Dealing with the addiction of any type can be depressing. As people gradually lose their friendships, their careers, and their financial stability due to alcoholism, the need to continue drinking increases. With addiction, the very substances that people turn to for comfort are often responsible for their distress. This is certainly the case with alcohol and those who live with severe and chronic depression. While drinking alcohol might appear to make your sadness dissipate, alcoholism can lead to problems and overwhelming circumstances that actually make your depression worse. Moreover, alcohol itself is a depressant.
Thus, the more you consume; the worse you’ll ultimately feel. The relationship between drinking and depression is something that you’re guaranteed to learn more about when attending a Florida alcohol treatment center. People who live with clinical depression that’s never been properly diagnosed and treated have a high likelihood of developing substance use disorder. Give just how accessible alcohol is, it’s incredibly easy to reach for a drink when you feel down.
Unfortunately, drinking and depression can lead to a vicious cycle of self-abuse that always leaves you feeling worse for the wear. Struggling with these two problems together is known as co-morbidity or having a co-occurring disorder. Statistically, the best way to ensure lasting success in recovery for those living with co-morbidities is to provide treatment for both problems.
Why Many Florida Alcohol Rehab Centers Offer Treatment for Co-Morbidities
There are many reasons why people develop alcohol addiction. These include:
- A desire to escape the mental and emotional turmoil of past trauma
- The need for an effective coping mechanism for unresolved guilt or grief
- Feelings of low self-worth
- Genetic predisposition to alcoholism
One of the most common underlying causes of alcoholism is co-morbidity. In addition to having substance use disorder, many people who drink to excess also suffer from secondary mental health issues such as depression. The overarching goal of most Florida alcohol treatment centers goes far beyond simply helping people successfully detox from alcohol. To ensure that the benefits of their services are lifelong, rehab centers work hard to ensure that addiction treatments address the source of substance use disorder. If you struggle with depression, you’ve probably been drinking in an effort to alleviate the pain and discomfort that your depression causes. Thus, in addition to going through alcohol detox, you also have to learn healthier and more effective ways to manage your depression.
Understanding and Addressing the Common Causes of Depression
How alcohol rehab programs treat depression is largely determined by the type of depression that a person is dealing with, its level of severity, and its cause. Surprisingly, excessive alcohol consumption can actually be the source of clinical depression. This is known as substance-induced mood disorder. For a person with substance-induced mood disorder, detox and withdrawal can incite remarkable improvements in personal well-being. As the body gradually adapts to a new and healthier way of functioning, and as the individual’s brain chemistry changes, periods of depressive moods gradually abate, and bouts of depression are less frequent.
With a healthier lifestyle and a commitment to remaining sober, a person who once had substance-induced depression may never experience extremely depressive moods again. Depression can also be caused by imbalances within a person’s brain chemistry that are inherited or congenital. When this is the case, medication can be prescribed that helps the individual establish and maintain mood balance. When depression is medically managed, the likelihood of relapse post-treatment is greatly reduced. There is no need for people to drink alcohol as a form of self-treatment, and bouts of depression become both less frequent and less severe.
Different Services for Addressing Depression
When you enroll in alcohol treatment, you’ll encounter many strategies, services, and techniques for addressing, alleviating, and preventing depression. These include:
- Talk therapy in a private setting
- Group therapy with your peers
- Recommendations for lifestyle changes
- Stress management workshops
- Counseling for life-planning and goal-setting
For some people, the solutions to chronic depression can be as simple as eating better, sleeping more, resolving nutritional deficiencies, and establishing a stable, sustainable lifestyle. For others, treatment for co-occurring disorders can require medication and other ongoing forms of support. However, no matter what the cause of your depression maybe, you’ll find that addressing it is an essential focus of your alcohol treatment.
With assured mood balance, you’ll have a better ability to keep your recovery on track and to enjoy a healthy, happy, and truly high-quality life. If you’re ready to get help for both depression and your alcohol addiction, we’re here to provide it. Call us today at 844-639-8371.