How to Handle Depression and Addiction

For many, mood and mental health disorders are gateways to addiction. Nowhere is this truer than with depression. In fact, for millions of Americans, depression and alcohol go hand-in-hand. If you are struggling with both depression and addiction, this article is for you. We’ll go over how these two mental health disorders exacerbate each other and what you can do to get professional help.

Depression and Addiction – Partners in Crime

We all have bad days at one point or another. It might be a bad review at work, a sick child or loved one who’s causing you worry, money troubles, or any number of other things. Most of the time, these issues are resolvable, and these down periods eventually end.

But for some, “down periods” last longer than normal. Those who struggle with chronic or major depressive disorder may find that they miss work because they literally can’t bring themselves to get out of bed in the morning. They may stop going to work or school altogether and sleep all day, staying awake at night, unable to fall asleep.

These periods of depression last for weeks, months, or even years with some individuals. And over time, the troubled thoughts, feelings, and emotions can lead to substance abuse. This, soon, turns into substance addiction.

Likewise, the opposite evolution can occur. Certain drugs like alcohol have been known to spur depression when they are abused. No matter the exact order of these mental health disorders, depression and addiction are surely “partners in crime.” And when someone struggles with depression and addiction, this is what we call a dual diagnosis.

What Is a Dual Diagnosis?

Dual diagnosis is the diagnosis of both an addiction and a mood or mental health disorder like depression. When a client receives a dual diagnosis at our recovery center, Beaches Recovery in Jacksonville, FL, we have special therapies that can help them find solace and sobriety in treatment. These therapies include:

• Anger management
• Dialectical behavior therapy or DBT
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy or CBT
• Family therapy
• PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder therapy
• Group therapy

The focus of this dual diagnosis treatment is to treat both the depression and addiction. It is essential that each of these issues is treated together instead of simply focusing on the addiction itself or the depression itself. However, for many decades, this was the way that treatment centers cared for dual diagnosis patients.

Dual diagnosis treatment programs will analyze the root causes of depression and addiction. Programs focus on underlying issues and create a treatment program to build a solid foundation. Therapy and addiction treatment programs provide the necessary tools for dealing with difficult interactions and situations. With the right treatment plan, recovery will continue to last with resources and support groups readily available.

Seeking Professional Help for Depression and Addiction

At Beaches Recovery, we do our best to screen for dual diagnosis when patients arrive. We examine whether depression or any other mood or mental health disorder is present when we intake a client for addiction treatment services. Our programs are specifically designed for you or your loved one’s individual needs. We never abide by a one-size-fits-all model of treatment.

At our treatment center, we offer a wide range of depression and addiction treatments. Our treatment programs include:

• Alcohol addiction treatment
• Heroin addiction treatment
• Cocaine addiction treatment
• Opioid addiction treatment
• Prescription pain pill addiction treatment

If you are struggling with both addiction and depression or know someone who is, contact Beaches Recovery today by calling 866.605.0532 to learn more about our programs. We look forward to working with you on your journey to recovery.