How can Depression lead to Drug Addiction?
By Anonymous
There’s a difference between ‘having a bad day or feeling down in the dumps’ and being challenged with depression.
Almost everyone may have a period in their lives where everything seems to be going wrong. This can be alleviated by resolving issues or engaging in activities that make them happy.
However, depression is a mental illness where there isn’t one sole cause of sadness or feelings of hopelessness.
When someone is challenged with depression, their ‘bad’ days can turn into weeks, months, and even years without relief.
They are not interested in hobbies, activities or relationships that may have previously brought them joy.
Clinical depression can pose very severe problems for those who are suffering and also their loved ones.
The most common demographics at risk are middle-aged adults between 45-64 years old, women, African Americans and Hispanics, those who are unemployed or cannot work, and people who lack proper medical benefits to seek help.
According to the NIDA, those diagnosed with a mood disorder like depression are twice as likely to misuse substances as a person who is not experiencing a mood disorder.
In 2014, NSDUH showed that about 7.9 million adults in the US had two simultaneous mental disorders such as substance use disorder and depression.
Difference Between Depression and Feeling Sad
It has become somewhat commonplace to hear someone say they are “feeling depressed”; but depression is more than a feeling.
Many people will go through ebbs and flows in life where things aren’t going their way for a period of time, but as things get better, so does their mood or general disposition.
For people with depression, these symptoms of sadness or negativity will last at least two weeks while also interfering with their ability to work, have healthy relationships, and function socially.
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, people with depression may experience five or more of the following symptoms on a daily basis:
- Feelings of hopelessness
- Anxiety
- Loss of appetite/weight loss
- Increased appetite/weight gain
- Sleeping too much or too little
- Tearfulness
- Aches and pains
- Loss of energy
- Feelings of guilt
- A sense of worthlessness
- General irritability
- Difficulty concentrating on daily tasks
- A loss of interest in activities or hobbies
- Suicidal thoughts or suicide attempts
Depression can bring about crippling levels of hopelessness, low energy, hostility and anger.
With depression, mundane daily tasks can seem impossible such as showering or eating regular meals. It affects everyone differently, but it is a mental condition that is separate from a person’s emotional state.
To put this in perspective, feelings of heartache or grief after the loss of a loved one can cause feelings of prolonged sadness, but if they continue for more than two months, there may be depression lurking beyond feelings of sadness.
Depression and Substance Misuse
Substance misuse is a common way for many people with depression to attempt to lessen their symptoms.
Drugs like opioids and alcohol can help numb feelings and even bring about feelings of euphoria, but only temporarily. This is a way in which depression can quickly lead to an addiction where they become co-occurring disorders.
A self-medicating solution of drugs or alcohol (usually both) can rapidly drive the body to become chemically dependent on a substance to feel relief. Ultimately, the life-altering consequences that arise with addiction often make depression even worse.
After some time, people who use drugs like opioids to help alleviate their depression symptoms can no longer feel relief due to their high-dosage dependency.
Instead, they continue to use the drug in order to fend off physical withdrawals and feel “normal,” even if that “normal” state is severe depression too.
For most people with co-occurring disorders such as addiction and depression, they are often faced with cycles of behavior that involve drug misuse, withdrawal, remorse, abstinence, and ultimately relapse.
In these instances, relapse can be particularly dangerous and potentially fatal, since people often return to their previous dosages upon abstaining for a certain period of time.
Dual Diagnosis
When someone is faced with substance use disorder and depression, it can be particularly challenging to treat since one treatment method can intensify the symptoms of the other disorder.
Many traditional treatments for addiction will often not be effective in treating both depression and substance use disorder.
These one-dimensional practices are usually not equipped to deal with the psychiatric problems that come along when depression and addiction are combined and are only focused on the addiction itself, not the underlying causes.
Medication-assisted treatment or MAT has been shown to be a core component in treating dual diagnosis patients.
Traditional MAT with methadone, or newer medications such as buprenorphine or naltrexone can minimize the effects of opioid use and create space to treat the depression with medication and therapy.
The use of anti-depressants has helped people with depression deal with and overcome their depression symptoms to lead stable and functional lives.
Finding the right kind of medication or combination of several medications may take some time to achieve optimal results, but once a patient finds the right medication therapy for them, it can provide immense relief.
Seeking medication for depression is something patients can do while they are receiving treatment. Finding a psychiatrist that will prescribe the correct medication and dosage will help with the treatment and recovery process.
The goals of dual diagnosis treatment should include the following:
- Identifying triggers and patterns of addictive behaviors
- Teaching the patient the science behind both depression and addiction
- Helping the patient understand that there is a way to treat both at the same time
- Encouraging the patient to find the motivation to make positive changes in their life
- Giving the patient tools to help handle stress and anxiety
When someone with a dual diagnosis is treated for their depression, it can make recovery from addiction a much smoother ride, since the underlying cause pushing them towards substance misuse is being handled.
Support groups and continued therapy are encouraged for anyone who is dealing with a dual diagnosis.
These give them strength and encouragement to continue to work towards their recovery journey in spite of potential future challenges they may face.
Addiction and depression are interwoven, and neither should go ignored.
If you think you may be dealing with drug misuse as a way to self-medicate or alleviate symptoms of depression or other mental illness, speak with your doctor about the best course of treatment for you. You do not have to suffer alone in silence. There is a brighter future available for you.
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