It doesn't, but there is a connection: for people who have a predisposition, alcohol is risky in that it can trigger a depressive episode. Typically one of the

It doesn't, but there is a connection: for people who have a predisposition, alcohol is risky in that it can trigger a depressive episode. Typically one of the first things a psychiatrist or therapist will tell you to do in such a situation is to stop drinking. The GP's experience (that alcohol helps their depression) is not typical, but everyone is different.