Depression and drug abuse often go hand-in-hand, and you can’t treat one without the other. Many people find that they find themselves slipping into depression during bouts of drug abuse, or they feel that they cannot manage their depression successfully without drugs.
Here’s what you need to know about the treatment of these two illnesses.
How Are They Related?
Depression and drug abuse are often cyclical. As you become more depressed, you feel like escaping through drugs. As you get more into drugs, your life becomes more difficult, and you become more depressed. This creates a cycle that’s very difficult to get out of.
Some people may find that once they resolve their drug abuse, their depression lifts; it can be a consequence of the drug abuse itself. Other people may find that once they are no longer suffering from depression, they no longer feel like doing drugs. For still others, it may be a more complex relationship, and they may feel as though they have the tendencies for both.
Regardless, it’s important to remember that neither is your fault. Depression and drug abuse can occur for a variety of reasons, and they are illnesses that people need help to recover from. Both drug abuse and depression often require the help of a professional.
How Do You Treat Depression and Drug Abuse?
When someone has problems with drug abuse and depression, it’s usually called a co-occurring disorder. Both these issues must be treated at once in order to be successful, as otherwise one will naturally lead to the other.
Depression can be treated through medication and therapy, depending on the causes. Drug abuse can also be treated through medication, which helps with withdrawal, and through therapy, which addresses the root cause.
Sometimes both depression and drug abuse can be due to environmental factors. If you are in an abusive environment or a stressful environment, then explore why this is the case. You may be able to recover once removed from that environment. This is why in-patient care is often helpful for those who have had issues recovering in the past.
Other times, there may be an underlying medical condition that is leading to both issues. Chronic depression can run in families genetically, and can lead a patient to drug abuse as a way to seek “self treatment.”
Either way, professionals can dig down into why you are experiencing drug abuse and depression, and what the next steps are.
What Are Options for Drug Abuse and Depression Treatment?
In-patient treatment is a rigorous treatment plan that will take you out of your current environment and away from potential triggers, and explore your current issues. Out-patient treatment is a less intensive service that lets you continue your day-to-day life, while still undergoing therapy and other types of medical treatment.
Which is right for you depends on the severity of your illness as well as your current life situation. Some people cannot take the time off needed for in-patient treatment. Others may feel that out-patient treatment is enough for them.
At Crestview, you interview with professionals who will tell you whether they feel that in-patient or out-patient is the right choice. Often, in-patient treatment will still be followed by out-patient treatment. This ensures that a patient sticks to their treatment plan, and to give the patient the support that they need.
Do you feel like you need treatment for these issues? It may be time to see a professional. Call 866.262.0531 to talk to someone at Crestview Recovery. Based in Portland, Oregon, Crestview Recovery can help you determine the next step on your recovery journey.
