Any advice please?

Question

Im currently taking anti - depressemt tablets and due to start my counciling on the 28th but whilst i await that i'm having trouble with drink as when i go out i have to get drunk i feel bad in the morning but at night i just get drunk and go num is this normal is there anything i can do to help mat this time so i don't find the need to drink

Answer 1

Yep, my doc's been repeatedly giving me the same lecture on how alcohol is a depressant and what it does to you. The problem does not tend to happen when you're drinking it or that night or anything - but a couple days later when it's out of the system, the brain gets more depressed than had it not been exposed to start with.

You need to get serious and decide to start putting yourself and your health first - decide that drinking (since you are on anti-depressants and since you can't control/moderate your drinking?) is not for you anymore.

One thing that sucked but helped reduce alcohol consumption for me was how stupid my friends were. After 2 of them got DUIs and were lucky they didn't kill somebody, I became the regular designated driver. This sucked a lot at first and was hard to have a good time without alcohol, but I had to think what was at stake. I could'nt live with myself if I killed another or even went to jail!! I hung out at the bar for 4-8 hours on most nights, watching the idiots drink their life away, waiting to drive them home - yeah, it was fun sometimes, but it also seemed so dumb (occasionally).

Did I ramble too much? okay, so if you can not go to a bar and not get drunk, then don't go. If you choose willpower and rational thinking like me, then go. I know people are going to argue with what I just said, but tell me this. When the phone rings, what do you do? If you're normal, YOU PICK IT UP. You don't "TRY" to pick it up, you just do it. Same thing with my not drinking - I don't "try" to not drink when I go out - I just DON'T drink. Get it?

Okay well anyway, stay away from the alcohol no matter what it takes if it is a problem for you. And yes, if you are using anti-depressant medication, then alcohol is a problem so stay away from it.

Another thing - the Dr. might prescribe a drug known as Campral if you need help with the physical/mental aspects of quitting drinking. If he/she doesn't, but you feel you need an extra boost or a little more help with your mood and your thoughts about alcohol, you may want to mention it.

Answer 2

Don't drink. Obviously something is troubling you hence the anti-depressants and you may be drinking to help block this problem out more. Mixing alcohol with medicine is dangerous, try not too. Alcohol is also a depressant so your doing yourself no favours in that regard. Alcohol will only mask your problems not help you in any way. Anti-depressants mask the problem also, but help you in dealing with it. When you start your councilling you'll find with enough strength and courage you'll overcome any problem you have and you'll no longer need anti-depressants. It'll take time and strength, but determination overcomes anything. Take all the advice others have given, even print out the page and take it to councilling if your unsure of the advice. You have to put yourself first and look after yourself. I wish you luck. Feel free to e-mail.

Answer 3

Try getting your friends 2 go out with you for nights out somewhere difrent other than the pub.A hobby,a sport,whatever u like.U could find urself doing sumthing new u enjoy & it would help ur depression if this happened.It wouldnt do any harm 2 do something difrent.If u do it with a friend whos neva done it & wants 2 try sumthin new then u'l not feel silly if ur not very good at it at 1st coz u'l both b learning.It will also giv u a sense of acxhievement which would help ur depression.Alchol is a depressant anyway so if ur prone 2 depression it wil make it worse.U mite feel better wen ur drunk but it wil make it worse the next day wen u hav depression.Good luck.

Answer 4

get support from a trusted friend or an alchohol helpline to not take the first drink while on the medication the side effects of drinking while on the anti-depressants can be as severe as death so watch a movie play a video game don't hang out with others that just want to drink and get drunk......alchohol is a depressant so you are contradicting your meds by consuming it

Answer 5

i was exactly the same and so was a good friend of mine, i'm not sure what helped me stop but once your counselling starts and you get things off your mind then hopefully you won't feel the need to get drunk. try finding something else to do in the evenings with friends like going to the gym or playing a sport. that way you won;t be in the house but you won't have the opportunity to drink.
i really do wish you all the best, keep smiling, things will get better.

Answer 6

It sounds like you are drinking to help the depression. It is tough you have to wait for counselling, but meanwhile, please stop drinking. It is bad to mix anti-depressants with boose, and if you become dependant your problems will multiply as you will be dealing with an addiction as well as everything else. Look after yourself very well and do what ever it takes to stop drinking and wait for your counselling to start - find a hobby with other people perhaps? Good luck.

Answer 7

Yes. Keep yourself occupied; go out with friends to a place where alcohol is not available, take up a course, a hobby, sport, or computer games. Anti-depressants can take up to 5 weeks to reach maximum effectiveness, so. in the meantime, practice daily for 20 minutes the meditation technique in http://www.healthyplace.com/communities/ and when depression recurs. View: http://www.beattheblues.info/? and www.depression.com/- and the blogs of Shan Eris on "tackling depression" at www.myspace.com

Answer 8

anti-depressants and alcohol are a no no. I've been on them for 2 years now. Alcohol is a depressant, so the two don't mix well.

Answer 9

You are mixing alcohol with medication. That numbness is a warning sign that you are damaging your body. Didn't the doc tell you no alcohol? And it should be on the med's label. This should be enough to stop drinking. I can tell you horror stories of people I knew that drank liquor.

Answer 10

hi honey, don't feel bad, i know where you are coming from. if you want to email me then you are very welcome, i would rather talk to you through email than have everyone giving thumbs up or down, i don't think that is very personal, and i think this is a personal issue. i can then give you my phone number and we can talk if you like? no pressure though its up to you, but i am here should you need me. im not a nut, im married with 2 children but i understand what you are going through. xxxx