When we talk about addiction rehab, we usually think of things like drugs and alcohol. And while addiction is certainly the most common reason for needing rehab, there is another affliction that strikes tens of thousands of people across the UK every year. What is that condition? It’s depression.
Depression is a normal emotion that all of us deal with numerous times in our lives. However, most of us overcome depression without any need for additional intervention. When someone is unable to overcome normally, minor depression can become a major illness. That’s when a diagnosis of clinical depression is reached.
When someone is suffering from clinical depression the stress of their emotions not only causes them to feel terrible about themselves and their circumstances, it also causes chemical changes in the brain. Those chemical changes often make an uncomfortable situation exponentially worse. They often require specialised addiction rehab treatments to overcome.
Symptoms of Clinical Depression
It is important to draw the distinction between mild depression and clinical depression. As stated earlier, mild depression is overcome by the individual without any need for outside intervention. That’s not possible with clinical depression.
Signs and symptoms of clinical depression include the following:
- low energy levels
- inability to concentrate
- loss of motivation and enthusiasm
- low self-esteem and confidence
- abnormally low sex drive
- inability to process information
- impatience with people or circumstances.
Most of the symptoms of clinical depression are psychological in nature. However, they can manifest themselves in physical problems as well. Examples of these physical problems include changes in appetite, insomnia or chronic sleeping, and feeling physically poor during the morning hours.
Treatment for Depression
Standard treatment for depression is surprisingly uncomplicated in principle. Most depression rehab clinics and professional counsellors utilise a two-pronged approach for treatment. That approach includes a combination of antidepressant medications and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
The antidepressants are used to restore the chemical imbalances within the brain. Unfortunately, very few of these medications work for everyone, all the time. Doctors and psychiatrists have to regularly evaluate patients for the purposes of adjusting medications appropriately. Nevertheless, when managed properly, they do wonders.
As for CBT, it is a specialised form of counselling therapy that addresses both the emotions and thought processes of the patient. It is a therapy designed to help the person suffering from depression discover new ways to think problems through – new ways to view the world in order to ease the feelings of depression. CBT is sometimes used to help treat drug addicts as well.
Depression and Addiction
Depression is not something a person is born with. It is usually triggered by something else; something that is traumatic, stressful, or emotionally intense. However, depression can also be triggered by a drug or alcohol addiction. When that is the case, a dual diagnosis calls for specialised treatment.
The difficult part of a dual diagnosis is to discern whether one problem triggered the other. While this is usually the case, there are occasions when both conditions occur simultaneously. It is the job of depression and addiction specialists to sort out both issues so they can be treated simultaneously.
When a client is admitted to depression rehab with a dual diagnosis, medications are needed to restore the chemical imbalance caused by the clinical depression. However, these medications can interfere with the addiction recovery process. You can see how complicated a dual diagnosis scenario can be.
The good news is that the medical community has been treating dual diagnosis patients long enough to have developed very effective strategies. Their experience and research has led to numerous therapies that allow for that delicate balance between treating depression and not interfering with drug addiction recovery.
Depression Rehab in the UK
If you are suffering with clinical depression, you will be happy to know that there are many rehab treatment options available in the UK. Most GPs and psychiatrists prefer to begin treatment using outpatient programmes and professional counselling. Many times this is enough to help the patient overcome.
Outpatient treatment is conducted at a local clinic or the office of the psychiatric specialist. Treatments could last up to several hours apiece and can be scheduled on a daily or weekly basis. Your particular treatment plan will be devised by the medical professional who treats you. If outpatient therapy proves to be insufficient for your case, residential rehab is another option.
Residential rehab for depression is considered inpatient therapy by definition. Throughout the duration of your treatment, you will be living at a rehab facility and cared for by medical professionals and support staff. You will be given the appropriate medications under the direction and care of and experienced doctor, and you will undergo regular cognitive behavioural therapy with a trained therapist.
In some cases, depression rehab involves additional therapies that might be deemed helpful for an individual. For example, one clinic may offer art therapy as a means of allowing patients to address their thoughts and emotions through creative expression. Another clinic might take advantage of music therapy. The point is, you will be treated with the therapies most appropriate to your circumstances.
How We Can Help
Our organisation is one dedicated to helping those in need access treatment for depression and addiction. If we can help you, we would love the opportunity to do so. Whether you suffer from depression or a dual diagnosis condition, our trained and experienced counsellors can work with you to locate appropriate treatment.
If you are someone visiting our website on behalf of someone you love, we would like to help you as well. Finding appropriate depression rehab on your own can be a time-consuming and confusing process that eventually leads you to frustration. We want to help you avoid that. We make the process of finding treatment easier by doing all of the investigative research for you. We would love the opportunity to inform you about treatment options and advise you on the best course of action.
Depression can be just as destructive as addiction. Do not delay in contacting us if you or a loved one needs help with clinical depression.