•+Alcohol+Leading+to+Depression

 According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), about 7.6 percent of people over the age of 18 experience a major depressive episode in any given year. About 8 percent of adults experience a problem with alcohol in any given year (Clearview Treatment Programs, 2011).

"Alcohol dependence often results in clinical depression, and the rate of suicide among people who are dependent on alcohol is six times that of the general population" (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 2012).

The depression caused by alcohol starts with your physical body ( You Can Stop Drinking Now, 2012). It lowers the serotonin and norepinephrine levels in the brain ( You Can Stop Drinking Now, 2012). These are the chemicals that give you a good feeling, so when consuming heavy amounts of alcohol constantly the alcohol can take these brain chemicals down to zero (You Can Stop Drinking Now, 2012).

Stress is a major factor that can trigger the onset of depression (Clearview Treatment Programs, 2011). Too much drinking while the brain is young and still developing can also contribute to the onset of depression later in life (Clearview Treatment Programs, 2011). Alcohol abuse also can have serious repercussions on a person's life, leading to financial and legal troubles, impaired thinking and judgment, as well as marital stress (Clearview Treatment Programs, 2011). <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;"> If you're struggling with money or grappling with a failed relationship, you're more likely to feel depressed. (WebMD, 2012)

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">**A report released by Statistics Canada (CTV.ca News Staff, 2005, August 18)** uses information from the 2000/01 Canadian Community Health Survey, examined the relationship between drinking habits and depression in a sample of Canadian men and women aged 18 and older. Accoring to CTV.ca News Staff (2005), nearly 25 per cent of Canadians who were considered to be alcohol dependent also struggled with depression. According to the findings, nearly one in four Canadians classified as alcohol dependent in 2001 had suffered from depression at some point in the previous year (CTV.ca News Staff).

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;"> Based on a survey of drinking habits, the findings suggest an estimated 427,000 regular heavy drinkers exhibited signs of being dependent on alcohol (CTV.ca News Staff, 2005, August 18). About 24 per cent of this group, or around 105,000 men and women, suffered from depression at some point in the year before they were interviewed (CTV.ca News Staff). "The study found a substantial likelihood that regular heavy drinkers who had experienced a major depressive episode would be alcohol dependent" (CTV.ca News Staff, 2005).

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;"> The Statistics Canada study (CTV.ca News Staff, 2005, August 18) also indicates that alcohol-dependent women were twice as likely as men to have experienced at least one depressive episode. However, both depressed men and women were about 3.5 times as likely to be considered alcohol dependent than those who did not battle depression (CTV.ca News Staff). The study found that men were twice as likely to be regular heavy drinkers as women; but that both sexes were equally likely to be classified as alcohol dependent (CTV.ca News Staff).

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Regular heavy drinking was defined as having had five or more alcoholic drinks at a sitting, at least once a month during the previous year (CTV.ca News Staff, 2005, August 18). <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Alcohol dependence was calculated using a set of symptoms that included being drunk or hung over at work or school, or having a persistent desire for alcohol (CTV.ca News Staff).

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