# Alcohol as an antidepressant

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-as-an-antidepressant/500801>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [June 24, 2009, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-as-an-antidepressant/500801 "2009-06-24T04:17:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-as-an-antidepressant/500801/21 "2009-06-29T13:26:06Z")

</div>

> [@Scotty Mo](#):
>
> Ok I think I may have to explain myself a bit better. I don’t actually consider it an “antidepressant” drug to cure depression. I see it more like an escape from reality. Alcohol loosens me up and I tend to have more fun and so do my friends and most people I know.

And that is one of the reasons its a scary addiction. There is a physical component to it - but it allows you to “escape” - and activities that help us escape from reality are psychologically addictive - particularly if you hit a bad point in time and start ‘needing’ that escape. Alcohol (or any other means of escape) provides a crutch that keeps you from dealing with reality - and a lot of people don’t learn how to have fun or deal with their feelings without it. Over time, you become physically addicted. You need more and more to get the same “good” feeling. And since alcohol is pretty toxic, you start slowly poisoning yourself.

Alcohol can grease a good time - but the language you are using is disturbing to anyone who has been trapped - or seen a loved one trapped - by alcoholism.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-as-an-antidepressant/500801/22 "2009-06-29T14:23:06Z")

</div>

For me one of the worst things about alcohol is that the day after I get depressed. I enjoy beer drinking, but I have found a pattern: a good day of fun with my friends is nearly always followed by a day - sometimes two - of depression.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-as-an-antidepressant/500801.md?page=1)