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Depression Treatment

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Depression Symptoms

We all experience some sadness and loneliness in our daily lives. It’s a natural part of being an emotional human being. However, when that brief feeling becomes something longer-lasting and more severe, it could signify you’re developing clinical depression. You’re not alone here. As many as 20% of the United States population lives with depression; those are only diagnosed cases.

The Importance of Treating Co-Existing Conditions Simultaneously

When depression plays a role in a patient’s addiction, finding the sources of the depression is on par with finding the causes of the addiction. Sometimes, depression is the cause of addiction. Other times, the addiction may well be a contributing factor to the depression.

A good depression treatment program will seek to identify the relationship between these two conditions.

If Addiction Treatment is successful, the facility’s staff will have to address both issues simultaneously. Otherwise, the untreated condition will continue wreaking havoc on the patient’s overall well-being. That’s a primary reason why we see so many people dealing with relapse issues.

Imagine for a minute a patient near Chicago enters a depression treatment program Illinois trusts as part of the Addiction Treatment process. The therapist will address the depression, looking for ways to combat the problem. If depression medication is the only answer, how would a psychologist justify prescribing depression medication if it’s the source of the patient’s addiction? Yes, some people abuse their prescription depression medications. However, it would only make sense to prescribe said medication if the patient’s addiction was in check.

This is a clear case where depression is contributing to the addiction.

Likewise, the patient’s struggle with addiction may be causing them to have issues with depression. If the depression is weighing them down, how would a patient focus on Addiction Treatment while suffering from their depression? They might need depression medication that could eventually contribute to another addiction. This is how addiction prompts depression.

The solution to treating these co-existing conditions is simultaneous Dual Diagnosis Treatment. The depression treatment center will also coordinate with Addiction Treatment for the best results. Anything less, and the patient will inevitably face a lifetime of relapses.

 

Depression is one of the most common mental illness diagnoses in the country. If you aren’t experiencing depression symptoms, you probably know at least one person in your life who is.

What are some of the most common depression symptoms?

  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Constant tiredness and fatigue
  • Feeling guilty, hopeless, or helpless
  • Overarching irritability
  • Changes in sleeping patterns
  • Loss of interest in things once enjoyed
  • Eating too little or too much
  • Headaches, body aches, and other pains
  • Digestive issues
  • Feeling anxious or empty

These are general symptoms. Your experience with depression might vary depending on several different factors. One thing that will remain the same is the need for depression treatment, mainly if this mental illness occurs concurrently with a substance misuse problem.

Even without the substance misuse comorbidity that often accompanies a mental health diagnosis, seeking treatment for depression might be something you avoid because you’re ashamed of needing help. Don’t be. The stigma surrounding mental health treatment prevents thousands of people from getting the assistance they need every year. Depression treatment clinics and rehabilitation programs are there to help you manage your symptoms and live an entire and healthy life.

There are different treatment options for depression. Each one is designed to address a range of depression symptoms from mild to severe. If you’re constantly feeling down and your depression isn’t allowing you to live everyday and fulfilling life, then you should seek help immediately.

When discussing illnesses in medical science, the cause-effect relationship for each disease is always an important consideration. That matters in the Addiction Treatment community because the medical profession labels drug and alcohol addictions as diseases. In recent years, addiction counselors have emphasized diagnosing the causes of a patient’s addiction. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that many times, depression is part of the addiction problem. That’s why so many top Addiction Treatment organizations maintain a depression treatment program.

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What is a Depression Treatment Program?

Right now, there are more than 17.5 million American adults that are struggling with depression or other mental health disorders. Of those, more than 4 million are also struggling with drug or alcohol addiction. Unfortunately, only 40% of them ever receive the treatment for depression they need for their co-occurring diagnosis. Upon entering rehab, most patients get their first opportunity for self-analysis and realization.

As part of the counseling portion of Addiction Treatment, patients and their counselors will go on a journey of self-discovery. The objective of this journey is to determine the specific causes of the patient’s addiction.

When a counselor or clinician identifies depression as a potential contributor to the patient’s addiction, the treatment process shifts. The term the industry uses for this shift is Dual Diagnosis Treatment. A Dual Diagnosis Treatment option will attempt to integrate a depression treatment program with Addiction Treatment. It’s the job of the depression treatment center to determine the extent and direction the depression influences the patient’s addictive behavior. Proper dual diagnosis treatment can help guide patients to recovery from both addiction and depression.

Man in a meeting with his therapist

Types of Depression Treatment Options

Depression treatment options come in various shapes and sizes and can be customized depending on the individual’s needs. At our depression treatment clinic in Illinois, we offer multiple ways to treat depression, including:

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is usually called “talk therapy.” A psychotherapist trained to help people recover from mental illnesses will talk to a patient in a therapy room. Psychotherapy is an effective treatment for certain types of depression because it helps root out the main reasons for your depression and teach you coping skills.

Most of the psychotherapy methods described below work for both eating disorders and addiction. However, they’re usually combined with other treatment methods such as antidepressant medication and family therapy to get optimal results and produce a lasting effect.

The types of psychotherapy treatment we offer include:

Interpersonal Therapy

These are short therapy sessions. The focus of this treatment is to help patients develop better relationship skills, such as conflict resolution and communication skills.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

The goal is to help people discover and change ways of thinking and behavioral habits that can strengthen feelings of depression. It focuses on dealing with present problems and teaching new skills.

Social Skills Therapy

This teaches patients to build healthy relationships both within and outside the family unit. It helps patients learn how to communicate effectively and create a vibrant social network with other people through honesty and respect.

Psychodynamic Therapy

Therapists help patients explore their unhealed and unconscious emotional wounds from their previous life experiences. This is supposed to help people discover how their depression relates to earlier experiences and unresolved conflicts. When addressing these issues, the patient finds it easier to overcome depression.

Behavioral Activation

The therapist seeks to reduce symptoms of depression by encouraging the patient to have positive interactions with the environment.

Supportive Counseling

The therapist invites patients to talk about any issues they want to speak about. This form of psychotherapy is relatively informal and unstructured. As the therapist shows empathy, the patient starts to feel better because of the support provided.

Problem-Solving Therapy

The therapist helps the patient define their problems before suggesting multiple solutions. Then, together, they assess the options and pick a solution.

Doctor talking to her patient

Medication

There are different medications for reducing depression symptoms. Medication works best when it’s combined with other types of therapy. Some categories of medication used to treat depression include:

  • Tricyclic antidepressants
  • Esketamine
  • Norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitors
  • Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors
  • Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
  • Monoamine oxidase inhibitors
Hospital room

Inpatient Hospitalization

It may be necessary to hospitalize a patient when a patient’s life is in danger or become a danger to others. Such is the case when a patient gets violent or wants to commit suicide.

While in the hospital, the patient may get medication and group, individual, or family therapy. An intensive outpatient program may also be necessary after the patient gets discharged from the hospital.

Lifestyle Changes

Lifestyle changes are essential for fully effective depression treatment. They can also help prevent a relapse of depression symptoms. Some positive changes include:

Regular Exercise

Exercise increases the secretion of endorphins, serotonin and other brain chemicals that make you feel good. This triggers the growth of new brain cells and neural connections such as antidepressants. That’s why regular exercise is as effective as medication when dealing with depression.

Wholesome Nutrition

Eat well-balanced meals in small portions during the day to maintain a high energy level and avoid mood swings. Avoid sugary foods and go for whole foods that provide a constant supply of energy.

Good Quality Sleep

Getting adequate sleep can help you prevent mood swings. If you don’t get enough sleep, your depression symptoms may grow worse. Depriving yourself of sleep can make you more irritable, moody, sad and fatigued. Get at least 8 hours of sleep every night.

Social Support

Connect to strong social networks, so you can reduce isolation, which can trigger depression. Stay in constant contact with family and friends or join a support group or class.

Woman talking with her therapist

Gateway – Our Depression Treatment Center in Chicago, IL

At our Illinois treatment facility, we offer a Dual Diagnosis Treatment option. We do this because we understand the importance of addressing the whole patient’s well-being. Our depression treatment program will likely make use of treatment modalities like Dialectical Behavior Therapy offers for the best results. At the end of the day, we want to provide our patients with relief from both depression and addiction. Here’s some additional information about our Illinois facility:

If you suspect you might be dealing with co-existing conditions, Dual Diagnosis Treatment is your best option. For more information about our depression treatment program, contact Gateway right away at 877–377–2027. It’s time to consider getting the kind of help that will put you on a path to a permanent recovery.

Contact us today