Depression and substance abuse often go hand-in-hand. Research suggests that a significant percentage of those with major depression have also dealt with a substance use disorder in their lifetime. These two issues can affect one another, making it harder to escape the cycle of negative feelings and chasing the high.
At our Agoura Hills dual diagnosis treatment center, we address both the struggles of addiction and the challenges of co-occurring disorders like depression. Our approach to combined addiction treatment and depression treatment is a holistic one that takes your entire physical and mental health into account.
Evaluation and Individual Treatment for Depression and Addiction
The addiction specialists at our treatment center begin by fully assessing a person’s needs and identifying any co-occurring conditions. Whether or not they’ve been diagnosed with depression in the past, we check their mental health against standard diagnostic criteria to determine their current situation. We then craft a personally tailored addiction and depression treatment plan to address their unique dual diagnosis needs.
The Relationship Between Substance Abuse and Depression
Depression is one of the most common mood disorders. While everyone experiences intense sadness from time to time, it becomes a diagnosable mental health disorder when it begins to affect a person’s ability to function in life and relationships.
Common depression symptoms include:
- Chronic sadness
- Poor self-worth
- Persistent feelings of guilt and shame
- Difficulty seeing things in anything but a pessimistic light
- Lost interest in usual hobbies
- Difficulty feeling joy
- Extreme changes to weight/appetite
- Frequent crying
- Lack of energy, sleeping too much
- Suicidal thoughts
The signs and symptoms of addiction vary depending on the substance, but some examples include:
- Intense cravings for drugs/alcohol
- Sudden, unusual changes in behavior
- Irrational thought patterns
- Difficulty maintaining jobs and relationships
- Deteriorating appearance
Together, the symptoms of major depression and substance abuse can create a complex knot of dependencies. A person may start abusing alcohol or drugs to stop negative thoughts and escape painful feelings of sadness. Likewise, continued drug use can worsen the depressed mood, creating a vicious feedback loop. Mental health problems can magnify the problems of addiction, and depression treatment is just as important as rehab.
It’s critical to get professional help for addiction and co-occurring conditions like clinical depression. At Del Arroyo Recovery Center in Southern California, we understand that truly sustainable addiction recovery means addressing concurrent mental health issues in an integrated depression treatment program. Without this help, a person may return to self-medicating via abuse of alcohol and drugs.
How We Treat Co-Occurring Depression and Substance Abuse
Residential patients at our Agoura Hills treatment center begin with a safe medical detox, during which we help mitigate the symptoms of withdrawal. Once the physical dependency is broken, we can begin the main addiction and depression treatment.Our inpatient depression treatment in Agoura Hills involves a variety of methodologies, including:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT)
- Individual and group counseling
- Family support
- Medication management
- Coping skills development
- Physical activity
- Mindfulness and relaxation practices (yoga, meditation)
In addition to these methods, we also help educate clients on how to prevent relapse and deal with triggers after addiction and depression treatment. The tools and techniques they learn in our comprehensive mental health treatment will help ensure long-term success.
Overcome Addiction and Depression at Del Arroyo Recovery Center in Agoura Hills, CA
Our depression treatment center in Agoura Hills combines holistic drug and alcohol abuse rehab with the professional treatment of severe depression. Contact us today to take the first step toward freedom from addiction and depression.
It’s possible to stop using cocaine and crack with the right help.
Don’t wait another day. Get in touch to learn more about our residential program and cocaine addiction treatment center in Southern California.