The old question of the chicken and the egg and which came first applies to this conundrum. Recent studies suggest that depression and addiction recurrently go hand in hand.
There is a strong correlation between depression and addiction and the problem is often approached in 2 different ways.
1. Some conventional psychiatric treatment procedures focus on treating depression as the root cause contributing to the drug or alcohol abuse problem,
2. Others consider depression as a symptom typically revealed after a person gets addicted into substance abuse.
As an addict travels along the ever descending road, whilst experiencing their high, they are in a euphoric state of mind in which they simply become numb to any sort of pain sensations, both emotional and physical. In most cases, addicts are in a worsening or poor state of health. Long-time drug and alcohol abusers also suffer from nutritional deficiencies. Therefore addiction is a progressive complication.
Due to prolonged addiction problems, addicts face variety of emotional, social and physiological problems such as job loss, broken relations, and discontinuation in studies, financial bankruptcy, legal problems and many others, which lead to recurrent episodes of depression. So in one way or other, depression and addiction is highly correlated with each other, especially considering the consequences of addiction.
Depression Often Leads To Relapse
Depression is a critical mental health condition that most frequently coexist with substance abuse disorders. If left untreated depression can hinder the addiction recovery process and may lead to relapse. On the other hand, an untreated addiction problem may also develop depression in the patient and consequently lead to relapse. Hence, this vicious cycle of depression and addiction needs to be recognized and requires simultaneous treatment.
The ideal treatment must focus on the deepest root of the addiction and its consequences incorporating a thorough understanding of the relation between addiction, recovery, depression and relapse. The treatment must be based on a clear understanding of the bio-psychosocial model of addiction and depression. The fundamental principle of treatment will only be established by treating depression coexisting with addiction. The recovery plans need to address the administration of signs and symptoms of both depression and addiction.
( Paul Courtney)
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I dk I look at depression as one of my addictions. It behaves as such and once I said it was an addiction I started to overcome it. I do relapse every now and then, but that just proves to me that it is an addiction.
ReplyDeleteSymptoms:
* I neglect my responsibilities when I am depressed.
* Depression causes problems in my relationships.
* I abandoned activities I used to enjoy.
* I know that it's hurting me so I want to stop, but I just can't.
* I become numb to the world's joys.
* My depression lead to legal troubles.
* Something inside me physically changes when I let depression in... it's like I need to hate myself, life and everything around me to physically survive.
* I become consumed by the self loathing or world loathing that is depression.
* When I know somethings gonna be hard or painful I turn to depression before it even comes close to avoid even worse pain.
* When I cave into depression I have no control over myself.