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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 14 of 14. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by ArthurGibson on February 21, 2003, at 5:56:54
I have read between the lines of these posts for the past eight months and I see an unseen problem all the time. ALCOHOL! If you suffer from depression, or anxiety or another similar mental problem you will only make it worse by drinking alcohol.
Alcohol IS a nasty depressant and that is the last thing you need. It increases your serotonin for a short while, and then drags it down lower than before you took a drink. The more you drink the further down it pulls your levels and the deeper you slip into depression and anxiety when it wears off.
As alcohol leaves your system (withdrawal) it boosts your adrenaline levels and your anxiety increases, your depression deepens and your heart may flutter because of the increased adrenaline. Increased levels of adrenaline are one of our biggest problems and its crazy to drive up the levels with drink.
Yes the meds do help and yes the fish oil can work miracles, but add alcohol to the mix and you are shooting yourself in the foot.
I am an alcoholic who does not drink and I know what it does to your mind. My advice to you all is to avoid the stuff until you are well and you will heal much quicker. When you are well, treat drink with great caution, as you don't want to suffer again.
Good luck everyone.
Posted by ArthurGibson on February 21, 2003, at 6:00:13
In reply to Avoid alchohol and your illness will improve, posted by ArthurGibson on February 21, 2003, at 5:56:54
Just in case this starts a thread, I thought that I would correct the spelling! Click reply to this post please and not the one with the incorrect spelling of alcohol!
Sorry about that, I haven't been drinking - honest!!
Posted by sjb on February 21, 2003, at 9:51:16
In reply to Avoid alcohol and your illness will improve, posted by ArthurGibson on February 21, 2003, at 6:00:13
Well said. I've printed out your post to remind me.
Posted by cybercafe on February 21, 2003, at 13:11:26
In reply to Avoid alcohol and your illness will improve, posted by ArthurGibson on February 21, 2003, at 6:00:13
> Just in case this starts a thread, I thought that I would correct the spelling! Click reply to this post please and not the one with the incorrect spelling of alcohol!
>
> Sorry about that, I haven't been drinking - honest!!i am more worried about medications not being metabolized
especially people who drink several times a week (even a small drink) are screwed
Posted by rayww on February 21, 2003, at 13:21:10
In reply to Avoid alcohol and your illness will improve, posted by ArthurGibson on February 21, 2003, at 6:00:13
ArthurGibson I am proud of you.
My husband gets really ticked when stupid little enviornmental issues interfere and creep into our agriculture business. If people were really concerned about altered genetics or chemical additives, etc etc etc. they should lobby the government to ban tobacco and alcohol, he says. (and I guess now coffee too, since it triggers mania)LOL
Posted by jesus on February 21, 2003, at 18:23:29
In reply to Re: Avoid alcohol and your illness will improve, posted by rayww on February 21, 2003, at 13:21:10
yeah, alcohol and about any other recreational substance won't help your depression, esp. downers...When i was in high school I knew kids who'd brag about how cool they were b/c they smoke so much pot and drink so much every day, and then by the end of the conversation they'd start crying about how they're so depressed, and how they have no idea why this is so.
Posted by Stellaz on February 21, 2003, at 18:29:55
In reply to Re: Avoid alcohol and your illness will improve, posted by cybercafe on February 21, 2003, at 13:11:26
Could you please clarify what you mean by medications not metabolizing? I am on Lex and ReQuip, and while not a daily drinker I will have 3-5 beers a week. I'd like to know if I'm doing myself harm. Thanks!!!!
Posted by Dr. Bob on February 22, 2003, at 8:23:59
In reply to Re: Avoid alcohol and your illness will improve, posted by rayww on February 21, 2003, at 13:21:10
> My husband gets really ticked when stupid little enviornmental issues interfere and creep into our agriculture business...
I'd like follow-ups regarding environmental issues to be redirected to Psycho-Social-Babble, thanks.
Bob
PS: And follow-ups regarding posting policies to be redirected to Psycho-Babble Administration.
Posted by noa on February 22, 2003, at 10:26:38
In reply to Re: Avoid alcohol and your cyber cafe, posted by Stellaz on February 21, 2003, at 18:29:55
Coffee with cafeine isn't so great for depression or anxiety, either. I LOVE it, and have had an on and off coffee addiction for about 15 years. I'm on a fairly long "off" period now, but do crave it a lot. I do indulge in it once in a while when I am especially tired, not having had enough sleep, or when on long driving trips, especially if I'm driving alone. Problem is, sometimes those trips end up starting an "on" phase. But in the past couple of years, I have been able to stay away from developing a daily habit again. But like I said, sometimes I crave it (craving it right now!)
The reason I quit it in the first place is that I got so habituated to it and would need more and more, with less and less of the desired effect. The last time I quit was when I realized that it was contributing to anxiety and sleep problems.
Funny thing is that before I became a regular drinker, I had a hard time tolerating even one cup of coffee without getting all jittery!
Posted by Katia on February 23, 2003, at 0:15:35
In reply to Avoid alcohol and your illness will improve, posted by ArthurGibson on February 21, 2003, at 6:00:13
Arthur,
Thanks for the support. just this week, I have decided to quit drinking for a year while I really give ADs a go. I can't be clear about anything to do with ADs when drinking's involved (even 4-5 per week)and it knocks me off center. And this is not an easy decision as I have used alcohol to self-medicate from my on-going increasingly worse depressions off and on since I was 14 yrs. old (I'm 32 now and just this past summer is the first time I've ever gotten on ADs). It's the first time I ever realized that I didn't have to live the way I'd been living, I could treat/heal myself.
So, I am considering going on Antabuse, or the like to help support me during the first two months or so. I work in a restaurant and am surrounded by wine, so I need a little help now. Do you have any experience with this? I'm in therapy doing intense work and will seek out a support group around the drinking. Input would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Katia
> Just in case this starts a thread, I thought that I would correct the spelling! Click reply to this post please and not the one with the incorrect spelling of alcohol!
>
> Sorry about that, I haven't been drinking - honest!!
Posted by cybercafe on February 23, 2003, at 0:24:34
In reply to Re: Avoid alcohol and your cyber cafe, posted by Stellaz on February 21, 2003, at 18:29:55
> Could you please clarify what you mean by medications not metabolizing? I am on Lex and ReQuip, and while not a daily drinker I will have 3-5 beers a week. I'd like to know if I'm doing myself harm. Thanks!!!!
if your liver is busy processing alcohol i believe this may impede metabolizing meds (into the metabolites that actually effect your brain)...
it also makes it harder for your brain to adapt to the new meds
Posted by PuraVida on February 23, 2003, at 21:55:28
In reply to Re: Avoid alcohol and your cyber cafe, posted by cybercafe on February 23, 2003, at 0:24:34
Glad to see people are paying attention to this. I posted awhile ago on SPB asking for experiences w/ drinking - no response. I did get some responses from my post on Psychological Babble - which have helped me stay strong in that I need to stop drinking to try to give my depression the best possible chance to go away. Here is the link:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20030203/msgs/201054.html
It is really hard to not self-medicate. I've been on the listserve for moderation.org, which has really helped greatly. Social things aren't my problem - its times like tonight when I am so sick and tired of being depressed and isolating myself, and feeling hopeless that I'll ever break this pattern. But, I'm giving the not drinking thing a chance - we'll see.
PVG
Posted by Alara on February 24, 2003, at 5:43:01
In reply to Avoid alchohol and your illness will improve, posted by ArthurGibson on February 21, 2003, at 5:56:54
Posted by Katia on February 24, 2003, at 15:18:24
In reply to Re: Avoid alcohol and your cyber cafe, posted by PuraVida on February 23, 2003, at 21:55:28
Thanks, I'll check it out when I have a bit more time. Good to start talking about how much of an unhealthy role alcohol plays in trying to recover from depression. I'm just now for the first time giving it a go - sobriety for the sake of healing.
> Glad to see people are paying attention to this. I posted awhile ago on SPB asking for experiences w/ drinking - no response. I did get some responses from my post on Psychological Babble - which have helped me stay strong in that I need to stop drinking to try to give my depression the best possible chance to go away. Here is the link:
>
> http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20030203/msgs/201054.html
>
> It is really hard to not self-medicate. I've been on the listserve for moderation.org, which has really helped greatly. Social things aren't my problem - its times like tonight when I am so sick and tired of being depressed and isolating myself, and feeling hopeless that I'll ever break this pattern. But, I'm giving the not drinking thing a chance - we'll see.
>
> PVG
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