Anyone who is suffering from depression and alcoholism should invest both time and effort into tackling both problems.  Doing so is probably essential to living a better life eventually and being happy in the long run.  Only confronting one of these two problems is going to keep the person stuck in some sort of cycle.

Now there is plenty of theory out there about what makes for good depression treatment in recovering alcoholics, but I think one of the crucial pieces that is often missed is the holistic approach.  In fact I believe that an holistic approach is critical for both addiction recovery and also for properly treating depression.

What is the holistic approach?  It is attacking the problem from a number of different angles and viewpoints.  It is drawing from all available resources and utilizing every possible trick in the book.  For example, picture someone who is recovering from alcoholism who is:

1) Using a support group such as AA for social support.

2) Attending treatment and learning about coping mechanisms and how to recognize triggers, etc.

3) Improving their nutrition and overall health.

4) Focusing on fitness and getting regular, healthy exercise.

5) Achieving balance in their life and engaging in a variety of different activities.

6) Seeking emotional balance and focusing on healthy relationships.

7) Seeking spiritual growth and an improved connection with a higher power.

8) Helping others who struggle with alcoholism.

This is a holistic approach and it draws on many different aspects of life in order to be effective.  Now obviously, if you read through that list again and think about it in terms of treating depression, pretty much every point on there can be helpful in this regard.  Striving for holistic health is beneficial no matter what your problem is, but it is especially helpful for fighting both addiction and depression.

The element of exercise, in particular, is almost always under utilized in my opinion.  This is true for both addiction and depression.  It was a revelation for me to get into a habit of regular exercise and then look back a few months later and see how much different I felt.  The time put in for regular exercise is one of the best investments you can make, in my opinion.  There is also a meditative quality to most exercise that is also beneficial on a whole other level.

If you happen to be recovering from both depression and alcoholism, then you should definitely consider an holistic approach that incorporates regular exercise.