The Connection Between Drug Abuse and Depression

Addiction treatment can help people get their lives back. Many things are misunderstood about addiction. For example, did you know that there is a connection between addiction and depression? Here is what you need to know.

Depression Then Addiction

Many people who are dealing with addiction and receiving addiction treatment are not getting the full treatment they need to overcome addiction. Ignoring other mental health issues like depression and only treating addiction is not a full solution. Undiagnosed depression often leads to self-medicating and drug abuse.

Addressing the underlying problem like depression can help to make addiction treatments far more effective. Addiction is often a symptom of depression. Once depression is addressed, the addiction can be addressed.

Addiction Then Depression

Asking whether depression caused the addiction or the addiction caused depression is a question that is difficult to answer. No one wants to be addicted to any substance. The cycle of addiction can trigger depressive symptoms.

Again, the solution is to treat both depression and drug abuse at the same time. Treating one without addressing the other is not a solution. For full recovery, both elements need to be treated.

Common Risk Factors

Depression and addiction share common risk factors. There may be a genetic predisposition to both. According to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, about 70% of people who try an illegal substance before 13 are likely to develop an addiction within seven years. Children who have parents struggling with depression are 20 times more likely to develop the disorder.

Individuals with a family history of either are more likely to develop the conditions. People diagnosed with other mental health disorders, such as bipolar disorder or PTSD, are more likely to develop depressive disorder symptoms and substance abuse disorders. In other words, both these disorders share co-morbid factors.

How do you combat both depression and drug abuse? You get treatment from a facility that understands how closely these two conditions are related. Addiction treatment should treat the whole person, not just parts.

If you are ready to break the cycle and take your life back, there is help. You can get help for addiction and depression at the same treatment facility. Give yourself a fighting chance. Call Peace Medical today to learn more.