How does depression contribute to substance abuse though? When the individual becomes depressed they may try to use alcohol or drugs in order to self medicate and relieve the symptoms that they are experiencing but this is only a temporary fix that actually causes more problems in the long run. Once you come down from the substance then you can experience withdrawal depression, and this causes the symptoms to come back stronger than ever. Over time the alcohol or drugs used will compound the depression and make it difficult to diagnose the mental disorder because of the effects of the drug or alcohol.
If depression and substance abuse are both present then you will typically need to go through detox first. This will eliminate the drugs or alcohol from your system and allow the mental disorder to be accurately diagnosed. A specialty treatment center that deals with dual diagnosis should be chosen for treatment to make sure that both the depression and the substance abuse are addressed properly and treated appropriately. Anyone who has a mental disorder and substance abuse problem is considered a complex case, and both of the issues need to be fully understood in order to get the best treatment results. Depression does not have to be a life sentence, and using drugs or alcohol in order to treat this condition is a big mistake. Valiant Recovery can help you take your life back, and eliminate the impact that depression and substance abuse has.
