Prescription Drug Addiction and Depression: How Are They Connected?

Mental illnesses have always been a taboo subject. Even today, in a world where we are much more open-minded about things, most people find it hard to talk about them. Whether it's a person who is struggling with a mental illness or condition, their loved ones, or people who have no idea about what these conditions represent, they likely won't like talking about it. For a person struggling with a mental illness, being open about it is complicated, because when others (without enough information to know better) find out about it, there is a high probability that they will pull back.

Even though this makes no sense, especially when the person with the illness is aware of it and has it under control, it is something that happens commonly and they learn to deal with. It shouldn’t be like this, but people still stigmatize most, if not all, mental illnesses. For people who do not have their illness under control, it can be even harder because they can have unexpected outbursts, mood changes or other situations where people grow fearful and suspicious.

Depression

People with depression often feel cast aside. Even though this is a ‘gentle’ mental illness, it is still something people do not understand. Most people believe that when someone says they are depressed, they are simply saying they are sad about something. They do not fully understand what depression means on a chemical and psychological level for a person who is truly struggling with this disease. When the person with depression stops showing up, cancels last minute or has mood changes that seem illogical, others might pull away and stop including them. This can be because they are afraid of what’s going on or even because they simply don’t believe that a person can be feeling depressed so often, minimizing their problems.

This can make people with depression feel really alone, which is a dangerous situation because it can easily lead to drugs and if they are already taking prescription drugs, it is easy to start consuming them irresponsibly.

Prescription drug addiction and depression

People with depression who are under prescription drugs and start feeling left out by family members, loved ones or friends, can easily reach to those drugs that help numb the pain and start abusing them in order to feel better. What were once two pills a day can easily turn into four, six, eight or more. Without the option of filling their prescriptions again so quickly, they can turn to the underground market to get more of the same or different drugs, putting them in a dangerous position that can easily be mortal.

Getting help

When a person is struggling with both depression and an addiction to prescription drugs, it is vital to think about getting professional help. By calling My Recovery Hotline, they can learn about dual diagnosis treatment facilities where they will be able to receive the help they need. The difference between regular recovery centers and dual diagnosis treatment facilities is that in the later, they help people deal with both issues at the same time, rather than just dealing with the addiction, which might be ultimately useless if they are still struggling with depression in the end. Through a dual diagnosis treatment, a person struggling with depression and a prescription drug addiction can heal in a well-rounded process that will help them get control over each situation.