Depression and addiction often go hand in hand. People with depression sometimes use drugs to self-medicate their symptoms. You might also experience more severe depression symptoms as a result of using drugs. Many types of drugs change the chemicals in your brain, which can cause you to experience more episodes of sadness and apathy. When you are curious about whether or not a drug treatment center can also help you with depression, you might already suspect that you have depression. Or, you may already have a diagnosis, and you are starting to realize that using drugs isn’t helping you feel better. You’ll be happy to know that drug treatment centers are prepared to help you with your depression. In fact, a drug rehab center that offers treatment for underlying mental health conditions is more likely to help you be successful in sobriety than one that does not.
As you begin searching for drug treatment centers, you’ll discover that there are many different types of programs. Drug treatment centers that emphasize that they offer dual diagnosis treatment are the ones that are most likely to help you deal with your depression as you quit using drugs. You can mention that you think or know that you have depression to make sure that the program offers an appropriate form of treatment. Keep in mind that people with depression respond to treatment in different ways. While some people may be fine with only counseling, others may need to use medication to recover. Try to be flexible as you work with your counselors on a personalized plan to help you get sober and begin to feel better mentally.
Improve Your Ability to Stay Sober by Treating Your Depression
Depression causes a range of symptoms that make it hard to get and stay sober. You might experience episodes of self-doubt or negative self-talk that causes you to want to reach for drugs to feel better. In dual diagnosis treatment centers, you’ll be offered multiple forms of therapy that are all meant to work together to help you improve your mental health. During your stay, you may be able to utilize these treatment services to begin your journey to recovery.
- individual counseling
- group therapy
- cognitive behavioral therapy
- recreational programs
- medication assisted therapy
- nutritional planning and meal prep
Caring for both depression and an addiction requires you to give yourself time to begin to notice improvements in how you feel. While it would be wonderful to just wake up and feel better one day, the truth is that you’re going to need to put in some work. Commit to opening up in your counseling and group therapy sessions. Sharing your experiences with your counselor helps them to know how to help you best. You’ll also want to follow the recommended schedule during your time in rehab. At first, it might be hard to force yourself to get out of bed in time for breakfast or your first therapy class. Soon, however, you’ll find that you want to wake up and go. Each small step that you make in rehab is progress towards your sobriety.
Some people find that their depression symptoms naturally begin to ease up as they wean their bodies off of drugs. Without the haze of drugs or the withdrawal symptoms, you’ll be able to think clearer and make healthier decisions. Getting to this point is much easier when you have the support of people who care about your mental wellbeing, and your drug treatment center will be filled with staff members and others who want to see you succeed.
The benefits that you enjoy for easing your depression don’t end when you leave the treatment center. Addiction treatment programs also aim to teach you skills that you can use to manage your depression when you return home. Learning how to cope with stressful events makes it easier to weather the storms that blow your way now and then. If you do feel yourself falling into a deeper state of depression, then you’ll know exactly who to call to start improving your mental health. Many of the same strategies that you use for depression can also help you to curb your cravings for drugs. Deep breathing, meditation, exercise and talking to others are all helpful for improving every aspect of your mental health.
Are you ready to enjoy better overall mental health? We can help you connect with addiction treatment centers that offer a well-rounded treatment program. Give us a call today at 833-820-2922.