Can depression play a part in a person’s ability to overcome an addiction? According to this recent Science Daily release, it definitely can. A new study suggests that while depressed smokers want to quit the habit just as much as smokers without a depression problem, depression can actually affect the success the individual can experience in their attempt to overcome their addiction. At Promises Behavioral Health, we are here to help people overcome their addiction and mental health problems. To learn more, contact Promises Behavioral Health today.
The Link Between Depression and Overcoming Addiction
The study found that 24 percent of surveyed callers to the California Smokers’ Helpline suffered from major depression. Another 17 percent of callers also had mild depression. Regardless of mental state, more than half of the surveyed callers made at least one attempt to quit after they had called the helpline.
Once these individuals hit the two-month mark, however, the success rate for those suffering from major depression was much lower than that of those who were diagnosed as only mildly depressed or non-depressed. In fact, nearly one in five callers with major depression reported success, compared with one in three of the mildly or non-depressed individuals.
Interestingly, most helplines established to help individuals to quit smoking do not assess callers for depression, even though research has proven that mild depression can reduce the success of quitting. This study also suggests that major depression can reduce the rates of success even further. This assessment is considered important as the California quitline receives a large volume of calls from heavy smokers and smokers on Medicaid. These two circumstances are associated with depression and with more than 400,000 smokers calling quitlines in the U.S. every year, researchers believe there are as many as 100,000 depressed smokers throughout the nation that are not receiving the targeted treatment they need.
The Importance of Dual Diagnosis Treatment
The link between depression and overcoming addiction is essential. At times, people begin using substances to compensate for symptoms of a mental illness. Other times, a mental illness may start due to a person’s addiction. In both cases, it is critical to seek treatment. If you need treatment for both addiction and depression, you may be in need of dual diagnosis treatment. During dual diagnosis treatment, we address both of the problems simultaneously.
Dual diagnosis treatment may be vital to your recovery. If you only get treated for your addiction, the symptoms of your mental illness will return, unabated. The unchecked symptoms put you at a significant risk of relapse. However, by seeking dual diagnosis treatment, healing from depression, and overcoming addiction are both possible.
Get Treatment at Promises Behavioral Health Today
At Promises Behavioral Health, we help people just like you overcome their mental illness and addiction. Through a range of treatment options, we can give you exceptional chances for recovery. At Promises Behavioral Health, we offer both holistic and evidence-based therapies. Evidence-based therapies are treatment options that addiction and mental health treatment specialists have studied for years. You may have heard of many of these treatments. Holistic therapies are treatments that we use to treat a person’s mind, body, and soul, all of which addiction corrupts.
Ending depression and overcoming addiction is possible, through dual diagnosis treatment at Promises Behavioral Health. We treat a wide range of addictions, including:
- Alcohol addiction
- Heroin addiction
- Meth addiction
- Cocaine addiction
- Opioid addiction
Your healing can begin today, and you can begin your life anew, without the chains of substance abuse and mental illness. To learn more about the connection between depression and overcoming addiction, contact Promises Behavioral Health today at 844.875.5609.