Depression And Alcohol

Depression cannot be helped with alcohol and here's why

First, excitement has been gathering at the pending launch of my book, based on my true experience and written especially to help you on your own emotional journey.

There has been an unbelievable 97 hits on this blog (to date) and this is without even marketing it so I know my book is being eagerly awaited.

You can read all about it on my November post. My Website is coming along nicely and you will be able to purchase my book, 'The Truth About Depression and How You Can Beat It' in both physical and download mode very soon. It will be made available from 25,000 outlets so you can be sure of your copy.

Remember! you can sign up to receive updates straight into your inbox, click on the link to the right of this post, you can also sign up to be a follower (will you be my first?) - I promise you will not receive any spam from me - I know how annoying it is.

Watch out at the end for something you can do to cheer yourself up! I did it Thursday and it has proved great fun!! intrigued? - hint - I am now a 'twit' - official!

Now, to the subject in hand:

I have a whole chapter on depression in my book, how you can learn the signs, what you can do, and what I did! all chapters are interspersed with what was going on in my life - it will really inspire you.

Amazingly, just a few decades ago it just was not done, or expected, that women would drink at all! or maybe just sip on a sherry. how times have changed as unfortunately, now there is an increasing number of us who drink alcohol to cope with pressures of modern life. I am pleased to say that I am not one of them, despite now going into my 30th week of a stress related illness - so this is proof that you do not need to turn to drink to survive. Sometimes I may have a small 25cl bottle over two nights, giving me about three quarters of a wine glass full each time (red wine, purely for health reasons!)

Not only is alcohol a depressive, it can cause an extreme 'low' after a short 'high'. It must also be pointed out that it can cause liver disease and also breast cancer. Research has shown that in the Uk, people are drinking more than ever before (not helped by the fact that you can purchase drink so cheaply in the supermarkets).

Our own 'National Health Service' figures show that more than 7 million people drink more that the daily recommended amount. This is given as 3/4 units for men, and 2/3 for women. People are automatically assuming that 3/4 units means 3/4 pints but it means one large or two very small glasses of wine. 6 units would mean you will be drinking two large glasses of wine!

A bottle or even a half bottle of wine a night could harm your health, happiness and relationships and pay havoc with your family life. If parents regularly drink in front of their children then the chances are that the children will end up as drinkers also. Some parents think it is funny to watch their children drinking alcohol and do not realize that their stomachs are just not made for this and long term damage could be caused, putting them at risk.

They are doubly put at risk if the parent gets violent with the other parent or the children themselves.

TV and Movies do not help either as they show frequent drinking which 'glamourises' it - just like smoking used to do in the old movies. We are further lured in with fancy 'wine bars' and 'gastropubs'. You may be like me and have to drive so do not drink, then you get your family and friends urging you to have a drink and catch a cab home - all you can do is rise above it as I do, all it needs is willpower and a respect for your own health.

Women have more stressful lives. Trying to juggle work with family and home in a way that is different from even 20 years ago. We all tend to demand more of ourselves, work longer hours and feel pressurized, (due to the tv and media) to cook fantastic meals and keep ourselves looking fabulous, giving us less time to see our family and friends, so grab a glass of wine or two to ease the pressures and forget our worries. It is a fast paced life that I am glad (at the moment) not to have to be a part of.

Evidence for the link between women, stress and alcohol - In a study done by University College, London, found 'female executives were more than 3 times more likely to develop a drink problem than men in similar positions, with nearly 14% drinking too much. And women who felt their work was underpaid and unappreciated - from nurses to housewives - drank the most'

Horrifyingly - it is estimated that up to 22,000 deaths a year are associated with drinking too much alcohol - twice the rate of 2 decades ago. It can also be responsible for:

• brain damage
• heart problems
• strokes
• bad skin
• cancer
• infertility
• not sleeping well
• leading to feeling guilty and shameful about drinking too much

People also think that you have to drink 'bucket loads' before being classed an an alcoholic - not so I'm afraid - because if you habitually have a bottle of wine a night you will already be in this bracket. Because of the way our bodies work - women are even more vulnerable to physical damage from alcohol.

Medical definition of addiction:

• physical cravings
• withdrawal symptoms
• build up of tolerance
• a compulsion to drink

Even if you don't suffer withdrawal symptoms such as sweating, shaking, upset stomach and anxiety you may need to drink more to get the same high. Even if you don't suffer from this as yet, it can creep up on you before you realize it.

Warning signs:

• You may plan your day or weekend around alcohol
• You may prioritise people and places that will reinforce the behaviour and cut out those who don't
• You may think about drinking all the time
• You may plan to cut down but can't, or find yourself drunk at a work function when vowing to stay sober

There is evidence that genetics play a part in whether we become alcoholics because a child with an alcoholic parent is four times more likely to develop a drink problem. Experts believe (what I have always thought myself) that drinking too much is a sign of deep inner unhappiness and not necessarily because people actually enjoy the taste of drink - they may drink to remove themselves from reality, what's in their head, low self esteem or depression and are unable to deal with their feelings - feeling fear, anxiety or pain.

If you think that you are drinking too much out of habit, boredom or stress, then try to make changes in your life. Plan more fun, alcohol free activities such as playing a sport, learn relaxation techniques (and I quote several in my book) or meeting friends for coffee.

They say 'once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic' and it is reckoned if you give it up then it is likely to be impossible to be able to drink socially again. It takes 2 years for your brain to lose the habit of craving drink or drugs as an automatic response to any problem or situation and you will have your work cut out trying to keep it up.

(typing all of this, and thinking about my own situation which inspired me to write my own true story - I am feeling rather pleased with myself that I resisted going down this road).

Because women are so used to 'multi-tasking' we can actually drink to excess without our lives falling apart! because we are so good at coping with things. 'Life Works Addiction Centre' says that 60-70% of their clients are women and well over half of these managed to hold everything together. They go for help because they know that they are addicted and can't see a way out. Apparently we can hold it together - look great on the outside but are falling apart on the inside.

You can get outside help if you cannot stop yourself - via your GP or AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) or you can even try a helpline as sometimes you may just need somebody to talk to. You do not have to go through it alone and it is suprising that many people go through life wanting to do something about it but not willing to take the first simple small step.

Now for the bit of fun I promised you! (to end on a lighter note)

Have you heard of 'twitter'? it is a social site, a bit like 'Facebook' or 'MySpace' but you only have up to 140 characters to inform people 'what you are doing'. You can follow people, and gain followers. You even get to follow No. 10 Downing Street (home of UK's Prime Minister), Barack Obama, Al Gore, New York Times, NPR Politics, etc., You can even sneakily include your URL.

I signed up for it on Thursday to divert myself from what ended up to be a bad day for me, and a setback. I will give you my personal 'tweeter' referral link below. When you have signed up I suggest downloading (free) a TweetDeck (just google). This means that you do not have to keep logging in and all your contacts are there, in one place. You even get a sweet little 'trill' when there is a new entry added.

First you need to sign up for a twittter account, so just click the link http://twitter.com/ as you need your log in details to sign up to 'tweeter' below. You can also see what I am up to.

Check it out! one way to banish depression without the need for alcohol!

http://tweetergetter.com/bonnietoner

Don't forget to sign up for automatic alerts - you do not want to miss my book launch date

Are you planning to, or have you written, your own book? If so, I can highly recommend my own publishers. click the link below for details:

Bonnie

The Truth About Depression and How To Beat It - launching soon.