For example, some OTC products can make the effects of alcohol (such as drowsiness) more intense. You should avoid alcohol if you are taking medication to treat arthritis, including: In Menary et al., Comorbidity of generalized anxiety disorder and substance use disorders: Results from the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related ConditionsPsychological interventions for alcohol misuse among people with co‐occurring depression or anxiety disorders: A systematic reviewUse of alcohol and drugs to self‐medicate anxiety disorders in a nationally representative sampleSelf‐medication of mood disorders with alcohol and drugs in the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related ConditionsLifetime comorbidity of DSM‐IV mood and anxiety disorders and specific drug use disorders: Results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related ConditionsReports of drinking to self‐medicate anxiety symptoms: Longitduinal assessment for subgroups of individuals with alcohol dependenceA prospective assessment of reports of drinking to self‐medicate mood symptoms with the incidence and persistence of alcohol dependenceCo‐morbidity of drug addiction: An analysis of epidemiological data and possible etiological modelsQuality of life as an outcome measure in alcoholism treatment researchThe course of anxiety, depression and drinking behaviours after completed detoxification in alcoholics with and without comorbid anxiety and depressive disordersNo reliable evidence that emotional disorders are proximal antecedents, concomitants, or short‐term consequences of first episode alcohol use disorders in a representative community sampleThe association between cannabis use and mood disorders : A longitudinal studyThe association between cannabis use and anxiety disorders: Results from a population‐based representative sampleTests of causal links between alcohol abuse or dependence and major depressionImpact of alcohol use motives and internalizing symptoms on mood changes in response to drinking: An ecological momentary assessment investigationEpidemiology of DSM‐5 Alcohol Use Disorder: Results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditons IIISource and accuracy statement for Wave 2 of the 2004–2005 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions.Source and accuracy statement for Wave 1 of the 2001–2002 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related ConditionsPrevalence and co‐occurrence of substance use disorders and independent mood and anxiety disordersLifetime co‐occurrence of DSM‐III‐R alcohol abuse and dependence with other psychiatric disorders in the National Comorbidity SurveyLifetime and 12‐month prevalence of DSM‐III‐R psychiatric disorders in the United States; Results from the National Comorbidity SurveyThe self‐medication hypothesis of addictive disorders: Focus on heroin and cocaine dependenceThe self‐medication hypothesis of substance use disorders: A reconsideration and recent applicationsPractice guideline for the treatment of patients with substance use disorders‐second editionHow do risk factors work together? These data preclude a more nuanced examination of the association between SM for MD/AD and SUD over time. If you are being treated for depression or another mental health condition such as an anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, or obsessive- disorder, you may need to limit or completely avoid alcohol if you take one or more of the following medications: According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), there are several reasons that it can be harmful to mix medications and alcohol. Sixth, among studies, the outcome variable is inconsistent, with drug/alcohol abuse, dependence or disorder being used in different studies.