Depression and substance abuse

Depression and Substance Abuse: What's the Connection?

A person dealing with depression might try to self-medicate using drugs or alcohol, says David MacIsaac, PhD, a licensed psychologist in New York and New Jersey and faculty member of the New York Institute for Psychoanalytic Self Psychology.

Depression often leads people to drink, which usually makes things worse. "In trying to self-medicate with alcohol, people don't realize they're using a depressant," says Dr. MacIsaac. "In point of fact, it will intensify their depression." The same goes for drugs, which some depressed people take to alleviate their symptoms. MacIsaac says they misidentify their depression as just some sort of down feeling and get in the habit of taking uppers.

Conversely, an addict or alcoholic whose substance abuse problem is out of control can develop mental problems. He might experience symptoms of depression or begin to hallucinate. If his depression deepens, he might try to commit suicide.

Depression and Substance Abuse: Shared Triggers

Depression and substance abuse can spring from the same sources. Research has found a number of connections between depression and substance abuse, including:

• Shared brain regions affected by both substance abuse and depression. For example, substance abuse affects the brain areas that handle stress responses, and those same areas are known to be affected by some mental disorders.

• Genetic factors can make a person more likely to develop a mental disorder or addiction. Genetic factors make it more likely that one condition will occur once the other has appeared — for example, alcoholism sparked by a bout of depression.

• Environmental factors such as stress or trauma are known to prompt both depression and substance abuse.

• Brain developmental issues that can lead a child to depression or substance abuse later in life. Early drug use is known to harm brain development and make later mental illness more likely. The reverse also is true: Early mental health problems can increase the chances of later drug or alcohol abuse.