It’s doubtful TDA will ever be popular enough to be parodied by Mad Magazine, so I decided to take this news story as the opportunity to do my own cover art with Alfred E Neuman and his apropos catch phrase.
The Time article states, “A new study suggests that the opposite actually tends to be true. In fact, those who never drink are at significantly higher risk for not only depression but also anxiety disorders, compared with those who consume alcohol regularly.
What, me worry? I know for a fact that my recovery plan- proactively taking care of stress and problems, living without regrets- has made my once dark and miserable life now a thing to celebrate and a joy to experience. Even though Alfred and I have probably about as much in common as we do with the Norwegians of the study, I still feel the urge to rebut the resulting conclusion.
Beyond what the article offers about some abstainers do so because they are physically ill or have (like me) substance abuse issues, I would add restrictive social and religious mores to the things that might raise the risk of depression. Personally I would take it one step further and say that while maybe those that use alcohol to “lubricate social interaction” and make friends have a lower risk of depression, they are also the least likely to come to grips with their spirituality or attain contentment.
Those of us in recovery may run a greater risk for depression, but the rewards of recovery are in my opinion well worth it!
