Addiction occurring in combination with an affective disease

If there is a diagnosis of depression or bipolar disorder, this will mean that there is a growing possibility of developing addictions, abuse of alcohol or other psychoactive substances. In the case of recurrent depression, it is estimated that this percentage of risk increases by as much as 40. The co-occurrence rate of these two conditions is significant, ranging from 33% to 46%.

How does that happen?

This phenomenon has a multifactorial background. Patients who suffer from depression before going to specialist psychiatric care will want to treat their symptoms with alcohol. Such behaviour can be a prelude to a developing addiction. In addition, when it comes to people who have a problem with bipolar disease, they will have a significant tendency to abuse substances, which will be based, among other things, on the fact that in such a disease there will be greater impulse activity, which will make people susceptible to behave according to the impulses, there may be a picture of a manic or hypomaniacal episode. The same happens in recurrent depression or in other phases of depression, in the case of bipolar disorder a phenomenon may occur which is commonly referred to as self-inflicted alcohol. A person who has an affective disorder will want to use alcohol to effectively reduce anxiety and tension. He can judge this as a cure for all unpleasant health effects.

However, it should not be forgotten that in such cases alcohol will only be a temporary consolation. This is because various adverse effects of alcohol as a factor which will worsen the effectiveness or safety of medicines, worsening moods, will soon start to appear, and there will also be a risk of further relapses of the disease and a worsening ability to cope with stressful situations, which may have adverse effects on our health. Another aspect of coexistence of the alcohol problem and secondary depressive symptoms will be the prevalence of chronic alcohol abuse.

Effective treatment of both problems

There can be no denying that the coexistence of alcohol dependence and, at the same time, affective disease will require the treatment of both these health problems at the same time. As research has shown us, people suffering from depression and, at the same time, from alcoholism should be treated with treatment which will not only have a psychotherapeutic effect, but will also introduce appropriate medicines, thanks to which it will be easier to talk about maintaining abstinence, which is so important in this situation. Medicines will be used to reduce the hunger for alcohol or the intensity of drinking. Apart from this, of course pharmacologically it also undertakes the healing of this second problem, means just a depression or a bipolar disease. It has been shown that antidepressants and mood stabilisers can not only improve mental health, but can also help to treat alcoholism. It may not be necessary to apply such strong measures to addicts who have only temporary symptoms of a decline in mood.