Does alcoholism cause depression?

Does alcoholism cause depression?

Gail Priddy (Deputy Director) gives expert video advice on: What is alcoholism?; What is the difference between being an alcoholic and just drinking a lot?; Is alcoholism a disease? and more...

Alcohol is a depressant drug. People who drink heavily will become more depressed or start to feel more depressed. It's actually quite difficult to work out whether if it was depression or alcoholism that came first, until someone stops drinking for a period of time for that to be assessed.