Stop all alcohol advertising
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At Aware, we describe depression as having eight main symptoms, and we use the FESTIVAL acronym as a way to remember them all. If you experience 5 or more of these symptoms, lasting for a period of 2 weeks or more, we recommend speaking to your GP or #mentalhealth professional.
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At Aware, we describe depression as having eight main symptoms, and we use the FESTIVAL acronym as a way to remember them all. If you experience 5 or more of these symptoms, lasting for a period of 2 weeks or more, we recommend speaking to your GP or #mentalhealth professional.
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At Aware, we describe depression as having eight main symptoms, and we use the FESTIVAL acronym as a way to remember them all. If you experience 5 or more of these symptoms, lasting for a period of 2 weeks or more, we recommend speaking to your GP or #mentalhealth professional.
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At Aware, we describe depression as having eight main symptoms, and we use the FESTIVAL acronym as a way to remember them all. If you experience 5 or more of these symptoms, lasting for a period of 2 weeks or more, we recommend speaking to your GP or #mentalhealth professional.
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At Aware, we describe depression as having eight main symptoms, and we use the FESTIVAL acronym as a way to remember them all. If you experience 5 or more of these symptoms, lasting for a period of 2 weeks or more, we recommend speaking to your GP or #mentalhealth professional.
If you drink heavily and regularly you’re likely to develop some symptoms of depression. It’s that good old brain chemistry at work again. Regular drinking lowers the levels of serotonin in your brain – a chemical that helps to regulate your mood.
In Britain, people who experience anxiety or depression are twice as likely to be heavy or problem drinkers. For some people, the anxiety or depression came first and they’ve reached for alcohol to try to relieve it. For others, drinking came first, so it may be a root cause of their anxieties (2).
Drinking heavily can also affect your relationships with your partner, family and friends. It can impact on your performance at work. These issues can also contribute to depression.
If you use drink to try and improve your mood or mask your depression, you may be starting a vicious cycle…
Warning signs that alcohol is affecting your mood include:
How does alcohol affect your sleep? Tips for a restful night
1. Use exercise and relaxation to tackle stress instead of alcohol.
2. Learn breathing techniques to try when you feel anxious.
3. Talk to someone about your worries. Don’t try and mask them with alcohol.
4. Always be aware of why you’re drinking. Don’t assume it will make a bad feeling go away, it’s more likely to exaggerate it.
Unfortunately reaching for a drink won’t always have the effect you’re after.
While a glass of wine after a hard day might help you relax, in the long run it can contribute to feelings of depression and anxiety and make stress harder to deal with. This is because regular, heavy drinking interferes with neurotransmitters in our brains that are needed for good mental health.
When we drink, we narrow our perception of a situation and don’t always respond to all the cues around us. If we’re prone to anxiety and notice something that could be interpreted as threatening in the environment, we’ll hone in on that and miss the other less threatening or neutral information. For example, we might focus on our partner talking to someone we’re jealous of, rather than notice all the other people they’ve been chatting to that evening.
Captain Morgan 
Mindaware 