Substance abuse problems often go hand-in-hand with other psychological disorders, often referred to by professionals as … Alcohol abuse including binge drinking can be common for some people with depression, and new research covered by the BBC highlights that this link may be stronger for women than men.

She said clinical depression may encourage some women to drink large amounts of alcohol in the hope of numbing depressed feelings, “with risks of alcohol abuse and dependence”.

And she said doctors had to be aware women may be trying to medicate their moods with alcohol because of this.

Increased drinking can be an important behavioral indicator of a larger problem like depression, especially since feeling depressed is sometimes difficult to recognize for people. It is also nice to see an article talk about self-medicating, since many people engage in this without realizing it.

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Channel Health Direct » Elder Abuse (4/13/2007)

    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 3 Jan 2007
    Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.