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Depression After Drug Addiction
Dealing with drug addiction is a difficult situation in which to be involved. Whether you are struggling with meth, heroin, cocaine, or benzos, it is challenging to begin the journey to recovery. There may be many ups and downs along the way as you go from drug addiction to sobriety. There are various stages and phases to drug addiction just as there are different stages and phases to the recovery process. One such stage people go through is depression after drug addiction.
If you’re suffering from depression after drug addiction, you need a treatment that addresses both problems. Treating the psychological roots of drug addiction will also address the ultimate roots of your depression. At Northern Illinois Recovery Center, we offer dual diagnosis treatment. Dual diagnosis addresses your co-occurring diagnoses of depression and drug addiction.
Why Do People Have Depression After Drug Addiction?
Why do people face depression after drug addiction? Are you feeling depressed after quitting drugs? If so, then you’re not alone. This is common for people who are coming off drugs. Drug use alters the brain’s structure and function, increasing the risk of depression. These changes can make substances feel more rewarding, while stopping drug use often triggers depressive symptoms, forming a complex relationship between addiction and mental health. The chemical dependency built up in your brain is no longer sated during and after detox. In other words, one of the withdrawal side effects is depression.
In addition, you may feel depressed after stopping drugs sometimes because it often involves no longer associating with old friends. If the old friends are in the habit of using drugs, then being around them can be triggering and tempting. However, leaving the old life behind may feel lonely and depressing at first.
Finally, you might feel depressed after drug addiction because living a new life is unfamiliar. You will be starting new routines. You may make new friends and attend new therapy. Sometimes new events can feel overwhelming and lead to depression and anxiety.
How to Deal With Depression After Drug Addiction
If you have recently quit taking drugs and are going through a time of depression, there are things you can do to help. It’s vital that you learn to cope with the depression in a healthy way and not turn back to drugs again. Seeking outpatient treatment from a drug addiction rehabilitation center will provide you with the tools and skills to overcome depression.
During rehab therapy, therapists will provide you with encouragement to move forward in life. Also, through group therapy, you will learn from others and make vital connections.
Get The Support You Need
Don’t walk the pathway to healing alone; Northern Illinois Recovery is here to guide you along the way. With our dynamic team of specialists, you will have the support necessary to be successful. Some of the programs we offer include:
- Inpatient Treatment Program
- Partial Hospitalization Sober Program
- Intensive Outpatient Treatment Program
- Outpatient Treatment Program
- Sober Living Program
- Medication-Assisted Program
Don’t let drug addiction or depression hold you down in life. Now that you know more about depression after drug addiction, you can overcome these difficulties. Contact us at 855.786.1978, and we’ll help you start the journey to healing today.
Licensed Physician and Surgeon
Dr. Beth Dunlap, a board-certified addiction medicine and family medicine physician, and is the medical director at Northern Illinois Recovery Center. She is responsible for overseeing all the integrated medical services at both campuses. Beth completed medical school, residency, and fellowship at Northwestern University, where she continues to serve on the faculty as a member of the Department of Family and Community Medicine. She has extensive experience in addiction medicine at all levels of care, and her clinical interests include integrated primary care and addiction medicine, harm reduction, and medication-assisted treatment.
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