Depression and addiction seem to be soul mates in Florida. They’re like that couple that can’t keep their hands off each other. Where there’s one, the other is likely to be nearby. They’re a match made in whatever hell you may or may not believe in.

The Chicken and the Egg

Antidrug propaganda such as Reefer Madness often portrays drugs in an insultingly naive way. These films lack the nuance that real people face which lead to their real addictions. Many people addicted to opioids and other substances find themselves suffering from depression.

What many fail to realize is that the depression was lurking in the background all along and may have been a causal factor leading to the addiction. In other words, some people do not become depressed because they do drugs, they do drugs because they’re depressed.

When addiction and any mental illness exist together, it’s referred to as a dual diagnosis. Either way, successful medical detox for a dual diagnosis needs to tackle that core depression, not just the symptoms.

The Danger of Self-Medication

Every addicted individual has their own unique story. But for many people in America and throughout the developing world it comes down to self-medication. Self-medication is when a person diagnoses and treats their own illness. A person might not be able to afford a visit to the doctor, or they might not know they have a problem but think that taking pills or alcohol will help them sleep.

Depression is an illness that far too few people recognize or understand. Thinking that they’re just experiencing sadness, just “going through a phase”, or just have a certain personality, many people become addicted to drugs or alcohol as a solution. But there is good news: depression is highly treatable. If you are experiencing depression that may lead to drug or alcohol abuse–or, you are experiencing substance abuse that is causing depression–please seek help.

If you’re wondering why cases of dual diagnosis are so frequent in substance abuse, it’s because the addiction and mental illness work to reinforce each other in a feedback loop. They make each other worse. End the pattern and break that ugly couple up with medical detox in Miami. To find out how, call us at (866) 353-7649 or send us a message today.