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DEPRESSION TREATMENT AND DRUG ABUSE

How Depression And Drug Use Affect One Another And How To Approach Treatment

Chronic depression and drug use often coexist. Many people self-medicate with alcohol or drugs because of undiagnosed and untreated depression. 

The concierge doctors at our Nashville clinic offer major depressive disorder treatment that will address coexisting mood disorders during initial assessment. Our chronic depression specialists will customize a treatment plan that addresses coexisting addiction and depression or anxiety.

Identifying Depression & Drug Abuse

If you or a loved one are suffering from drug abuse (we have a collection of resources on the signs of various forms of drug abuse), it is first important to consider if chronic depression is also occurring.

Effectively treating a combination of chronic depression and drug abuse is very different than effectively treating just one of the conditions. So if you suspect both conditions are occurring, you should make the team at Nashville Addiction Recovery aware of this so we can better plan a course of treatment.

To determine if there is an underlying major depressive disorder accompanying drug abuse, please note some of the common signs of depression:

Remember: depression varies by individual both in type and severity. If you have questions, our trained staff at our clinic in Nashville will discuss major depressive disorder treatment and how it works with you further.

Questions To Ask: Identifying The “cause”

If you or a loved one are struggling from both chronic depression and drug abuse, you are not alone. In fact, one in three adults who suffer from depression also abuse drugs. 

But while this is a common combination, the first step to treating depression and drug abuse in tandem is identifying some of the “causal” effects.

For instance, have certain life circumstances been bringing on or worsening you or your loved one’s depression, which in turn, has caused drug abuse in an attempt to “mask” those feelings? 

Or, long-term drug abuse can affect your brain function, so has drug abuse caused the onset of depression?

Knowing the personal underlying factors will help better tailor an effective course of treatment. 

Depression And Drug Abuse: How To Approach Treatment

Given the effects these two conditions can have on one another, it’s important to not only seek help as soon as possible, but it’s also important to seek help for both at the same time.

Taking drugs when depressed can worsen both physical and emotional health, so the earlier you or your loved one can get on a program, the better. This will help prevent any serious tolls on the body and mind.

Take The First Step

Dual Diagnosis Programs For Depression And Drug Abuse

When trying to find the best chronic depression treatment in Nashville for these concurrent issues, try to look for a program that offers dual diagnosis treatment.

Dual diagnosis isn’t one set program for everyone. In fact, it is extremely personalized. After an assessment for mental health disorders and for addictive disorders, a licensed specialist will design a recovery program that tackles both issues at once. Dual diagnosis programs have reported much better outcomes for recovery than receiving separate treatments.

To learn more about how Nashville Addiction Recovery assesses both mental health disorders and addictive disorders and how we implement dual diagnosis, reach out today. Our concierge doctors care for chronic depression patients in Nashville using a variety of major depressive disorder treatment.

Have Questions?

Dr. Jones will ensure you have a general understanding of addiction effects and the importance of seeking treatment with a board-certified physician for drug detox.