Healthy Ways To Treat Anxiety And Stress
To condition your mind and body to cope with anxiety, without resorting to using drugs, focus on the following:
- Mental: There are things in life that you cant control realizing this is an important first step. Perfection may not be possible, but doing your best is, particularly when you maintain a positive attitude. Having fewer negative thoughts will help you feel less anxious, so challenging such thoughts will be worth it in the long run even if it is unpleasant in the moment.
It also helps to write things down. You might find solace in doing so, or perhaps you will notice a pattern that reveals certain triggers of feelings. You might also find that it helps you process your emotions or remember why you are so committed to your recovery.
- Physical: Alcohol and caffeine dont mix well with anxiety, so make an effort to cut them out, even if alcohol was not the drug you initially had a problem with. On the other hand, healthy eating can help with anxiety not only do you feel better and have more energy, but you get protein, vitamins, and minerals that can help you maintain a stable blood sugar level. This reduces your bodys physical stress response, which is one common trigger for anxiety. Avoid skipping meals and consuming sugar and refined carbohydrates to avoid any blood sugar highs and crashes that might lower your mood and drive you to a relapse of your addiction as you struggle to cope.
Addiction + Other Mental Health Problems
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration , there are an estimated 9 million adults that have mental health and substance use disorders. Only about 7% are getting treatment for both conditions. When substance use is combined with depression, these conditions tend to amplify each other, causing harmful effects to multiply. And if one disorder is treated without the other, recovery becomes much less likely: it is key to see which came first, addiction or depression, to get a sense of which is causing which.
It is important to understand that emotions have several components to them. According to Marsden, the way we feel due to an event or action comes down to how we interpret or label experiences.
We can feel good or positive about something as simple as being greeted by our dog when we come home, Marsden says. It is pleasurable and therefore we want to repeat it. Negative experiences, however, are viewed as bad, and we come to believe that these should be avoided. In fact, we are taught from a very young age to avoid negative emotions. How many times have we heard our parents insist there is nothing to cry about’? Unfortunately, this drive to avoid bad emotions can lead to drug or or other self-harming behavior.
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Many People With Depression Drink Or Abuse Drugs To Boost Their Mood Or Escape Feelings Of Guilt Or Misery However Alcohol And Other Substances With Depressant Properties Can Escalate Feelings Of Sadness
The relationship between depression and addiction is bidirectional. Individuals who live with depression experience an increased chance of having substance use problems and people with addiction put themselves at risk for depression.
Many people with depression drink or abuse drugs to boost their mood or escape feelings of guilt or misery. However, alcohol and other substances with depressant properties can escalate sadness or lethargy. Using substances to alter negative feelings can become a cycle, hindering someones ability to obtain successful treatment for depression.
Should You Worry About Antidepressant Withdrawal
insomniaPsychiatric Times
More to the point, while you should slowly stop your antidepressant with the help of your doctor, antidepressants do not cause dependence and withdrawal like other substances. Unlike substances that are known to cause addiction, such as alcohol, opioids, and barbiturates, people don’t crave antidepressants. You dont get high from them, and they arent intentionally or compulsively overused. Serious reactions like the seizures and agitation that can follow sudden withdrawal from addictive substances are unheard of when these antidepressants are tapered gradually, note the authors of the Psychiatric Times report.
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How Is Depression Diagnosed
If your mood has been low for a while and you are having difficulty coping with day to day activities, talk to your doctor or a trusted professional. Your doctor will ask you questions about your symptoms and your medical history and may ask you to complete a questionnaire that may help to diagnose depression or refer you to a psychiatrist.
You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or have an online chat . All information is confidential and free.
Do The Opposite Of What The Depression Voice Suggests
The automatic, unhelpful voice in your head may talk you out of self-help. However, if you can learn to recognize it, you can learn to work through it.
If you believe an event wont be fun or worth your time, say to yourself, You might be right, but itll be better than just sitting here another night. You may soon see the automatic thought isnt always helpful.
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Small Steps Big Impact
If a person feels sustained, intense, feelings of sadness or loss of interest in activities, they may have clinical depression. People also refer to this condition as major depressive disorder.
However, there are small steps you can take to help you gain more agency in your life and improve your sense of well-being.
Read on to learn how to incorporate these strategies in a way that makes sense for you.
What If I Am A Carer Friend Or Relative
Supporting someone struggling with dual diagnosis can be difficult. It might help to speak to the person you are helping, to see what support they want. For example, some people might just want someone to talk with. Other people might want more practical help, such as with booking appointments or helping them speak to professionals.
We Are With You and Adfam are two charities that offer support and advice to relatives, friends and carers of those struggling with substance misuse. You can find their contact details in the Useful Contacts section below.
You might also feel that you need support for yourself. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence says that carers who support someone with a dual diagnosis should be offered a carers assessment under the Care Act 2014. You may be able to get practical support to help you with your caring responsibilities.
NICE also says that if you are caring for someone with a dual diagnosis you can:
- be involved in their care planning, and
- work with services to help those services improve.
But this can only happen if the person who you care for wants you to be involved. Speak to the mental health team if you have ideas about what services should be available or how things could work better.
You can find more information about:
- Supporting someone with a mental illness by clicking here.
- Carers assessments and support planning by clicking here.
- Confidentiality for carers, friends and relatives by clicking here.
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Other Causes Of Depression
There are a number of things that can lead to developing depression.
- Stressful events big changes in your life, like bereavement, the end of a relationship or the loss of a job, can be difficult to deal with. When these things happen, it’s important to keep seeing friends and family instead of trying to deal with problems alone this increases your risk of developing depression.
- Giving birth pregnancy and birth can make some people vulnerable to depression. Postnatal depression can happen as the result of physical changes, hormonal changes, and the responsibility of taking care of a new baby.
- Loneliness your risk of depression gets higher if you aren’t in contact or spending time with family and friends.
- Personality some personality traits can put you at a higher risk of developing depression. These include low-self esteem or a habit of criticising yourself too much. These personality traits can come from your genes, which you get from your parents, or they can be as a result of experiences in your early life.
- Family history it’s more likely for someone to develop depression if a family member, like a sibling or parent, has experienced it before.
What Are The Types Of Major Depression
There are several types of depressive disorders:
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Practice Stress Management Techniques
Regardless of all the measures that you take to manage your depression and addiction recovery, there are going to be times in which you become stressed due to lifes obstacles or temptation to relapse. To help you get through those , you should practice stress management techniques. Some stress management techniques that are great for people that are overcoming depression after drug addiction include yoga and meditation, deep breathing exercises, and .
Ways To Deal With Depression In Recovery
doesnt just pop up out of nowhere. There are many reasons why a person starts . One popular reason is that the person is struggling with a mental illness such as depression. This mental health disorder is an illness that you must be diligent in treating even when rehab is over and youre in addiction recovery. In fact, recovery often go hand in hand.
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Depression & Substance Abuse
Research has revealed that many of the factors that contribute to depression also play a part in substance use disorders. This is known as co-occurring disorders, or a dual diagnosis. Depression and addiction frequently involve:
- Imbalances in brain chemistry.
- Family history.
In addition, the physical and psychological effects of addiction may mask the signs of depression or worsen the symptoms of this psychiatric illness.
The Problem With Self
Alcohol and drug abuse are common among people with depression. However, chemical intoxication can actually worsen depressive episodes, making them not only more severe but also increase in frequency. For this reason, treatment for depression needs to address both addiction and mental illness to stop the mutual progression of both disorders and create a strong foothold for a healthier life. If you think you or someone you know may be self-medicating their depression, ask the following questions:
Contact us today to take your first step towards recovery.
- Do you use drugs or alcohol to change the way you feel about something?
- Have you tried to limit your intake of a particular substance unsuccessfully?
- Do you use substances in higher than recommended amounts or dosages?
- Do you need to take more of a substance to achieve the same desired effect?
- Does your body experience cravings for drugs or alcohol?
- Does substance abuse interfere with your professional or social life?
- Do you engage in risky behaviors such as reckless driving or unprotected sex while under the influence?
- Do you spend a lot of time and/or money to procure substances?
If you answer yes to several of these questions, its a good idea for you to start a conversation with a mental health professional to see what steps you can take to get help.
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Do I Need This Treatment
If you are distressed for more than two weeks by feelings of sadness, despair and hopelessness, or by excessive worry that is hard to control, see a doctor for an assessment of your symptoms and situation and to discuss treatment and support options. Early treatment can help to ensure treatment success.
Be sure your doctor knows if you have had times where you felt a reduced need for sleep in combination with an unusual amount of energy, or where your mood changed from feeling depressed to feeling unusually happy or irritable. Mood stabilizer medications may be more suited to your needs, either on their own or in combination with antidepressants. Antidepressants alone can cause some people to switch from depression into mania.
Medications are only one way of treating depression and anxiety. Talk therapies, such as interpersonal psychotherapy and cognitive-behavioural therapy, can be just as effective. Peer support, school and job counselling, and housing and employment supports can also help to deal with problems that may trigger or worsen depression or anxiety.
How Do These Drugs Work
Experts initially thought that depression must be caused by low levels of neurotransmitters in the brain, in part because the first antidepressant drug accidentally discovered in the 1950s increased circulating amounts of the chemicals. Further research suggested that serotonin played an especially important role in mood. This so-called chemical imbalance theory gained a foothold in the cultural psyche and was promoted by ads for the medications.
However, starting in the 1990s, researchers began to understand that depression was much more complicated and that serotonin played only a nominal role. For one thing, S.S.R.I.s increase serotonin levels immediately, but it takes several weeks before people start to feel better. Studies also started to emerge showing that another brain system played a role: People with depression consistently have less volume in an area called the hippocampus thats important for regulating mood.
A paper published earlier this year made headlines for presenting several decades worth of evidence that people with depression dont have less serotonin than people who are not depressed. To most psychiatrists, the paper didnt reveal anything new, and it didnt mean antidepressants arent effective . Instead it revealed a fundamental disconnect between how the public viewed depression and how the experts thought about it.
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Electroconvulsive Therapy Electric Shock Treatment
If you have severe depression and other treatments, like medication, haven’t worked, ECT might be recommended for you.
When receiving ECT, you will be given an anaesthetic and medication that relaxes your muscles to begin with. Electrodes will be placed on your head that give an electrical “shock” to your brain.
ECT is given over a series of sessions, normally twice a week for three to six weeks.
ECT can cause side effects including nausea, headaches, aches in the muscles and memory problems.
Most people find that ECT is good for relieving severe depression, but the beneficial effects tend to wear off when several months have passed.
Different Types Of Depression
There are different types of depression, and there are some conditions where depression is a symptom. These conditions include:
- Bipolar disorder people with bipolar disorder, which is also known as “manic depression”, experience times of depression, where the symptoms are similar to clinical depression. They also go through phases when they have excessively high moods . Bouts of mania can include harmful behaviour like unsafe sex, spending sprees and gambling.
- Seasonal affective disorder is also called “winter depression”. It’s depression that is related to weather, usually winter, so it happens seasonally.
- Postnatal depression happens to some women after they’ve had a baby. It’s treated similarly to other types of depression, with antidepressant medication and talking therapy.
Learn more about how depression is diagnosed here.
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Other Drugs That Can Cause Depression
Some other medications that may be linked to depressive side effects include:
- Acne medications
- Problems with appetite or weight
- Problems with thinking, memory, and concentration
- Loss of interest in things once enjoyed
- Thoughts of death or suicide
It can be helpful to write down details like when your symptoms first started and when they are the most severe. With many medications, you may begin to start noticing such symptoms within the first few weeks after you begin a new drug.
Because many medications that can cause depression are not prescribed to treat mental health conditions, people may not be adequately warned of this possible risk.
It is also difficult to know what your individual reaction to a drug may be, or how it may interact with other medications that you are currently taking. For this reason, it is important to always fully inform your doctor about anything else you are taking, including any over-the-counter medications and herbal supplements. Always talk to your doctor if you experience any unusual side effects after taking a medication.