[artie]

Just a few comments about your article on alcohol triggering depression(March 3 2009):

I find it interesting that herbalists recommend Hops be avoided during depression (Bremness, Herbs, Eyewitness Handbooks) as a herb, not just as a beer ingredient. Hops is the closest relative of Cannabis, apparently its' chemical lupiol is similar to THC. Cannabis wreaks havoc with mental health in vulnerable individuals (speaking from experience) perhaps it is the lupiol not alcohol that is causing the trouble, (or a least a possible factor). It might be interesting to look at wine drinkers vs beer drinkers.

As your article mentions both depression and alcohol abuse may be associated with economic or social problems.

It's interesting wine is associated more with success than beer.

Very interesting site anyway, thanks.

[madisgram]

hi artie, imho many of us that suffer from depression or mood disorders do/or have used substances to alter our mood. many of us become addicts or alcoholics, of course, from too much self-medicating. of course this only fed into my depression drinking alcohol but by then it was too late. i wish they would do a study on this cause i'm convinced there is a link, a glaring link. i wasn't a beer drinker. i enjoyed wine but of course did that to excess along with all the scotch in the entire world if i could have gotten my hands on it. gladly i found a more viable solution...sobriety and using a pdoc to be my chemist to help me along and lots of therapy. works for me.

[artie]

Yes in my life there's a link, although it's a little more complicated with me because I'm bi-polar, I think being drunk is partly a "safe" substitute for the euphoria of mania as well as a "friend" in depression. Also self-medicating the stress that can develop into mania.

I'm sure often there is a third problem, such as poverty, causing both alcohol and depression problems. The author Joe Griffin blames the demise of community in the last 60 years or so for the huge growth in depression, especially in men (if I recall correctly) his books on satisfing inherent human needs in fighting depression seemed to help me when I was depressed.

I should have mentioned Hops has been seen to cause "melancholy" by herbalists, brewers were initially reluctant to use it for this reason.