Hundreds of thousands of people suffer from depression and anxiety every year. These individuals often feel lost and out of touch and typical treatments may not support both disorders.
At Valley Recovery & Treatment our recovery centers facilitate opportunities for life-long sobriety. With treatment programs designed to support individuals starting with detoxification, placing an emphasis on total body wellness, we encourage support, and treat with compassion.
Contact us today to see which level of care we can provide you or your loved one.
What Is Depression?
Depression is a mood disorder. It is often caused or onset for a number of reasons, including childbirth, season changes, bipolar disorder, and even general depressive disorders.
When a person is experiencing depression or a depressive episode, they may have the following symptoms:
- “Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood
- Feelings of hopelessness, or pessimism
- Irritability
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness
- Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities
- Decreased energy or fatigue
- Moving or talking more slowly
- Feeling restless or having trouble sitting still
- Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
- Difficulty sleeping, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping
- Appetite and/or weight changes
- Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts
- Aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems without a clear physical cause and/or that do not ease even with treatment”
While people may not experience all these symptoms, it is possible to feel multiple symptoms for even mild cases of depression.
Depression is often treated with antidepressants, SSRIs, or MAOIs. These are drugs that act to stabilize your mood. While they aren’t considered addictive, skipping doses or stopping abruptly can cause worsening depression.
Does Depression Cause Substance Abuse?
While depression does not cause substance abuse, it can be a contributing factor in its onset. Individuals, especially those with undiagnosed depression, may utilize substances to alter their moods. When individuals become dependent on the substance to mitigate the depressive symptoms, they have developed an addiction and should seek treatment.
It can occur the other way around as well. Individuals who are addicted to drugs or alcohol may experience depression symptoms. This can be brought on by the use of the drug, withdrawal from the drug, or the body’s natural stress response. Individuals who experience depression symptoms when using should seek help immediately.
While neither depression nor substance abuse causes the other, they form a damaging cause and effect bond in the body. Approximately 1/3 of adults with a substance use disorder also suffer from depression while just under 1 in 5 adults with depression also have a substance use disorder. It’s important when seeking treatment, to seek out a program that targets depression and substance abuse.
How To Help Someone With Depression and Substance Abuse
If someone you know is struggling with depression and substance abuse, you can get them help today with Valley Recovery & Treatment.
Our programs are designed to meet the needs of our clients. With multiple treatment options and programs that are tailored to each person’s needs, we believe that recovery is possible.
At Valley Recovery & Treatment we have multiple locations and programs to support you or your loved one through each step of the addiction treatment and recovery process. Starting with a state-of-the-art medically monitored detoxification program, followed by structured inpatient care and intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization programs. We follow our more intensive programs with outpatient care and a lifetime of aftercare options.
When you choose Valley Recovery & Treatment to meet your personal addiction treatment needs, you can also be assured that they are getting the best holistic mental health treatment. Our licensed, expert staff are familiar with individuals with dual diagnosis disorders like depression and substance use. With tailored programs, individuals can work with a counselor to individually address additional issues outside of substance use.
With a continuum of care, we accept most insurances and work with individuals to get them the timely and critical care they need to make a change in their life. Contact Valley Recovery & Treatment to learn more today.
