Expert: Jurriaan Plesman, Nutritional Psychotherapist - 9/12/2006

Question
Hello

I am 22 and suffer from reasonable manic depression.

I know that alcohol makes me happy and I know that If I drink occasionally it always has the same effect on me.

Could you help me answer these questions?

1 What kind of effect has alcohol in the long term on people who suffer from depressions?

2 Can I be an occasional drinker, or would you disadvise me from drinking alcohol because it aggravates my depressions in the long term?

3 Is it possible that long term occasional drinking could make you a happier person? Maybe because alcohol makes you damages your brain, makes you more dumb and less neurotic?



greetings



Floris

Answer
Hello  Floris.

Alcohol ad depression are often found together. In fact I believe depression is the forerunner of alcoholism. When you stop drinking you may find you may be feeling depressed.

Most alcoholics and depressed people have been found to be hypoglycemic according to a four hour medical Test for Hypoglycemia explained at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/testing_hypoglycemia.html

Thus if you want to treat depression and alcoholism you need to go on a hypoglycemic diet.

Please read:

“Why Alcoholics drink?” at
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/why_alcoholics_drink.html

“Alcoholism (Addiction) is a Treatable Disease” at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/alcoholism_treatable.html

Depression is a Nutritional Disorder at: http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/depression_disorder.html

You need to treat the biological aspect of alcoholism/depression first and then study the Self-help PSYCHOTHERAPY course at;
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/i-psychotherapy.html

from beginning to end.

Also read:

“Treatment of Drug Addiction”
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/treatment_drug_addiction.html

I hope I have been helpful.


Jurriaan Plesman BA (Psych), Post Grad Dip Clin Nutr.
Author of "Getting off the Hook" (Google Book Search)
For more free articles
www.hypoglycemia.asn.au