Depression and Addiction
Everyone has bad days. Whether it is because of problems at home, at work or in our relationships, we all experience down periods in our lives. For most people the down periods come and go in a reasonable, ordinary fashion and can be remedied by the things that make us happy. But for those who suffer from depression, the down periods don't go away so easily. Clinical depression is a serious mental disability with consequences for the individuals and his or her family.
Depression affects millions of people - keeping them from living normal, happy lives. Common symptoms of depression include:
- Loss of appetite
- Feelings of hopelessness
- Anxiety
- Weight loss
- Sleeplessness
- Ache and pains
- Loss of energy
- General irritability
Depression and Addiction
Depression is all too often a gateway into drug and alcohol use. It's easy to see why. Those who experience feelings of depressions take alcohol and drugs in order to escape their negative emotions. But those who are clinically depressed are going to stay depressed if they do not seek treatment. And if these individuals are using drugs and alcohol on a regular basis, chances are their usage will soon turn into full blown addiction as they continue in a vain attempt to self-medicate themselves.
When an individual has both depression and an addiction it is called a Dual Diagnosis. A Dual Diagnosis can be made up of any combination of a mental disorder (anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder) and addiction (drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling). Dual diagnoses that contain a depression element are among the most common forms of the problem.
What makes a dual diagnosis so hard to treat is that the problems on both sides of the coin tend to make the other side worse. So say, for example, an individual has severe depression. Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol is not going to make the depression better - in fact it will make the condition more serious. And conversely, if a person is an alcoholic, their depression will likely keep them from attaining the proper mindset to overcome their addiction to alcohol.
There is a high level of complexity involved in treating the dual diagnosis patient. It is a well known fact that those who have a dual diagnosis, and seek treatment in a traditional rehab program - are not going to get the care they need. Only those programs equipped to handle psychiatric problems as well as drug and alcohol addiction will be able to assist with proper detox, counseling and after-care planning.
Dual Diagnosis Treatment Centers in California and Tennessee understand the complicated nature of Dual Diagnoses. Every day, we welcome those who are struggling with depression and drug addiction into our facilities, and start them on the road to recovery. At our three main centers - LaPaloma Treatment Center, The Canyon and Michael's House, we offer a variety of programs that are designed to help get the individual clean and simultaneously treat all aspects of the dual diagnosis.
