Alcohol and depression

Here's a simple equation about alcohol and depression.

Alcohol = Ethanol.

Ethanol = Depressant

Depressant = Sadness.

So, if alcohol can cause sadness why across the world is it consumed in huge quantities every day?

Well I've discovered why. And it's not really anything I didn't already know. Alcohol brings a euphoria. It brings confidence and sociability. It can help us to forget about the world and our problems.

But the thing is many of us go beyond the 'sociable' amount of alcohol. The culture of this new generation is to go out night after night downing 10 jager bombs, 5 vodka shots, 3 cider blacks and half a bottle of tequila. That's obviously way beyond the daily recommended limit. I'm sure that's not everyone's drinking preferences either but they're the common ones.

Statistics say that in Britain 7.5 million people are unaware of the damage of alcohol. That's more than 10% of the population.

I didn't write this post to inform people about what alcohol his and the damage it does. I've written it because I've had a bad experience with alcohol this week. I drank way too much. It's not my first bad alcohol experience but it's one that has allowed me to reflect the last few days.

If you're searching for happiness alcohol definitely doesn't supply it. In small quantities it's OK. It's fun to have a couple of drinks. But downing a bottle of wine like I did and then consuming one too many Jaeger bombs isn't the greatest idea if you want to be happy.

I've learnt that if you want to drink and have a good time. Do it with good friends. With good people that you will have a great time with. Don't drink to impress people and become someone you're not. If you're not in a good mood. Drinking will NOT make you feel better, in fact it will make things ten times worse. If in a bad mood you are more likely to become hysterical and/or aggressive and therefore act in a way you probably wouldn't have if you were sober.

Plan your nights out. You shouldn't go out every night. Scientists say you should have at least two alcohol free nights a week buuuut I think you should have at least half of the week alcohol free. That's personal opinion though. I guess it's what you are looking for in life. If you are looking to be happy and you're struggling to find out how to be happy  this has been my experience and my advice,

Alcohol can be enjoyed in a healthy, happy way (:

-X-H-X-

"Happy Chemicals"

Happiness is a wide concept and it's result comes from a vary of conclusions. I wanted to have a look into the biology of happiness. Well, a part of it.

At the end of the day happiness comes from within right?

Or is that another widely mistaken concept?

Upon doing my research I've been looking into what chemicals do allow us to experience pleasure. 

There are four main chemicals which are also known as the 'happy chemicals'.

If we have these chemicals why aren't we happy?

This is where it get's complicated.

Each one of these chemicals has it's own job.

In brief:

Dopamine = 'The great feeling that you will succeed in meeting your needs.

Serotonin = Flows when you feel important

Oxytocin = The feeling of trust.

Endorphins = The great euphoria that masks physical pain.

The problem is that once the hormone has done it's job, it takes a step back and stops. 

All these chemicals only work well in balance.

For example dopamine will be released when a hungry person gets food. However if someone only focuses on this type of stimulant they could then perhaps form an unhealthy relationship with food because they constantly long for that pleasure. This is how many of us become obese and then therefore unhappy. 

Another example is with Oxytocin. Oxytocin is the 'trust chemical'. This chemical is about survival and building trust. The key to Oxytocin stimulation is then enjoying the trust you have. Seeking to enforce this chemical by easily misplacing trust for example can then result in unhappiness.

All of these chemicals should have a place in our body. Sometimes mental illness for example does occur and chemical levels do go off balance on a big scale and that's why medication is prescribed to help get the balance back. 

Medication is a controversial way of treatment for conditions such as depression. Some claim that drugs are unnecessary to restore balanced chemical levels. We often hear the phrase 'going for a run, exercise makes you happier'.

It's all good exercising and releasing endorphins but maybe actually what we really need is Dopamine. Don't get me wrong, those endorphins aren't bad but an imbalance like I've already mentioned is ineffective for a stable state of happiness.

I'm no expert on neurotransmitters etc but I've found it interesting learning a bit more about these chemicals and writing about them. 

Thanks for reading. 

If you are a big believer in the neuroscience of happiness and are interested in how you can re wire your brain to release the 'right' amount of chemicals then I would read the following aritcle: https://www.psychologytoday.com/files/attachments/59029/happy-chemicals.pdf 

Apparently we can be happy in 45 days! 

If anyone tries it or has tried it, let me know as I'm intrigued to see if it works.

This was me exploring the happy chemicals :D

-X-H-X-

The Search For Happiness

The most important thing in life is to be happy. But like Hector in the film 'Hector in the search for happiness. I'm intrigued to know what it is that brings us as humans: happiness.

This blog is inspired by the film starring Simon Pegg and Rosamund Pike. The film really resonated with me. It provoked deep feelings within my core and bought out deep underlying emotions.

In brief, the film is about a psychiatrist who lives with his girlfriend in England. They have a pretty normal, average life. After time Hector, the psychiatrist realises that he can't fully help his patients to be happy as he doesn't really understand happiness himself. So then he sets of on a journey from  exploring Asia, Africa and America in search for happiness.

Hectors girlfriend secretly packed him a journal like notebook which while on his travels he bullet points what happiness is.

This is his 'list'.

 

 I don't want to spoil this film as I think everyone should watch it but it does have a very happy ending :)

I think that this list is valuable and true but I believe that happiness is perhaps so much more. I want to explore and go deeper into it and uncover more layers in what happiness is.

In short that is what I've made this blog for.

X-H-X