A UK liver specialist, Dr. Rajiv Jalan from University College, London, told BBC news that taking a break from even moderate drinking of alcohol can not only help your liver, it may also help you shed pounds, sleep better, lower cholesterol and stabilize blood sugar levels.

Erratic, elevated blood sugar levels (especially diabetes) have been linked to signs and symptoms of depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and other mood disorders. Diabetes has also been linked to schizophrenia and dementia. While no direct causal relationship has been proven, plenty of anecdotal evidence suggests that alcohol and other forms of sugar such as sugary drinks, cake, and candy, do affect mood.

In my practice, as a mental health and addiction specialist, I’ve accumulated enough anecdotal evidence to make the case for laying off liquor if you have depression, anxiety or other mood disorders, even if you aren’t mixing alcohol with medication.

If you are taking anti-depressants and/or anti-anxiety medication, STOP DRINKING NOW. Alcoholic drinks (liquor, wine, and beer) may completely deactivate your medication so it does not work. It may also change how it works, and cause other symptoms, some of which may be dangerous to your health.

Could your light to moderate drinking be affecting your depression or anxiety?

Here are two personal stories, one from my files, another from a casual encounter (identifying information for both changed and/or withheld):

J. was a high-school principal who was diagnosed with Seasonal Affective Disorder. She went to a SAD specialist but nothing helped, not medication, lights, or therapy. She stopped taking meds or doing anything else to treat her SAD. Finally, she was referred to me by a friend. During the evaluation it came out that each night she was having “one or two mixed drinks” (usually more). She refused outpatient addiction treatment and decided to stop drinking on her own. (I agreed that while she was abusing alcohol to medicate her mood she didn’t necessarily have to go into treatment). She replaced her boozy beverages with chamomile tea sweetened with no more than one teaspoon of honey, up to two cups per night. In a few months her depression and anxiety symptoms lessened so much so, that she felt that talk therapy (twice a month, with a therapist I recommended) would be enough help. I followed up with her about ten months later she said she had no symptoms of SAD or depression, and if she felt a normal range of sadness, she would go skiing or otherwise exercise outdoors, and feel much better.

S. was a department head at a university. I was invited to speak to a class he taught. He and I met in his office after class. It was around four 0’clock on a winter afternoon. He went to an antique cabinet, took out a bottle, and offered me a drink of scotch or bourbon (I don’t remember which). I declined and he proceeded to sip his drink. Then he asked if he could share why he was so interested in having me come lecture to his class. He had been diagnosed with depression (which worsened during the winter) and anxiety. S. believed his father had undiagnosed bipolar disorder. He also felt his mother had undiagnosed borderline personality disorder, and he feared that he was doomed to “a life of suffering” because of it. He had been in therapy for eleven years with the same therapist “without a net” (no treatment plan) and felt despair. He also had uncontrollable rages which he was afraid was going to eventually lead to a divorce from his beloved wife. He’d tried a few antidepressants but nothing seemed to help. I wasn’t about to do therapy in his office, but since he invited my opinion, I asked, gently: Have you ever thought about stopping drinking? He told me he rarely drank and this scotch was an exception. I believed him. I asked him what about in the evening? He told me he and his wife didn’t “drink at all”, only wine with dinner. Every night. When I was silent, he reflected and said: You know, I realized just now, I drink nearly a bottle of wine every night, because we generally always have to open two bottles. My wife just has a glass and I have five glasses usually. Could this be a problem? He was genuinely surprised—to him, a fine wine was in no way “drinking”. I suggested he reflect on this and educated him on the possible impact his drinking was having on his depression, anxiety, and anger issues. Although I didn’t follow up with him, per se, I did run into him nearly two years later. He shook my hand and said “thank you” and told me in a soft voice that he no longer drank more than one glass of wine a day and that he felt much better. Although I don’t have the clinical details, I have no doubt modifying his drinking helped his depression.