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" Question I am not sure if I am depression or if I have a drinking problem.  Ever since I was old enough to drink I have done so to excess, not everyday but every weekend and a couple of weeknights.  When I drink I do not seem to be able to stop.  I have injured myself on several occasions and often cannot remember what has happened the night when I was drinking.  I am not an unhappy person. I have a lovely family (who disapprove of my drinking) and a great long-term boyfriend.  I really don&amp;amp;#8217;t know why I feel the need to drink so very much.  If you could give me some advice I would be very grateful.   Answer David writes: You ask if you have depressed, or if you have a drinking problem. My answer is, probably both.  It&amp;#039;s absolutely certain that you&amp;#039;ve got a severe drinking affliction, and that you are badly &amp;#039;hooked&amp;#039; on alcohol.  I&amp;#039;m sure this isn&amp;#039;t your fault, but it&amp;#039;s a pretty serious situation.  You need to see a doctor this week, to have a physical examination and blood tests. This is to try to find out if your liver has been damaged.  Your GP can direct you to your local alcohol counselling service.  Alternatively there are many private alcohol-counselling agencies in Yellow Pages.  Christine adds: Many experts believe that some people have a sort of chemical problem with alcohol. If they leave it alone they&amp;#039;re ok but once they start they have to drink to excess.  Not everyone subscribes to this view, but it certainly seems to fit a great many drinkers.  If this is true of you, you may well find that you&amp;#039;ll have a much happier and more balanced life if you stop drinking altogether.  Quite apart from other considerations like embarrassment, injury and so on, alcohol is a depressant so if you have a tendency to depression the booze will make it worse. See our factsheet on alcohol and depression. It will also make your moods much less predictable.  Everyone I know personally who has had a drinking problem and subsequently stopped drinking has done so with the help of Alcoholics Anonymous.  I also think it would be a good idea for you to work at your self-esteem.  It seems likely to me that if you could value yourself more, then the drinking would be less of a necessity and less of a problem.  I recommend you read the book &amp;#039;The confidence to be yourself&amp;#039; by Dr Brian Roet.  I do hope that the information and advice we&amp;#039;ve given will help you.  You clearly have a lot going for you so it makes sense to clear up this depressive/drinking tendency.  Yours sincerely Dr David Delvin, GP and Christine Webber, psychotherapist   Other Qs &amp;amp; As A friend with SAD Agitated depression Am I depressed? Am I suffering from depression Am I suffering from dissociation? 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Last updated 06.12.2011 "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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