like and do that. Look to do group activities as social interaction stimulates the brain. Change your diet. Remember that you feel fresher and more willing to be active if you eat better believe me.

Beware “alternative remedies”. Medicine for it's most part is very open minded and if something works it becomes medicine. I offer you this warning for a few reasons. First I think in the short term anti-depressants are useful, IN the short term. Second I fear that people will put all their hopes into natural remedies and will ignore fixing the root of the problem. Your real goal should be to get more active maybe look at some self help ideas, even see a psychotherapist. You should not be constantly searching for the next (expensive) wonder natural cure.

Now I'll just leave you with this video.