How to Deal with Depression in Addiction Recovery

Depression and other mental illnesses of the ilk are a part and parcel of Addiction. Most people are forced to visit the ghetto of substance abuse because of intense bouts of anxiety and depression. Releasing yourself from the tight noose of depression and addiction requires long-term treatment. That is the only way.

Many people who underwent an opioid rehabilitation program felt depressed within a few weeks of being discharged. This placed them at a great risk of relapse.

Effective strategies to keep depression in check, and in turn, lower the chances of relapse have helped many struggling patients remain sober. In this article, we will shed light on some of these strategies.

Bad Self-Medication Practices Mess Up Your Brain

Addiction takes over the region of the central nervous system that is responsible for reward and pleasure. Detoxification or rehab programs are specifically designed to help you strip away the maladaptive-self medicated practices that you had come to heavily rely upon. This is a challenging endeavor, one that requires persistence and mental struggle of the highest order. And It becomes increasingly difficult for your brain’s pleasure mechanism to start working normally again if you’ve been self-medicating with cocaine or opioids for extended periods.

So, it’s no surprise that shortly after the completion of an opioid rehab program, you feel run over by depressive episodes. If these episodes are allowed to go on without treatment, they can develop into acute clinical depression.

However, modern research has provided us with a great many ways to deal with depressive disorders. Most of which are highly effective.

Depression and Addiction recovery: A bad combination

Depression and addiction recovery are an unsavory mix. If you have both at the same time, you might feel exhausted, unmotivated and unnerved. At times, you might not have the resolve to attend your 12-step meetings or even show up in social settings.

These tendencies make you highly susceptible to relapse. It behooves you to take notice of your debilitating mental condition and get your life back on track. Here’s how you can make that happen.

How to Handle Depression and Addiction at the same time

Talk to your Support Network or Sponsor

Reach out to your 12-step sponsor. It’s his responsibility to help you through these challenging times. It might seem at times that the odds are stacked against you, but you have to muster the resolve to walk towards him. In the end, it might be the only thing stopping you from reverting to substance abuse.

The least you can do is attend online meetings.

Adhere to a strict Regime of Medications

If you’ve been prescribed medications, like Suboxone, take them religiously. Never miss a dose.

Learn to identify triggers

Sequestering yourself from the outside world and living a hermetic life is like adding fuel to fire. Learn to identify the environmental and mental triggers that stop you from meeting your friends and loved ones. It’s a big ask, but one that can make a world of difference.

Self-care is Vital

In the end, it all boils down to practicing self-care on a regular basis. You have to indulge in healthy activities. Discover more about yourself. Maybe you have a latent talent that you’re unaware of. Maybe you’re a good writer or a painter. You never know. The possibilities are endless. Staying curious about yourself is vital. Also, exercise, eat good foods and love yourself. These things take precedence over medications or any kind of treatment.

Seek Medical Treatment for Depression

Treatment for depression is accessible, affordable and far more effective in the modern world. Don’t hesitate to contact a qualified clinical psychiatrist.