Grief and Addiction

When you struggle with grief and addiction, recovery can appear impossible. Grief can occur following trauma or the loss of a loved one. Negative emotions like sadness and depression can interfere with your daily life and make it difficult to enjoy life. When you use drugs and alcohol, your brain is compelled to release more pleasurable neurotransmitters than it should, leading to intoxication. In addition, this rush of neurotransmitters temporarily relieves negative emotions like grief and depression.

Whether your grief is caused by depression or a recent event, it can increase your chances of using drugs and alcohol to self-medicate. Having a co-occurring mental health disorder like depression can make it hard to cope with the demands of your personal and professional life. Finding grief and loss counseling for grief and addiction provides you with the support and guidance you need to achieve recovery.

Grief and Addiction

Grief can be caused by a specific event and make you feel overwhelmed with sadness. Intense grief can cause:

• Isolation from friends, family members, and loved ones
• Uncontrolled crying spells
• Insomnia and exhaustion
• Anger and irritability
• No longer taking pleasure in your hobbies and interests

Substances like alcohol, opiates, and stimulants can create temporary feelings of euphoria. This can make it easier to rely on drugs and alcohol to cope with your grief. When your brain links drugs and alcohol with pleasure, your pleasure and reward center changes. Your brain rewards drug use and punishes abstinence by controlling the release of pleasurable neurotransmitters.

Once you become physically or psychologically addicted to drugs or alcohol, your brain relies solely on psychoactive substances in order to release neurotransmitters. When you immediately stop using drugs and alcohol after becoming addicted, you can deal with painful and powerful cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Experiencing a loss and addiction at the same time requires the help of a mental health and substance abuse treatment center.

Grief and Addiction Treatment

Getting grief and addiction treatment involves both inpatient and outpatient options. Grief and loss counseling help you address the cause of your depression, which improves your ability to recover. Evidence-based treatments can include:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Dialectic behavioral therapy
• Medication management
• Individual counseling
• Relapse prevention planning

Inpatient programs provide you with the highest level of care and commonly offer dual diagnosis programs, which are especially useful during grief and addiction recovery. A dual diagnosis program provides treatment for mental health and substance abuse disorders.

Learning how to manage your mental health disorder reduces your chances of relapsing. Negative emotions are a contributing factor in most relapses, which is why it is so important to learn how to cope with things like depression, grief, and anxiety. In addition, mental health treatment can include the use of medications and therapy.

Finding Help Today

If you are struggling with grief and addiction, finding treatment is the first step in your recovery. Treatment centers provide you with the understanding, education, and compassion you need to begin healing. Finding treatment today ensures that you have the guidance, support, and tools needed to successfully recover. Reach out today at 866.605.0532.