It is debilitating and unrelenting.
It wreaks havoc on a person’s mind and body.
It weighs heavily on self-esteem and relationships.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 10 percent of Americans are believed to suffer from and manage depression.
For millions of people, the struggle with depression and its fallout is real and exhausting.
Coping with the sadness becomes a full-time job.
For many, the lure of drugs or alcohol promises escape from depressive thoughts and emotional pain.
Driven by a need to feel happier, lighten their mood, or simply numb out, depression sufferers often choose drugs, or more often, alcohol.
For others, hours on the Internet, or the thrill of chronically acting out sexually seem like a way to alleviate depression.
Unfortunately, substance abuse or unchecked sexual activity quickly become part of the problem, triggering more depression symptoms.
Rather than feeling lighter, the central nervous system is depressed or shame enters in.
He or she is sadder, more hopeless, more lethargic.
He or she keeps trying to self-medicate.
Addiction soon takes over and makes its own merciless mental, emotional, and physical demands.
Driving depression deeper.
Soon, you’re under attack on two fronts and your fight is doubly hard.
What’s going on?
You are battling co-occurring disorders, also known as dual diagnosis.
These co-occurring disorders are actually not uncommon. Depression accompanied by addiction, especially alcoholism, afflicts 1 in 3 adults according to the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
Depression and addiction quickly begin to feed into each other.
Together, they begin an excruciating cycle of mood problems and harmful self-medication, neither of them easily addressed on an individual basis, let alone combined.
The dangers of living with these conditions, untreated, must not be ignored.
Depressed people are more prone to self-harm and suicide and chronic ailments.
Addictions to drugs or alcohol, sex, even the Internet, can inflame those tendencies significantly. Crises seem to be around every corner.
To live a stable, healthy life you’ll need the right kind of help.
What’s the solution?
Co-occurring disorders must employ an integrated treatment approach.
To try to attack one disorder without addressing the other is generally ineffective.
Too many people bounce back and forth between mental health treatments and substance abuse recovery programs, only to decline further, as opposing treatment plans exacerbate the dual nature of the problem.
Recent research indicates that only 7.4 percent of this country’s nearly 9 million sufferers of co-occurring conditions get the assistance they need.
Compartmentalizing treatments for depression and addiction is problematic because, while each disorder has its own characteristics and complications — which are difficult enough — depression and addiction actually interact and trigger more sadness and more addictive behavior.
Improved treatment outcomes exist for those who seek out integrated care.
The goal is to find professionals who will work together to treat the depression and addiction simultaneously.
It’s difficult work, but, by far, the most effective long-term.
Those receiving treatment are better served in an environment that informs them of the relationship between their mental health and addiction issues.
Sufferers are helped and prepared when they learn healthier coping skills for both disorders.
Don’t give up.
Separately, depression and addiction present daunting challenges.
To face them both may feel overwhelming.
The key is reaching out to those who can offer you hope and appropriate care.
If you recognize that you need assistance with depression and any sort of addiction, don’t wait any longer.
Call a counselor or a trusted friend who will make the call with you.
With the right support, you can come through a dual diagnosis to live a singularly satisfying life.
