The Alcohol-Depression Connection: Symptoms, Treatment & More
By Sarah Bence, OTR/LBence is an occupational therapist with a range of work experience in mental healthcare settings. Excessive alcohol drinking can also cause problems socially, such as issues with family, school, employment, and friends. This could have a carryover effect on depression since loneliness and lack of social support are linked to depression. Over time, your brain's reward pathway builds tolerance and requires more and more dopamine (via alcohol) to feel pleasure.