Everyone has bad days. The car won’t start; your boss is in a bad mood (again!) and you and your spouse had a fight this morning. That is a normal part of life and most people are able to laugh about these things in a few weeks’ time. But when those bad days turn into bad weeks, or even bad months, it’s time to take a closer look at what’s happening. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 10 percent of Americans suffer from depression. Unfortunately, substance abuse is very common among people who suffer from this disorder. If you experience any of the following, you could be clinically depressed:
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Feelings of hopelessness
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Suicidal thoughts
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Anxiety
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Sleeping too much or too little
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Loss of appetite
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Feelings of anger and hostility
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Your feelings are interfering with your family, job and lifestyle
When you’re clinically depressed, drinking alcohol or doing drugs may seem like the only way out of your situation. Or, you may feel that things are so hopeless that you don’t care about the consequences of your actions.
If you have been diagnosed with clinical depression and you have a substance abuse problem, it’s imperative to get help for both issues simultaneously. Treating just one issue is not going to be effective because solving one could make the other worse. For example, treating substance abuse could make your depression symptoms worse.
A dual diagnosis center can help you overcome both your depression and substance abuse problems by tackling both issues. Therapy sessions in a center environment will teach you how to live each day with purpose, clarity and determination. You CAN overcome your addiction and depression, with the help of others.
Drug treatment centers in Los Angeles and other areas across the country have fully trained staff that will treat you with the respect and dignity you deserve.
