Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, which is commonly just shortened to “depressant”. This doesn’t mean it causes depression, it means it has a particular effect on us humans biologically.

That said, it does also exacerbate clinical depression, so this gets confusing quickly!

That's a massive oversimplification which came out of non-scientific 12 step literature and is simply not true in many situations.

I have on many occasions beaten back total anhedonia and a desire to die with a few drinks. It's not an optimal solution obviously, but when your options are limited it is sometimes quite preferable to not drinking.

>I have on many occasions beaten back total anhedonia and a desire to die with a few drinks. It's not an optimal solution obviously, but when your options are limited it is sometimes quite preferable to not drinking

As someone who has suffered major depression, I agree totally that recreational drug use can be helpful in managing some symptoms of mental disorder. I do however feel like moderation is a very important aspect of this which can be harder for folks when they are already feeling down

Many depressed people use alcohol as medication.

otherwise most of them wouldn’t want to socialise at all.