Depression and addiction are difficult to experience, but they can be treated. You can greatly reduce the odds of developing a dual diagnosis by engaging in measures of prevention although it should be noted that prevention cannot be guaranteed.

The Dual Diagnosis of Depression and Addiction

A dual diagnosis is when a client of addiction has been diagnosed with at least one accompanying mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis of depression and addiction can be particularly difficult to manage. Sometimes it appears as if the consequences of addiction have led to a client’s development of depression, other times clients attempt to cope with depression by self-medicating through the abuse of alcohol or drugs. In other cases, the relationship is not so clear.

In order to achieve successful recovery from addiction and successful management of depression symptoms, you should undergo therapy for both at the same time.

Steps of Prevention: Depression and Addiction

While it’s impossible to guarantee prevention of depression and addiction, there are effective steps of action you can take to significantly reduce the odds of development.

Early screenings of depression or addiction can help detect problems right from the start, which can give you a great advantage by receiving treatment as early as possible. Depression screenings for adults are now available free of charge in the U.S. as per the Affordable Care Act’s preventative health care measures.

Education is another good preventative measure. If you are aware of what depression and addiction are, how they function, manifest and so forth, you may be better able to recognize potential warning signs and to act fast to work against them.

Left untreated, depression holds the potential to lead to substance addiction as well as vice versa. If you have depression or addiction, get treatment as a way to get better and also as a way to prevent the development of another mental health condition.

Dual Diagnosis Treatment

Your dual diagnosis treatment for depression and addiction will likely consist of concurrent therapy. If you don’t treat your depression during addiction recovery treatment, the symptoms of depression can stop you from entering the recovery process or can lead to a relapse. In the same fashion, depression treatment without addiction treatment puts your management of symptoms at risk of reappearing or worsening.

The main treatment method for both depression and addiction is psychotherapy. Other treatment methods include lifestyle counseling and stress management. Addiction treatment also often encompasses relapse prevention strategies and support group meetings while depression treatment may include the addition of prescription medication (most commonly antidepressants).

If you or a woman you love is having problems with drug abuse, alcohol dependency or mental illness, women’s drug rehab may be the answer.  Remember that recovery from addiction and alcohol abuse treatment means learning how to cope with intensely emotional situations, and identifying when you need help and support.  Treatment for addiction relapse, counseling and aftercare can help you do this, so please call us today. Destination Hope is a full service addiction and women’s health treatment facility in Florida for women who suffer from substance abuse and behavioral health issues.