Depression is a serious mental disorder, and addiction a serious disease. The two are affecting many people throughout the world today, partially because of how much they overlap. Whether something internal or external is the cause, some symptoms can help lead to lifesaving diagnosis and treatment. We all have bad days and go through hard times, but with something as severe as depression and addiction, it’s healthy to know options to get help. Here at Chapel Hill Detox and other rehab centers for depression and addiction, there are many ways to get help.
What is Depression?
Depression is a serious mental illness. In life, everyone goes through rough times and has bad days, but for those suffering from depression, bad days are part of their normal life. Depression is an incredibly complex mental disorder, which according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) affects an estimated 10% of the American population.
Some common causes of depression include:
- Abuse (physical, sexual, and or emotional)
- Unemployment
- Stressful life events
- Death of a loved one
Along with the depression comes some common symptoms such as:
- Fatigue
- Lack of interest in hobbies
- Thoughts of self-harm and or suicide
- Struggling to concentrate
A common misconception with depression is that it’s just sadness. Sadness is a human emotion that we all feel at various times throughout life. There is nothing wrong with feeling sad, but depression is more than sadness. It’s a mental illness. Depression is a prolonged period of suffering from a mental disorder. Depression has multiple symptoms, but prolonged sadness and feeling of hopelessness can among them.
What are Some Common Depressive Disorders?
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
Also known as “clinical depression,” MDD is a mood disorder with symptoms such as:
- Changes in sleep and/or weight
- Fatigue
- Struggling to concentrate
- Suicidal thoughts
- Depressed mood
- Lack of interest in hobbies
Persistent Depressive Disorder (PDD)
This depressive disorder is typically not as intense as major depressive disorder, but those who suffer from this usually experience brief periods of depression followed by periods of relief. Persistent depressive disorder can be long-term, and typical symptoms include:
- Sadness
- Loss of interest
- Feelings of guilt
- Lack of confidence
- Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
- Tiredness
- Lack of hunger
- Struggling to concentrate
Bipolar Disorder
This is another mood disorder that is categorized by elevated moods. Those with bipolar disorder go through periods of intense moods known as mania. Mania can be mild but also severe enough that a person can require hospitalization, become mentally scarred, and even affect a person’s sense of reality. A large majority of those who suffer from bipolar disorder also suffer from major depression and symptoms such as:
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Pains
- Anxiety
- Irritability
- low self-esteem
- Disorganization
- Indecision
According to michaelshouse.com, 56% of people with bipolar disorder also abuse substances.
Postpartum Depression (PPD)
Postpartum depression affects women during pregnancy or following the birth of a child. This disorder is more than just the dismissive “baby blues” as it can result in:
- Anxiety
- Mood swings
- Difficulty bonding with the baby
- Feeling of hopelessness
- Feeling worthless
- Thoughts of self-harm or hurting the baby
- Suicidal thoughts
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)
this depressive disorder affects women dealing with symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Some symptoms of PMS include irritability, anxiety, cravings, aches, tenderness, and fatigue. The premenstrual dysphoric disorder results in similar symptoms, but the symptoms related to mood are intensified. Some examples of symptoms include:
- Extreme fatigue
- Feeling of hopelessness
- Overly self-critical
- Severe stress and/or anxiety
- Severe mood swings
- An inability to concentrate
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
SAD is another depressive disorder, but this one is concerning the seasons. Those who suffer from seasonal affective disorder typically feel okay in the spring and summer, but suffer from fatigue, weight gain, sadness, and other common depression symptoms in the colder seasons with less sunlight.
Atypical Depression
Someone with atypical depression typically suffers from depressive symptoms, but can also find themselves smiling while facing a positive event. Those who suffer from this disorder usually show symptoms of the following:
- Excessive eating or weight gain
- Excessive sleep
- Fatigue
- Sensitivity to rejection
- Incredibly reactive moods
What Are the Risk Factors for Depression?
Unfortunately depression is a common illness, but there are signs to know who’s at risk. Knowing who’s at risk and what causes depression is a great way to prevent becoming depressed in the first place. Some common causes of depression include:
- Life events: long-term unemployment, abusive relationship(s), loneliness, and high-stress environments can be life events that cause someone to experience depression.
- Family history: depression is something that can run in families, which puts people at more risk genetically. Although genetics can play a factor, there are more elements that would go into a diagnosis than simply genetics.
- Personality: Personality is a big factor in the cause of depression. Some individuals may be more prone to depression because of their personality. Low self-esteem, sensitivity to criticism, self-critical, pessimistic, and a habit of worrying a lot are common personality characteristics of someone prone to depression.
- Serious medical illness: This can be another major cause of depression. The stress of being seriously ill can lead individuals to depression, especially if the subject has to deal with long-term rehab/management and or pain.
- Substance abuse: This can lead to depression, but depression can also lead to substance abuse. Many individuals who suffer from depression turn to drugs and or alcohol in order to try and relieve their symptoms, but it can also be a cause.
There are many risk factors to consider when suffering from depression. The most obvious risk is self-harm and or suicide, but depression can be a gateway to substance abuse and addiction. Depression can even affect the immune system, causing people to become sick more often. It’s a complicated illness and it can affect individuals differently, but typically people deal with symptoms such as sleep issues, appetite, and weight problems, fatigue, difficulty thinking, headaches, stomach pain, and feelings of guilt.
How Does Depression Overlap with Addiction?
According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, addiction is a treatable chronic medical disease. People who suffer from addiction use substances to engage in behavior that becomes compulsive and continues despite harmful consequences. Depression and addiction often go together as depression can be a gateway to substance abuse. It’s common for those suffering from some sort of depression to turn to alcohol or drugs to try and find relief from their symptoms. However, if depression is left untreated, it can become severe and the substance abuse can develop into an addiction.
Those who come to rely on some sort of substance to help with their depressive symptoms come to suffer from withdrawal, remorse, relapse, and high tolerance. People with a high tolerance take larger amounts of a substance to feel its effects. Those who develop an addiction can have more severe depressive symptoms when they try to stop using substances. This is another reason why dual diagnosis treatment is so important.
Why is Dual Diagnosis Treatment Important?
Treating a dual diagnosis, or co-occurring disorders, is incredibly important because depression and addiction feed into each other. This pair of illnesses can cause individuals to be hospitalized, due to the potential of self-harm, suicide, and damage to the mental state. As explained earlier, depression can affect an individual’s immune system and cause their body to weaken.
When depression is mixed with substance abuse, the odds of emotional and physical harm increase dramatically. That’s why getting treatment for depression and or addiction is so important. Dual diagnosis treatment is a major step in improving someone’s life and helping to relieve their symptoms. At Chapel Hill, we have a specific program for dual diagnosis treatment.
What Are Some Treatment Options for Depression and Addiction?
Treatment for a dual diagnosis can be rather complicated. It’s important to find a solution to both problems, like a rehab center for depression and addiction. Dual diagnosis patients are difficult to treat because of how hard it is to provide the right treatment to both illnesses. That’s why choosing the right community is critical. With the right program, an individual will be able to receive treatment for both illnesses and become capable of managing their symptoms. This will all take support, learning, counseling, and relapse prevention with severe depression.
At Chapel Hill, we offer a number of treatments for dual diagnosis. Our medical detox is a treatment that is one of the first and most important steps in recovery. Chapel Hill offers a very professional and welcoming detox program guided by medical experts. Individual therapy is another essential treatment tool, as it allows therapists to use talk therapy to help individuals come to a better understanding of themselves and their addiction. Group therapy is another valuable treatment. Group therapy gives a person the opportunity to understand other individual’s perspectives, experiences, and struggles.
A slightly new form of therapy called holistic therapy, which features meditation, nutritional therapy, recreation and exercise therapy, acupuncture, and massage therapy, is a treatment offered by Chapel Hill. Along with all these treatment options is family therapy. Family therapy helps people and their loved ones heal from whatever damage has been done from past and present behavior. Licensed therapists work with families to create healthy boundaries in order to sustain a healthy relationship.
Chapel Hill Detox Can Help You or Your Loved One
Depression and addiction are two serious illnesses that affect a wide range of adults in the United States. Fortunately, there are options to get help and take the right steps to better an individual’s life. Be sure to contact Chapel Hill with any questions or concerns to get started on recovering today.
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