Depression Treatment

Depression Treatment for Co-Occurring Addiction

Depression and substance use are closely related, and often reinforce one another in ways that can be hard to break. For this reason, addressing both conditions through an integrated treatment program is critical for successful recovery.

Depression and Substance Use Connection

For many who struggle with depression, substance use begins as a way to cope with their symptoms. By self-medicating, they find that they can temporarily numb their feelings of sadness, emptiness and hopelessness. However, this relief is short-lived. Over time, these behaviors can actually worsen your depression.

Substances like alcohol and opioids alter the brain’s chemistry by disrupting key neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, which play a central role in mood regulation. While they may provide temporary relief from your symptoms, repeated use creates a cycle in which the brain becomes increasingly dependent on these substances, ultimately leading to a worsening mood and addiction.

Signs of Depression in Addiction

Signs of depression and addiction often overlap, which can make recognizing and treating them difficult. Signs of depression in addiction include:

• Persistent sadness
• Hopelessness
• Feelings of emptiness
• Loss of interest in activities
• Low self-worth
• Guilt
• Fatigue
• Low energy
• Sleep disturbances (too much or too little)
• Changes in appetite and weight
• Difficulty concentrating and making decisions
• Brain fog
• Negative thinking patterns
• Thoughts of self-harm or suicide

Our Approach to Treating Depression

At Evolve Recovery Center, we understand how challenging living with depression and addiction can be. Our specialized care helps you navigate your symptoms of depression while also addressing your addiction, through supervised detox and continuing support.

We begin with a confidential assessment that looks at your substance use patterns, depression symptoms, mental and physical health history, support systems, and coping skills. With this information, we work with you to create a unique treatment plan that is designed to meet your needs and focuses on helping you to build a happier, healthier future in sobriety.

For individuals who need detox support, we offer around-the-clock medically supervised care. Our staff of addiction professionals monitors your withdrawal symptoms and provides interventions that may include medications to make the process safer and more comfortable.

These medications help to ease withdrawal symptoms and curb cravings, allowing you to stabilize and get ready for the next step in your recovery.

When you feel able, we integrate therapy into the detox process. You can participate in individual, group, and family therapy as well as support groups that help you to understand depression and addiction, begin to identify the “why,” and focus on your long-term recovery.

Evidence-Based Therapies for Depression

We use a mix of evidence-based behavioral therapy approaches to support your healing.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is not only the most widely used approach for addiction treatment, but it is also highly effective in treating co-occurring disorders, including depression.

CBT focuses on how one’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are interconnected. Our staff will help you to identify the negative thought patterns that contribute to your substance use. Through this awareness, we help you to develop healthier coping skills, improve communication, identify your triggers, and develop a plan for the future. 

Our staff also utilizes behavioral activation (BA), another therapeutic approach that helps you to re-engage in meaningful and rewarding activities. For many people who struggle with depression, avoiding responsibilities and isolating themselves is common. However, these behaviors typically make it worse. 

BA helps you to create a life that supports your long-term recovery by identifying your avoidance patterns and replacing substance use with other pleasurable experiences. Over time, you are able to restore feelings of enjoyment, accomplishment, and identity. 

Most importantly, our staff is trained to provide trauma-informed care that addresses any underlying issues that contributed to your depression and addiction. We know that many people with mental health challenges have experienced some form of trauma that impacts how they think, feel, and respond to treatment. 

Through this understanding, we create an environment that prioritizes your physical, emotional, and psychological safety. This safe environment helps to prevent re-traumatization, lessen exposure to triggers, and build the trust and understanding that is needed for you to focus on developing healthier coping skills. 

Benefits of Treating Depression During Rehab

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), treating depression and addiction concurrently helps to lower relapse rates and improve long-term outcomes.

By addressing both conditions, we can help you to stay motivated for change, engage in therapy, identify your triggers, and develop a long-term plan that supports your recovery. 

Continuing Care After Treatment

Your recovery journey does not end with detox. Our staff will work with you to develop a long-term treatment plan that includes ongoing outpatient therapy, support groups, and medication continuity, if indicated.

We connect you with trusted local outpatient providers who can help you to maintain your progress and continue to develop healthier behaviors and coping skills. 

We can also help to connect you with support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or other 12-step programs that offer peer support and understanding that can be essential for relapse prevention.

If your treatment plan includes medication, we will ensure that you are connected with a medical provider who can continue to monitor you and prescribe the medications you need. For example, medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder or antidepressants for your depression.