Depression and addiction usually work together in cycles. One may even make the other worse or cause the other. If you are struggling with depression, there is an increased risk that you will develop an addiction to drugs or alcohol and vice versa. It really is a dangerous, vicious cycle. 

If you or someone you know struggles with depression and addiction or one of these, our Southeast Addiction team wants you to know there are treatments available in our facility that can help you to overcome these issues. It all starts with a phone call to our treatment center and we can help you from there. 

Understand More About Depression 

Research shows that more than 300 million people have depression throughout the world. Just in the United States, there are more than 15 million adults that struggle with clinical depression. That isn’t even counting the adolescents or younger children. 

It is important to understand that depression isn’t just being sad. It affects a person’s mental, emotional, spiritual and physical health. It also affects a person’s financial well-being and relationships. 

It is undeniable that sadness is something that everyone has to deal with from time to time. However, there is a difference between being sad and being depressed. Depression usually lasts for weeks, months or years. In addition, depression is connected to substance abuse as people often self-medicate to deal with their feelings. Did you know that about ⅓ of everyone who has depression also has a substance use disorder or co-occurring disorder?

If you or someone you know is struggling with depression, please reach out to our Southeast Addiction treatment center team today. We want to help you start feeling better. 

Are You Self-Medicating 

How do you know if you are self-medicating with alcohol or drugs to deal with your depression? Well, there are certain questions that you can ask yourself. If you say yes to one or more of these questions, you are likely self-medicating and may need professional treatment to help you overcome this issue. Some of the questions that you may want to ask yourself include:

• Are you using alcohol or drugs to change how you feel?
• Do you try limiting your intake of alcohol or drugs, but can’t seem to follow through with doing this?
• Are you using alcohol or drugs in high amounts?
• Do you need more drugs to get the same effects you got in the past?
• Have you had cravings for alcohol or drugs?
• Is alcohol and/or drugs interfering with your social or professional life?
• Do you participate in risk-taking behaviors such as driving under the influence or unprotected sex?
• Are you spending a lot of money and/or time getting alcohol or drugs?

As noted above, if you are answering yes to one or more of these questions, it might be a good time to speak with a professional here at our Southeast Addiction treatment center to get the help you need.

Alcohol and Depression 

Alcohol is one of the most used substances for self-medicating depression and other mental health disorders. Part of the reason for this is that it is so easy to get. Many people find that alcohol consumption lowers their stress in the moment and helps them to relax for a bit. However, after waking up after a night of drinking and in the long-term, self-medicating with alcohol can seriously damage your health, lifestyle and future. It can also cause your depression to get worse since alcohol is also a depressant. 

Marijuana Abuse and Depression 

There are many people who abuse marijuana to try coping with depression, as well. Even though marijuana is now legal in many states, that doesn’t make it safe to abuse. When someone smokes or uses marijuana, it changes their behavior, emotions, motor control and cognition. Sometimes, if a person is already feeling depressed when they start smoking, the depression will worsen. In other cases. Using this drug can cause depression or lead to other mood disorders, as well. 

Stimulant Abuse and Depression 

Similar to other substances, there is a connection between stimulant abuse and depression. The truth is there are so many people who have depression that also deal with PTSD and/or anxiety. Some of these people may take stimulants and get relief. However, when abusing these substances, there are usually more cravings for them, increased depression, happiness to sadness crashes and the need to take more of the drug to ease mental health symptoms. 

If you or someone you know is abusing the following drugs, please seek help from our Southeast Addiction Center team today. 

• Amphetamines
• MDMA
• Cocaine
• Synthetic stimulants such as bath salts
• Methamphetamines
• Prescription drugs such as Adderall

Each one of these drugs is associated with neurochemistry changes that can actually cause depression to worsen. If this is the case for you, please don’t hesitate to talk to someone, so you can get the help needed to overcome your depression and substance use disorder. 

Get Treatment for Depression and Addiction 

It is normal to feel helpless when dealing with an addiction. Even if you aren’t the one who has the addiction, but it is a loved one or friend instead, it can still be extremely difficult to watch them go through this. It is vital that depression and addiction topics are approached with caution, empathy and care.

Some of the things that may help you or someone you care about to get treatment for depression and addiction include:

• Be honest about your substance abuse and mental health history
• Don’t give false assurances, just be there to help as much as you can
• Let the person vent and explain their side of what is going on
• Understand that depression and addiction hit people in different ways (be empathetic to this)
• Develop a support network for the person with depression and/or the addiction

There are so many ways that depression and addiction can be treated. However, it is important that these issues are approached carefully and properly. If you or someone you know is dealing with a co-occurring disorder or just an addiction or depression, we want to help you get the treatment you need. Our team has years of experience in dealing with mental health and addiction issues and we can speak to you or your loved one about our treatment options today. 

Get Help to Overcome Depression and Addiction Today

Do you or someone you care about have depression and addiction? Are you self-medicating to deal with depression or does your substance abuse cause you to be depressed? No matter what is going on, our Southeast Addiction Center team wants to help you work through and overcome it.

Contact us today to get help to overcome depression and addiction.