Its both...situational and chemical...depending on how long your alcohol use has been.

I do KNOW...I because I drank for more than 22 years (before stopping for 8 years), alcohol chemically changed my mind and I needed antidepressants to straighten my head out...that was the chemical change.

A situational depression...is when you stay away from alcohol for a couple months...feeling good...then drink...and the next couple days feel depressed.

On 7 days without alcohol...it seems totally logical you are feeling depressed..your brain has been affected by a depressant named alcohol.

I don't know if you have chemically changed your brain or not. But you will be able to tell within a month if it is situational or chemical.

I have been drinking...lately on and off for the past year..and I notice...1-2 days after drinking...I'm super depressed...by day 5..I'm more light hearted...(situational and related to consumption).

Alcohol definitely has a correlation with depression. If you remain stopped...and take your medication...this will pass within a month, if the depression does not pass within a month...I would say you have chemically changed your brain.

But, in your situation if you are already on meds...and you continue to stop drinking in a month or less...you should feel better.

Don't give up.

I think the depression is very common in those who quit drinking and may be a part of the withdrawals. I remember when the physical withdrawals were long gone, the depression seemed to linger on for a longer time. I had horrible feelings of loss and isolation, feeling disconnected with the things and people around me and always feeling like I just lost my best friend. Well, in a sense I did because I always looked at Jack Danials as my best friend!

It bothered me to the point where I spoke to my doctor about it and she put me on Pristiq which is one of the newer medications for depression and it worked just fine and actually made me feel normal again!

I think you should talk to your doctor about the depression and I really feel strongly that antidepressant medication, is your answer, even if only only taken for the short term to help get you over the hump of early sobriety!

I wouldn't delay because a depression that severe is a huge trigger for you right now!

Your doctor will be excited to offer his full support to you!

So keep us posted. The path you take on your road to sobriety, may help someone else!

God Bless!

Hey, I suffered from this every time I tried to stop drinking, to me it felt like it happened because I gave up something I used to love doing and also not being around other people as much.

Things that have helped me get over it are joking AA, being around people makes you feel a lot less lonely but being around people who know exactly what you're going through!! There are honestly no better people to surround yourself with.

Also doing activities in your everyday life like start going for walks...or even runs! Keep busy around the house, have a day out looking around the shops, going to the cinema or the beach! Bring some friends with you too:)

Hope this helps, I'm 83 days sober now, these things helped me to get there so I hope they are helpful for you:)

Joe x

Joining* AA.

Hello icoi,

You are very welcome to the forum. I have no qualifications regarding dealing with depression so I can only advise you to trust the professionals but not to trust them blindly. Use your own common sense and if something that they are suggesting does not feel right, seek another opinion. There is nothing wrong with taking prescribed medication as needed but just be careful as some commonly prescribed medications can be highly addictive.

As for feeling sad after you stop drinking, I think that is a natural reaction, up to a point. I would suggest that you try to accept the reality that you cannot drink safely and then look at how you can improve your future. If may not feel like it now but if you remain on the sober path you will probably look back at some stage and see that this is where your life took a big turn for the better.

Things like alcohol abuse and gambling are often just a symptom of other matters that are out of balance so it would be wise for you to look deeper. It may be that you have past issues to deal with that are preventing you from loving yourself and until you can like the person that you are you will be unlikely to make the most of your life. Some form of counselling may be beneficial or you could go to AA and check out the Twelve Step programme of recovery which is designed to give people a toolkit for living.

Of course! My best friend and doctor and Savior died...

I found that after awhile that the feeling abated. Its very normal, my mind became rewired and the happiness returned tenfold.

Cmon!

1is2many

Unless you find something else to replace the drinking, you'll be left with a giant hole in your life which can feel a lot like anxiety/depression.

Swap the drink with a constructive habit- reading, movies, writing, a social club... anything that keeps your hands free of the devil's juice.

It takes about 2 weeks to get over the withdrawal symptoms. After that I doctor can diagnose and treat problems other than alcoholism. Sometimes the depression was masked by the booze and needs treatment. If it was caused by the alcoholism the depression will fade with time.

I know a guy who was put in the psyche ward. After a month the psychiatrists realized that he was only an alcoholic and they released him.

Thank you all so much for your kind replies. I really appreciate (and need) all the support/advice.

I agree that I have lost a huge part of my life. I guess I just didn't realize how big a role alcohol had. It was my best friend, too! I do agree it is all for the better, though, and that I need to continue down this path or my life will only get worse. Thank you, PJ54, I hadn't seen it from a future perspective. I am going to go to an AA meeting this week I think to check it out. I'm also looking into counseling but it's just so expensive and my insurance doesn't pay until I hit deductible. I think with all the money I'm saving from not drinking/ gambling I can do it though..;)

Thanks again, everyone. I'll keep you all posted. Here's to day 8!

Day 8! hurrah!

icoi,
I have always struggled with major depression, but I also notice a "different" kind of depression when I stop drinking. I have decided it is actually "grieving" that I'm experiencing. Alcohol has been my friend for so long, it's like losing my best friend.

Even when I just decide to stop drinking, I experience a great loss. For me, I have no energy, no reason to live, nothing to get me motivated. Actually feel like I just wish I would die.

But then, as soon as I tell myself I can drink once I get this or that done, I suddenly have all the energy in the world. It is like "my reward" for doing what I have no energy to do otherwise.

Hope this helps. Best wishes to you.

My anxiety increased the first week I stopped drinking. Then both my anxiety and depression lifted over the first few weeks and months.

Even though I had to deal with cravings and breaking the physical and mental addiction, I felt great. I was so happy that I had finally stopped and it felt wonderful.

If you continue to feel depressed after the first month, I would suggest seeking professional help.