Alcohol and Depression
Alcohol and Depression: Is There a Link?
Alcoholic beverages are the only consumable products in the U.S. that do not have nutrition labels. Consumers are being kept in the dark about serving size, alcoholic content, calories, carbohydrates, fats, protein, cholesterol and other nutrition information. Alcohol, specifically ethyl alcohol or ethanol, is produced by fermenting the starch or sugar in various fruits and grains. Alcoholic beverages produced by fermentation and distillation include beer that is usually about 4 to 6 % alcohol, wine that is usually 7 to 15% alcohol, and hard liquor which is about 45% alcohol.
Alcohol impairs judgment, memory, concentration and coordination, as well as inducing extreme mood swings and emotional outbursts. An alcohol drinker experiences mild euphoria and loss of inhibition as alcohol impairs regions of the brain controlling behavior and emotion. Alcohol acts as a sedative on the Central Nervous System, depressing the nerve cells in the brain, dulling, altering and damaging their ability to respond. Large doses cause sleep, anesthesia, respiratory failure, coma and death. Long term drinking may result in permanent brain damage and serious mental disorders.
One such mental disorder is called depression. Depression is a total illness, involving your body, mood, and thoughts. It affects the way you eat and sleep, the way you feel about yourself, and the way you think about things. The symptoms of depression may vary from person to person, and also depend on the severity of the depression. Depression causes changes in thinking, feeling, behavior, and physical well-being. Some people experience difficulty with short term memory and forgetting things all the time. Negative thoughts and thinking are also a characteristic of depression. Self-destructive thoughts, pessimism, excessive guilt, self-criticism, poor self-esteem, and sadness for no given reason are all symptoms of depression. Chronic fatigue, despite spending more time
Alcoholic beverages are the only consumable products in the U.S. that do not have nutrition labels. Consumers are being kept in the dark about serving size, alcoholic content, calories, carbohydrates, fats, protein, cholesterol and other nutrition information. Alcohol, specifically ethyl alcohol or ethanol, is produced by fermenting the starch or sugar in various fruits and grains. Alcoholic beverages produced by fermentation and distillation include beer that is usually about 4 to 6 % alcohol, wine that is usually 7 to 15% alcohol, and hard liquor which is about 45% alcohol.
Alcohol impairs judgment, memory, concentration and coordination, as well as inducing extreme mood swings and emotional outbursts. An alcohol drinker experiences mild euphoria and loss of inhibition as alcohol impairs regions of the brain controlling behavior and emotion. Alcohol acts as a sedative on the Central Nervous System, depressing the nerve cells in the brain, dulling, altering and damaging their ability to respond. Large doses cause sleep, anesthesia, respiratory failure, coma and death. Long term drinking may result in permanent brain damage and serious mental disorders.
One such mental disorder is called depression. Depression is a total illness, involving your body, mood, and thoughts. It affects the way you eat and sleep, the way you feel about yourself, and the way you think about things. The symptoms of depression may vary from person to person, and also depend on the severity of the depression. Depression causes changes in thinking, feeling, behavior, and physical well-being. Some people experience difficulty with short term memory and forgetting things all the time. Negative thoughts and thinking are also a characteristic of depression. Self-destructive thoughts, pessimism, excessive guilt, self-criticism, poor self-esteem, and sadness for no given reason are all symptoms of depression. Chronic fatigue, despite spending more time