Depression and substance abuse often go together. It’s called co-occurring disorders, where a mental health disorder and substance abuse appear together. It’s often a byproduct of someone attempting to treat the symptoms of their depression. This calls for a dual diagnosis program that sets up a treatment plan for depression and substance abuse.
Treatment Plan for Depression – Assessment
Developing an effective treatment plan for depression begins with an assessment. Overall, the assessment provides information about the causes and extent of your depression. Understanding the roots of your depression lets a treatment center provide the best therapy options.
Detox
Odds are good that your treatment plan for depression will include detox. Detox helps flush alcohol or drugs and other toxins out of your system. This lets your body and brain find a new baseline for normal. Once your body and brain stabilize into a new baseline, you can transfer into a rehab program.
Medication
Your treatment plan for depression may include antidepressant medication. Specifically, the most common medications are SSRIs. These medications increase the amount of serotonin in your brain. Serotonin is a chemical that boosts mood.
This is a standard treatment for depression. You may receive SSRIs whether your depression caused the substance abuse or the other way around.
Treatment
Your treatment plan for depression and substance abuse will often mirror each other. As a rule, though, you will attend therapy for them separately. That lets you keep your focus on the different challenges involved.
For example, some of the standard treatment approaches you’ll see for both depression and addiction include:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
- Motivational Enhancement Therapy
- Psychotherapy
Another option that shows some promise for treating depression is a TMS therapy program. This treatment uses magnets to stimulate the brain. It’s a non-invasive treatment.
In addition to a specific treatment plan for depression, you will also receive treatments specific to substance abuse. For example, you will typically participate in group and family therapy. You might take classes about the nature and course of addiction. 12-Step facilitation is also standard in most rehab programs.
Dual diagnosis treatment often takes longer than other treatment programs because you must address two disorders. Rather than the standard one-month stay common in rehab, a dual diagnosis program might last anywhere from 6-12 weeks before you transition into an outpatient program.
BoardPrep Recovery Center®
BoardPrep Recovery Center® offers drug and alcohol rehab services, including dual diagnosis treatments. We are located in Tampa, FL.
Don’t let depression or addiction run the rest of your life. With help from a personal treatment plan for depression, you can overcome both depression and addiction. Call BoardPrep Recovery Center® at 866.796.4720 and let us help you begin your recovery.
