Major depressive disorder and substance abuse

What is the relationship between depression and Drug Abuse? How does drug abuse affect depression? Should you get treatment for persistent depressive disorder?

A co-occurring substance abuse disorder hinders major depressive disorder treatment , as another layer of treatment must follow to address both conditions. Depression is a mental illness frequently co-occurring with substance use.

The relationship between the two disorders is bi-directional, meaning that people who abuse substances are more likely to suffer from depression , and vice versa. People who are depressed may drink or abuse drugs to lift their mood. Major Depressive Disorder.

MDD is one of the most common forms of mental illness. Even if a person seeks drugs or alcohol as a result of major depressive disorder , treating depression alone will not necessarily rid the person of substance abuse. Therefore, it is important to simultaneously treat both disorders.

Dual treatment also decreases the risk of relapse.

The Connection between Depression and Substance Abuse. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse , data indicates a connection between mood disorders like depression and substance abuse , with those diagnosed with a mood disorder being twice as likely to abuse substances than a person without a mood disorder. Traditionally, placing patients in 28-day inpatient settings, which helped patients abstain from alcohol , easily permitted an independent depressive disorder to be identified and treated.

Mental health disorders like depression usually occur before substance use disorders , but being that alcohol is a depressant ,misusing alcohol and other substances can lead to depression. The coexisting disorders make symptoms of depression worse , and drug or alcohol use can interfere with standard treatments for depression. They found that current substance-induced major depressive disorder ( MDD ), a history of MDD prior to the onset of substance dependence, or a depressive episode experienced during a 4-week initial abstinence reduced the odds that the patient would achieve months of continuous abstinence. Because alcohol is a central nervous system depressant , the use of this drug tends to trigger depression symptoms like lethargy, sadness and hopelessness. Substance abuse is common among people who are battling a depressive disorder.

Possible connections between depression and substance abuse include: The brain. Similar parts of the brain are affected by both substance abuse and depression. For example, substance abuse affects brain areas that handle stress responses, and those same areas are affected by some mental disorders. In the general population, prevalence rates have suggested that between 8. Further, from a retrospective study found that 19.

Individuals with chronic substance abuse issues develop major depressive disorder at higher rates than people who have no substance abuse problems. Other psychological disorders.

As well as substance abuse disorders , patients also present with everything from tic disorders , compulsions and sleeping disorders , to anxiety problems and more. Individuals with severe cases of depression may portray self-harming behaviors or suicidal thoughts, thus necessitating inpatient hospitalization for stabilization and safety. Recent findings Nearly one-third of patients with major depressive disorder also have substance use disorders, and the comorbidity yields higher risk of suicide and greater social and personal impairment as well as other psychiatric conditions. Although the treatment of comorbid major depressive disorder and substance use disorders with medication is likely effective, the differential treatment effects based on substance use disorder comorbidity have been understudied. Unlike the transient feelings of sadness that are normal and that everyone experiences, or even the temporary hangover or crash that often gets people the morning after alcohol or drug use, when substance -induced depression hits, it feels considerably worse for much longer.

Also, it can be described as having an onset during intoxication or. Private Professional Counseling Anytime, Anywhere.