Depression & Addiction: How Will Inpatient Rehab Help Me Overcome Dual Diagnosis

All people experience days when they feel down, when they take less pleasure in the world than they normally would. Often these periods are the result of an occupational or social difficulty, like poor work performance or a breakup. In time, the feelings pass. For people who grapple with clinical depression, feeling down can extend for lengthy periods and may become quite severe.

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 3 to 5 percent of adults suffer from depression at any given time, with a lifetime risk of roughly 17 percent. These people feel unmotivated, sad, hopeless, discouraged, and disinterested in their lives. These episodes often last for two weeks or more and interfere with responsibilities and daily activities.

People with a depressive disorder often suffer from a substance use disorder as well. Having more than one condition subsequently or simultaneously is termed a “dual diagnosis.” According to an article in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, one out of every three adults who abuse drugs or alcohol also have depression.

The healthiest thing you can do if you have both an addiction and depression is to seek professional addiction treatment. Your disorders are connected to one another and a change in one will result in a change in the other. Professionals will be better able to manage those connections than you will be able to independently. For help locating a qualified treatment program, call 800-430-1407Who Answers?. Representatives can answer all of your questions and direct you to facilities that are appropriate to your specific situation.

People Aren’t Seeking Enough Treatment

Depression and addiction feed off one another and will only worsen without treatment.

It is bad enough to suffer from depression or from a substance use disorder, but dealing with both is debilitating. You might assume that people who wrestle with these difficult conditions would seek help as soon as possible, but you would be incorrect. The reality is that neither addicts nor the depressed receive treatment in large numbers, but they should.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports roughly one-third of people with severe depression stated they had seen a mental health professional in the preceding year. Although, the greater the severity, the more likely people were to seek help. Nonetheless, that is a lot of people needlessly suffering and the same is true of people with substance use disorders.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administrations’ 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported 23.5 million people age 12 and older needed treatment for an alcohol or illicit drug problem. Of these people, only 2.6 million people (or 11.2 percent of the total) actually received care at a specialty facility. Once again, people in trouble aren’t receiving the care that they need.

Diagnosis and Developing a Treatment Plan

An inpatient treatment center offers a way for both parts of your dual diagnosis to be treated in a safe, drug-free environment. Before you actually receive treatment, you will need to be diagnosed.

One of the difficulties of a dual diagnosis is that one condition can mask or exacerbate the other and disrupt attempts at identifying symptoms. The staff at your inpatient facility will first lead you through a detox program. Many drugs cease to trigger symptoms once they are eliminated from the system. This can let depressive symptoms reveal themselves.

Post-detox, you will be given a comprehensive assessment. A variety of targeted interview questions will allow clinicians to screen for multiple mental health issues; they will always screen for depression. The results of your evaluation will inform your treatment plan.

Anxiety & Addiction: How Will Inpatient Rehab Help Me Overcome Co-Occurring Disorders

Treatment

An inpatient treatment program will use an integrated approach to treat both your depression and your addiction simultaneously. You will be provided with education, peer support, counselling, and relapse prevention for both your substance abuse and depression.

You may receive medication. Antidepressants may be what you need to allow you to cope with symptoms and to live a stable life. It may take a bit of time to find the right treatment, but the experts at an inpatient care center have the expertise needed to guide you through the process.

You will also likely receive family and individual, group, and family therapy. These should give you the motivation, encouragement, and support you need to make positive changes in your life.

To locate an inpatient program that can treat your dual diagnosis, call 800-430-1407Who Answers?. You can also call to have all of your questions answered. Don’t wait.