Combining antidepressants with alcohol could worsen your symptoms and can be extremely dangerous. If you combine alcohol and antidepressants:

• You may feel more depressed or anxious. Drinking can counteract the benefits of your antidepressant medication, making your symptoms more difficult to treat. Alcohol may improve your mood short term, but overall increases symptoms of depression and anxiety
• You may be at risk of alcohol abuse. People with depression are at increased risk of substance abuse and addiction. If you have trouble controlling your alcohol use, substance use treatment may be necessary before your depression improves. 
• Side effects may be worse if you take another medication. Many medications cause problems when taken with alcohol-including anti-anxiety, sleep, and prescription pain medications.
• Your thinking and alertness may be impaired. The combination of antidepressants and alcohol will affect your judgment, coordination, motor skills and reaction time more than alcohol alone. This can impair your ability to drive and to other tasks, such as perform safety sensitive duties as a Flight Attendant which require us to be focused and alert.
• You may become sedated or drowsy. Some antidepressants cause sedation and drowsiness, but with alcohol the combined effect can be intensified.  

 

Tell your doctor about any health conditions and medications you take, including over-the-counter medications and supplements.

Keeping your doctor informed is important because: Some liquid medications, such as cough syrups, can contain alcohol. As you age, your body processes medication differently and levels of medication in your body may need adjusted. Adding a new medication may change the level of another medication in your body and how your body reacts

 

For more information-

Can I Drink Alcohol with Anxiety Medications?

Anxiety Medications and Alcohol

 

Telephonic meetings are open to all Flight Attendants who are exploring their need for or seeking recovery from substance use disorders.

Meeting times are scheduled on Wednesday at 3:00 pm EST and Sunday at 5:00 pm EST.

 

Each meeting will last between forty-five (45) minutes to one (1) hour.

The conference call in number is 1-855-544-2320.

Homewood Health^TM EFAP is pleased to release the Life Lines article for March 2022, “Kickstart Your Wellness”.

This article is intended to support your wellness programming by providing employees and their family members with useful information and tips. Suggested distribution mechanisms include posting it on your intranet site, printing hard copies to be placed in high traffic areas such as staff lounges and lunchrooms, making it available in Human Resources and occupational health centres, mass email distribution, or including within your company communications.

Understanding the need for varied communication formats, Homewood Health is now pleased to provide article summaries in both video and audio file formats. Each file is approximately two minutes in duration and reviews key reading points in a clear and concise manner.

View the Article

Play the Video

Download the Audio File