Can You Mix Abilify and Alcohol?

When you’re experiencing the symptoms of a psychiatric condition, it can be challenging to carry on with your daily activities. Your relationships may suffer, as well as your work opportunities, personal finances, and well-being. For this reason, it’s crucial to seek professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment when you are feeling mentally unwell.

With the help of a medical professional, you can begin feeling better. However, once you’ve received a treatment plan, it’s helpful to know what activities could be harmful to you, such as drinking alcohol while taking Abilify.

Abilify, also known by its generic name of aripiprazole, is a common antipsychotic medication that can help with various mental health conditions. Drinking while taking Abilify can make the medication less effective, putting you at a higher risk of side effects.

Here’s everything you need to know about mixing alcohol and Abilify.

Key Takeaways

• Mixing Abilify with alcohol is unsafe – Both substances affect the central nervous system and can amplify sedative effects like drowsiness, impaired judgment, and slowed breathing, increasing the risk of serious harm.
• Abilify is prescribed for several mental health conditions – It’s commonly used to treat depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia by balancing neurotransmitters in the brain, improving mood and behavior.
• Co-occurring disorders require integrated care – People with a need for both mental health treatment and an alcohol abuse treatment benefit from dual diagnosis treatment, and Abilify may help reduce alcohol cravings in some individuals.

If you’re struggling with mixing alcohol and Abilify or managing co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders, integrated treatment can help address both conditions simultaneously. Our mental health treatment programs work alongside addiction treatment services to provide comprehensive dual diagnosis care, including detoxification when needed. We offer treatment at facilities in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Puerto Rico. Treatment for co-occurring disorders is typically covered by insurance. Find out if your insurance covers treatment or explore our insurance resources to understand your coverage options. Get in touch to learn more about our dual diagnosis programs.

Can You Mix Alcohol With Abilify?

Alcohol and Abilify both take effect within your brain. For this reason, it’s essential to consider the effects of mixing alcohol and Abilify because they can amplify each other if taken together.

Alcohol is a depressant, and taking Abilify with alcohol can increase the depressant effects of alcohol, which may jeopardize your judgment, control over your actions and physical body, and even breathing.

Abilify, on its own, carries the side effects of drowsiness and sedation, which also occur when drinking alcohol.
For this reason, medical professionals do not advise mixing alcohol and Abilify. Using the two together could put you in a potentially dangerous situation.

Depending on your circumstances, you may want to ask your medical provider about your ability to mix Abilify and alcohol.

Managing Mental Health Conditions Along With Substance Use Disorders

It’s not a good idea to mix alcohol with Abilify, but if you feel like you cannot stop drinking, you may have an alcohol use disorder.
If you find yourself in this situation, it can be scary. However, it’s crucial to be honest with yourself and transparent with your medical provider about your drinking patterns to stay safe.

If you have a mental health condition, such as depression, and think drinking is also a problem, you’re not alone.
Millions of people in America suffer from both a mental health condition and a substance use disorder, a scenario known as having co-occurring conditions.

A study suggests alcohol use disorders and depression may be closely linked because heavy drinkers are more likely to struggle with depression.