SelfhelpMagazine

by Reid K. Hester, Ph.D.

Congratulations on your six years of sobriety! Although many people stop drinking with the help of AA (Alcoholics Anonymous), it is not the only path to recovery. In the long run, people who have had significant alcohol-related problems stay sober by restructuring at least some aspects of their lives.

Some do it with the help of AA. Others do it on their own. It sounds like you've done the latter. Keep up the good work!

Now to your question about depression and drinking. People who have a history of clinical depression before they start drinking are at greater risk of developing a drinking problem. Drinking heavily also puts people at risk for developing depression for a number of reasons: it's a nervous system depressant and when people drink heavily they tend to restrict their lives and gradually exclude other activities that are pleasurable, etc.

Continuing to experience symptoms of depression for as long as you have after you've stopped drinking is not good. It adversely affects your quality of life.

I have two main suggestions for you:

1. Consider a professional evaluation by a clinical psychologist with expertise in affective disorders and substance abuse.
2. Look at the paperback book "Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy" by David Burns, M.D.

A psychologist can evaluate you and help determine the processes of your symptoms of depression. In other words, a professional can help you identify what keeps it going. He or she can then help you map out a strategy for better dealing with these symptoms.

If you do not have access to a psychologist, consider the Burns book. It is one of the best self-help manuals on the market for depression. It is based on an empirically supported, cognitive behavioral approach to dealing with depression.

Whatever route you choose, I wish you the best of luck.

About the Author:

Reid K. Hester, Ph.D., Director, Research Division, Behavior Therapy Associates, 3810 Osuna Rd., NE Suite 1, Albuquerque, NM 87109. Phone: 505.345.6100.