Does Alcohol dependancy lead to depression - Essay Example

cancers, unintentional injuries, and violence.” (Mokdad, Marks, Stroup & Gerberding 2000) Professional health care practitioners are constantly vigilant on monitoring alcohol dependents, especially if it exists in conjunction with other illnesses, like depression. The negative effects that alcoholism causes cannot be undermined. This paper is written to present a review of literature on the topic: does alcohol dependency lead to depression? Given the research question, the purpose of the study is to explore four scholarly researches made on the topic identifying methodologies, findings and general consensus. The U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services define alcoholism, also known as “alcohol dependence,” as “a disease that includes four symptoms: craving: a strong need, or compulsion, to drink; loss of control: The inability to limit one’s drinking on any given occasion; physical dependence: Withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety, occur when alcohol use is stopped after a period of heavy drinking; and tolerance: The need to drink greater amounts of alcohol in order to “get high.

” (2001, 1) “The American Medical Association and the World Health Organization have both recognized addiction (including alcoholism) as an illness, not a lack of willpower”. (Dossey, Keegan, & Guzzetta, 2000, 514). Definitely, this is a fact that pervades people from all walks of life depending on diverse factors. According to Dossey, et.al. (2000), “although there are many types of addictions to various substances, alcohol addiction is the most prevalent in the United States, afflicting at least 11 million people”. (514) There are a multitude of scholarly researches written on alcoholism and diverse concerns related to it.

Through secondary sources from books, journals and electronic references, appropriate materials would enable one to proffer a comprehensive and objective view of the topic. A study conducted by Dr. Achal