True depression sets in for some as life changes leave some people stresses over no friends calling or nothing to go do with others! It does help to reach out for help emotionally!

Oh yes, and it's like when you put the brakes on nearly any addiction and come to a screeching halt. It's a depression so bad that many attempt suicide, which is why support is so important to those in early recovery.

I talked to my doctor about it and she put me on Pristiq which is one of the newer antidepressants. It eliminated those horrible feelings of loss and isolation. I am no longer on it but at the time, it helped me tremendously, along with AA meetings.

Maybe you can talk to your doctor who can prescribe something to help temporatily and he may want to combine that with some kind of counseling.

I learned to forgive myself for all the damaged I had done. The 12 steps helped me to resolve those things, but there are other ways.
Whatever you do, be proactive and nip this in the bud so you can put together a string of sobriety and give your brain a chance to heal.

God Bless!

Hello sweetchick,

That happened to me only once, when I tried to quit and realized that I could not do it on my own. I lost all hope for the future at that time and believed that my life was finished. Things are very different today and I have not had a hint of depression or an urge to drink for a long time.

As well as going to AA I also availed of all that AA has to offer. That meant getting a sponsor who knew about the Twelve Step programme of recovery and doing the suggested things. As a result I have changed my attitude, opinions and outlook and see life in a much more positive light than before. One thing that it enabled me to do was to deal with regrets about the past so that is no longer an issue.

It seems to me that you are using your willpower to fight against alcoholism and that is a good enough approach for some people according to what I read here. However, willpower alone is not enough for many alcoholics and more is needed. You may be using your willpower to suppress an obsession for alcohol and although that can work for a while, an obsession is a powerful force and it usually wins out in the end so you drink again. You may need to do some work to remove the obsession by doing the Steps with a sponsor.

I have no expertise in the field of depression but from reading other peoples experiences, it seems that drinking causes depression rather than curing it. Professional help may also be a good idea if there are background issues that are troubling you.

Sweetchick,

I have heard this in AA. I've heard the many stories of people with guns in their mouths. What brought them hope was the fellowship, and doing the 12 steps.

I had borderline depression. I really suffered shame and the loss of a great career, letting down my family. I don't feel it anymore. I know i am best for my family and the stuff in the past, is the past.

Stay in he present. Great topic.

Good morning sweetchick.

A few days after I stopped drinking, many different emotions hit me. The emotions I had been numbing for so many years. The strongest being guilt and sadness over all I lost and messes I had created.

I went to AA where I heard people talking about the same issues. Through the fellowship and the 12 Steps, I was able to finally put it all on the table and begin to work through it. I could never have done this alone.

It wasn't easy in those early days but I was so desperate to stop drinking and stay stopped that I was willing to do anything. Best decision I ever made. Welcome!

Hi. Totally anecdotally as I'm just one person --- I never ever felt "depressed" before I got sober. My range of emotions were pretty limited. I felt fear, anger, and was sad from time to time but I drank daily whenever I could, for many years. Alcohol is a depressant but for me, it kept me "normal." I drank to keep from feeling pain and for many many years this "worked." At huge cost but I didnt realize that until my drinking got to the stage where I couldn't stay stopped when I'd try to quit.
Anyway now sober 4 years 10 months.....and I've been pretty unhappy and a few times I've felt depressed. Not clinically, and not in the way that I know friends of mine suffer, but its "sad" for me with a depth I'd never experienced. The great and wonderful news is with that comes the full richness of emotions and life. Last night driving home from riding with my daughter I was overwhelmed with gratitude and it brought me to very good tears. This happens very regularly. Early sobriety is a roller coaster. If evens out after the first year at least it did for me.
Life is good; and I feel grateful and blessed to have sobriety.

SW...I faced depression and Anxiety for the first time when I first sobered up..the first 18 months was a mix of real relief and joy with bouts of clinical depression that necessitated just soldiering on and seeking medical advice for the first time in my life.

The course is different for every horse but we're all running a race :))

Without a doubt I think it helps to put the drink down then you can see what it is that you're left with. 'Self medicating' is not really a sustainable option for most of us and only the severely mentally ill ...in my opinion (loose experience) find that sober life honestly faced is worse than drunken dodging and hiding.

For many, the emotional ups and downs are temporary. Wish you luck :)

P

Yup. I use booze to cope with all the issues in life. Remove the booze and I had no coping skills. I had to learn new ones.
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Clinical Depression could also masked by alcoholism. After the alcoholic quits drinking the depressive disorder is recognized.
Psychiatrists wait until an alcoholic is sober from two weeks to a month before making a diagnosis of problems other than alcoholism because many apparent conditions go away when the alcohol ceases. I am familiar with a case, where an alcoholic was committed to an insane ward. After he sobered up the doctors realized that he was only al alcoholic. His delusional behavior disappeared.

Quite often alcoholics have a comorbid. For example, they may have a depressive order, schizophrenia, antisocial behavior that either continues after the cessation of alcohol or appears after the cessation of alcohol. These disorders need to be treated separately from alcoholism.

Only a professional can make the diagnosis, and, if necessary, treat the condition. Life events can cause a temporary depression, which is not permanent. Serious depression needs to be treated.

After a while the depression magically disappeared when the drinking of booze ceased... The booze was causing the depression
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But yes I do remember the beginning , I was almost sad, like my best friend was dead... Which was the truth, booze was my best friend. That was so messed up but I didn't understand how my body processed alcohol was just different. I want more , more and more. Until it's gone. That's depressing!

Break the cycle!

Wow. I'm overwhelmed by all the replies I received. I'm actually already on an anti-depressant. Not that it seems to do much. I'm thinking a sponsor in AA would be a good idea after reading your replies. Its great to hear everyone's stories and realize I am not alone in this. I've met people who seem ecstatic when they first get sober so thought maybe I was abnormal. Thanks to everyone who replied. It was great to hear all your different points of view. Its given me lots to think about.

...I would get depressed if I picked up a drink. Alcohol is misleading by thinking it is a bottle filled with fun times and joy. For me at the end it was a bottle of misery and sadness, no fun times at all.
If I was at a party, at dinner, at home, anywear and had a sip, I would be like, why am I poisoning myself again.
You are only doing the right thing by trying to quit.

When I was drinking (and I started at age 13) I had no idea what my true feelings were. I mean, I knew how to look good on the outside, but my insides were a mess. I saw a therapist from day one of my sobriety, but we waited for two years before treating my depression. She wanted to be sure that all the affects of alcohol was out of my system. My first two years were a rollercoaster ride. It was during this time that I learned to identify my feelings. When I was drinking, the only comfortable feeling was numb straight to rage. I have found there are many feelings in between.

Please don't fear the rollercoaster ride of early sobriety. Talk with your dr who gave you the antidepressants and tell them how you are feeling now. As you become sober, they may need to make some adjustments.

Come here whenever you need support. We are here for you.

If your depression continues or worsens after a few months of sobriety I would suggest you talk to your doctor again. You might need different meds or a different counselor. About 40% of alcoholics have an underlying condition, such as clinical depression, which directly contributes to drinking as a form of self medication.

My depression seems to have lifted for now. My moods are very up and down. That is kind of normal for me but not these feelings of overwhelming sadness at times. I am trying to move on from them and distract myself and not get lost in the past and the mess I have created for myself. I'll give it a few months and see how I go. I think I have been using alcohol to self-medicate and go numb so I don't feel anything. Then I often end up angry and abuse people. I've lost a lot of relationships with family and friends through doing this when drunk. I'm starting on my daily walking again to lift my mood in the mornings. I have to find a new doctor anyway as mine is retiring in February. Maybe he will be more helpful. Thanks again for the replies.