Feelings of sadness and inadequacy can arise from various sources, such as difficulties at work or in your family life. However, these times may be brief since feelings of worthlessness or sadness can linger for days, weeks, or even months at a time. When you have clinical depression, your condition is considerably worse than if you have a bad day now and again. Clinical depression is a severe mental illness that has far-reaching effects.
The obvious link between depression and addiction is old news to the experienced mental health professionals at Ashwood Recovery. As you might suspect, addiction is quite typical among those who have clinical depression. But, help is available. Learn more about our depression treatment options by calling 888.341.3607.
What Is Depression?
It is critical to know the difference between sadness and depression. People may accidentally use the two words interchangeably, but they are quite different. Most individuals have gone through sadness or grief that persisted for a long time. Still, their emotions always improved—even those afflicted with what they might describe as the blues suffer from it only temporarily.
The DSM V classifies depression as a condition that lasts for at least two weeks. It affects your ability to work, causes issues in your social life, and makes it difficult to maintain strong and healthy relationships. When someone is depressed, they will usually feel hopeless. They will be unhappy, but the sadness will be amplified. Another typical complaint among those who have depression is a lack of energy.
Ways Depression Can Arise
Depression is one of the most prevalent mental disorders in the United States today. While researchers are still unsure what causes depression, researchers agree that certain risk factors tend to be shared by those who have it. They are a combination of genetic factors, biological factors, environmental factors, and psychological factors, including:
- Having a family member who has a history of depression
- Experiencing a major life change
- Living through a traumatic event
- Having a constant state of feeling stressed
- Going through certain types of physical illnesses or diseases
- Taking certain types of medications
Depression can happen to anyone, regardless of age. Usually, however, it does not begin until the adult years. Those who have medical problems such as diabetes, heart disease, or cancer are very high risk of becoming depressed. The medications prescribed to treat these conditions often list depression as a side effect.
Is There a Link Between Depression and Addiction?
When people think about depression, their first impression is that it influences mood. While this is true, depression’s impact goes further than simply affecting emotions. Depression can cause physical pain in the body, including chronic tiredness, loss of interest in activities once enjoyed, sleep deprivation or oversleeping, and joint and muscle pain.
Substance abuse and depression are two of the most frequently occurring mental illnesses in today’s society. People who have a depressive illness will frequently use drugs or alcohol to cope with emotional or physical suffering. People use substances to alleviate unpleasant emotions or thoughts, even if only for a brief time. Of course, the effects of drugs and alcohol don’t last long, prompting individuals to return to using them. As a result, depression, and addiction feed on each other. Substance abuse always makes depressive symptoms worse.
Is Addiction And Depression Treatment Right For You?
Studies have shown that unless the source of the addiction is treated, the addiction is likely to continue. It was once believed that addiction should be managed first to treat co-occurring disorders properly. This is no longer the recommendation. Most experts agree that the best way to treat depression and addiction is by:
- Providing patients with a comprehensive, personalized treatment plan that addresses their unique needs.
- Making sure each patient gets an accurate diagnosis for proper treatment.
- Managing patient medications to ensure that they are not contributing to the addiction or the depression.
- Providing counseling sessions with a therapist who has been trained to treat co-occurring disorders.
- Offering group therapy to aid in recovery.
- If you have both an addiction and depression, please know that you’re not alone. There are so many others who have found hope with dual diagnosis treatment.
You do not have to suffer in silence or on your own. A depression treatment program can be your best option for living the life you want.
Choose Ashwood Recovery For Depression Therapy
Whether you’ve suffered from depression for most of your adult life or your diagnosis of depression is still relatively new to you, if you’re using drugs or alcohol to self-medicate in an attempt to help yourself feel better, you’re heading down a very dangerous road. Often, those with depression don’t realize the link between their depression and addiction or that help is available.
At Ashwood Recovery, we offer depression treatment options to help those who suffer from depression and addiction. We believe that one should never be treated without treating the other. In our experience, we’ve had great success with helping people overcome their addictions by treating their depression symptoms too, and we’d like to do the same thing for you.
If you would like to get more information about how a depression treatment program can get you on the path to living a sober, happy life, reach out to our team of mental health professionals at 888.341.3607.