Depression After Quitting Drinking: Understanding the Journey

The no-booze, dry phase after a fairly long journey of alcohol dependence can be difficult to deal with, especially the frequent negative emotions and the intense withdrawal symptoms.

Giving up alcohol, or any kind of addiction for that matter, is not easy and requires immense perseverance to prevent relapse. However, the withdrawal signs may make you extremely depressed.

The road to sobriety is definitely quite dark and gloomy, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. It is really a proud moment if you manage to recover successfully.

Here is a short article explaining the journey of quitting booze and understanding the depression experienced when achieving a sustainable alcohol-free lifestyle. If you are considering quitting alcohol, this information may be helpful.

Giving up Alcohol and Depression: What is the Connection?

Alcohol and depression are interconnected. On the one hand, you may have heard of severely depressed people relying heavily on alcohol to manage or mask their depressive symptoms and psychological distress.

On the other hand, people trying to quit alcohol may feel worse and more depressed as a prominent after-effect. You are likely to experience this even if you are not a heavy drinker.

Why does it happen? Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, generally used for temporary relief to avoid overwhelming emotions. Therefore, abruptly cutting off the alcohol supply to your body and brain sends your central nervous system into shock, triggering the return of sad sentiments and hopelessness. However, this is normal and does not last for too long.

Although the withdrawal symptoms last for different durations for different people, depressive episodes can last anywhere from a few days to many weeks or even a few months in some cases.

How Does Alcohol Impact Your Brain?

Alcohol significantly affects dopamine and serotonin levels in your brain. These are also known as feel-good or happiness chemicals or neurotransmitters forming an important part of the brain’s reward system.

The sudden increase in dopamine levels in response to alcohol consumption happens when the reward system of your brain gets activated. Gradually, every sip of the drink taken seems more enjoyable.

However, every action in your brain will lead to an opposite reaction to counter the elevated amounts of dopamine and restore chemical balance.

So, the brain releases another neurotransmitter called GABA or Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid secreted by the beta cells of your pancreas. GABA primarily acts as an inhibitor and tries to provide more of a calming effect, opposite to the artificial ecstatic feeling created by alcohol.

This is essentially why you pass through major mood transitions after consuming alcohol. The initial phase is marked by sheer delight to being sluggish midway and almost being passed out, unable to process anything towards the end as you drink more.

What Happens When You Quit Alcohol?

Once your brain is habituated to getting high through alcohol, it gradually increases its dependence on alcohol to get its dopamine rush.

As a result, the natural ability of your brain to produce dopamine receptors is severely compromised. Unfortunately, you will end up being addicted to alcohol as you will need more alcohol to satisfy your brain due to a massive drop in dopamine receptor sites.

Now, when you quit drinking alcohol, your brain is not ready for the big switch. Basically, it is not prepared to deal with a sudden depletion in artificially supplied dopamine provided by the alcohol earlier.

This gives rise to withdrawal and depression-like symptoms, thanks to fewer dopamine receptors bringing down feelings of euphoria and contentment.

Symptoms of Depression After Quitting Drinking

The initial phase of extreme withdrawal, when the world around you seems hopeless, is the toughest to handle. It is called Anhedonia.

Anhedonia is your pre-recovery period characterized by intrusive thoughts and severe displeasure in life, like it is the end of the world for you.

Here is how you can expect to feel when you stop consuming alcohol:

• Complete lack of pleasure
• Reduced appetite
• Compromised sex drive
• Perpetual feelings of loneliness and frustration
• Excessive negative thinking
• Disturbed sleep patterns

The signs and symptoms are quite similar to chronic depression, but they may not be as severe and as long-lasting.

How Long Does Depression After Quitting Alcohol Last?

The brain chemistry takes some time to go back to normal, provided you do not give up and turn to alcohol again halfway through the process.

These depressive symptoms during recovery are normal and temporary. They are pretty much like cravings during a typical weight loss journey. The more control you have over your impulses, the better. However, how long the symptoms last depends on individual circumstances and the severity of alcohol addiction.

In some cases, the recovery period can last as long as six months or more. Also, how good you are at abstaining from alcohol will make all the difference to your recovery journey.

In the next section of this article, we will talk about different effective coping strategies. These will prevent you from immersing yourself in compulsive thoughts such as – “The weather is nice, let’s enjoy a glass of wine only for today!”

What are the Treatment Options for Recovery?

The transformation from being an alcoholic to being sober is painful but totally worth it. Here is how you can recover smoothly. The key is to boost dopamine levels healthily.

• Psychotherapy, especially cognitive behavioral therapy, can work wonders to control impulsive thoughts
• Random activities can help with temporary distractions
• Spending time with pets and outdoor excursions can bring down stress levels
• Regular exercise with mindfulness meditation and yoga can help
• Improve your daily diet and try to include more protein and probiotics in it
• Run a quick vitamin profile to check for deficiencies and incorporate supplements accordingly
• Some outdoor activities can also help, such as running, hiking, trekking, etc.
• Try developing hobbies such as dancing, singing, learning a new language, or a musical instrument
• Keep yourself busy, develop professional skills that may help you in the future
• Read motivational books or any genre that enhances your mood
• Work on your sleep schedule and sleep restfully for at least 6 to 8 hours
• Journaling your daily intrusive thoughts instead of letting them take over your brain
• Finding the right support groups for a friendly, recovery-oriented exchange of thoughts
• Connecting with close friends or family members to help you support through your recovery journey can also make a world of difference
• Taking more interest in your regular job or life skills can help boost your mood
• Trying deep breathing techniques is scientifically proven to enhance recovery via relaxation of your mind
• Medication such as antidepressants may help in extreme cases
• Using technology like alcohol addiction control apps such as I am Sober, Sober Today, Sober Grid, etc.

Preventing Relapse is Important

Suicide risk is much higher in alcoholics than the general public and depressed teetotalers. Those who are battling both depression and dependence on alcohol are more likely to develop serious suicidal tendencies.

According to the Recovery Village, around 70% of people struggling with severe alcoholism tend to relapse. Unfortunately, the recovery rates are less than 36 percent. This suggests that relapsing to old drinking habits can be dangerous.

Follow the tips below to prevent relapse:

• Check for any other comorbidities and behavioral disorders
• Look for healthy ways to manage stress
• Focus on improving your enviroment
• Staying in touch with supportive people who help you with the 4 Ds – delay, distract, de-stress, and de-catastrophize
• Always keep an emergency contact list ready in case the withdrawal process becomes too tough on you
• Use the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique, capitalizing on your five major senses in the environment you are in, to regain control and be aware or mindful
• Get a good understanding of the causes, symptoms, and major triggers, something as trivial as social drinking or a casual meeting with colleagues can be enough to trigger your craving

Conclusion

If you have recently quit drinking and are struggling with depressive symptoms now, try the above coping strategies and treatment options to see which one suits you the best.

To promote relapse-free recovery, focus on enhancing your mind-body connection and reaching out to the right people for help. Your depressive symptoms may not go away magically one day, and things may get worse initially before they get better.

So, be patient and have faith in yourself and your recovery journey if you want to reap long-term benefits. You will gradually see your efforts paying off and start feeling better.