Depression and Alcohol after Brain Injury: FAQs

 How Depresssion and Brain Injury Interact

By DeAnna Frye, Ph.D.

What is the relationship between brain injury and depression?

Depression is the most common psychiatric diagnosis after brain injury.  Individuals may experience symptoms immediately after their injury or not until several years post injury.  Individuals with depression after brain injury have poorer rehabilitation outcomes, poorer quality of life, less social and recreational activity, greater caregiver burden and poorer subjective well-being.  As a result, it is important that individuals receive treatment for their depression.

The preferred form of treatment for individuals with depression following brain injury is psychotherapy.  Medications can also be beneficial but caution should be taken as individuals with brain injury are more likely to experience side effects from these medications.

Since her discharge home from the hospital my daughter has been telling us that she wished she hadn’t survived the accident.  This really upsets us, as it is a miracle that she is alive today.  How should we respond when she says this to us?

Your daughter may be expressing feelings of grief over the significant changes in her life as a result of her injury.  This is a normal part of the grief process and you should encourage your daughter to talk with you and a counselor about her feelings of loss.  While most individuals who recover from a brain injury experience similar feelings, it is also important to make sure that your daughter is not clinically depressed and suicidal.  While it is common for individuals to express feelings that they wished that they had not survived their injury, this does not mean that they currently wish to die. An individual who is expressing a desire to end their life needs immediate medical attention to ensure their safety.  If your daughter is expressing suicidal thoughts, you should call her psychologist or doctor immediately and alert them to the situation.

The holidays are approaching.  How much alcohol is a safe amount to drink after a brain injury?

Research has shown that there is no “safe” amount of alcohol after a brain injury.  Important factors to consider include interactions with any medications the individual is taking as well as history of alcohol abuse or dependence. Individuals also may react differently to alcohol after a brain injury, which may place them at greater risk for additional injury.

Why does my treatment team tell me not to drink alcohol now that I have had a brain injury?

It is important to realize that alcohol is a neurotoxin – in other words, it kills brain cells. After a brain injury, alcohol can interfere with the healing process.  Alcohol can also cause seizures.  While this is pretty rare for healthy individuals, your risk for seizures is higher after a traumatic brain injury.  Drinking alcohol increases that risk even further. Individuals who drink to the point of intoxication also demonstrate changes in their cognitive skills, with judgment being one of the first skills affected.  As a result, intoxicated individuals may do things that put them in situations where they may be harmed and perhaps sustain another brain injury.

Some individuals turn to alcohol as a means of coping with their loneliness, depression or anger.  Research that has been conducted to look at safe alcohol consumption for individuals with traumatic brain injury has concluded that there is no safe amount.

Dr DeAnna Frye has a B.S. in Psychology, M.S. in Counseling Psychology, Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology. She is currently employed by Neurology Neuroscience Associates of Akron. Her special interests are psychotherapy and counseling to patients with neurological disorders with special expertise in brain injury. She is a founding member and the current co-chair of the Summit County Traumatic Brain Injury Collaborative located in Akron, Ohio.
Many individuals struggle with depression after brain injury. This Tool Kit helps individuals, families and clinicians recognize symptoms and triggers ranging from mild depression to effects of PTSD.

For more information, see:

The Depression Tool Kit after TBI

Many individuals struggle with depression after brain injury. This Tool Kit helps individuals, families and clinicians recognize symptoms and triggers ranging from mild depression to effects of PTSD.