While people often use the word “depressed” to describe feeling temporarily bummed out or sad, in reality, depression is a diagnosable mood disorder. Depression can cause overwhelming and lasting feelings of sadness, hopelessness, helplessness, and worthlessness. Depression can range anywhere between mild and severe. While everyone has bad days, if your symptoms and low feelings last for multiple days or weeks or impact your job or relationships, you might suffer from clinical depression. Fortunately, all depressive disorders are treatable, and with the right support, individuals can return to positive mental health. a young woman discusses her mental health with a licensed counselor in a depression treatment program

At Oceanfront Recovery, we want to ensure that your recovery process encompasses both your addiction and depression. With this in mind, we tailor your addiction treatment programs to address your specific individual needs. Both addiction and depression are addressed for recovery through our depression treatment program. Call us at (877) 296-7477 for more information about our mental health treatment programs.

What Is Depression?

Depressive disorders can take on a lot of different forms. Clinical depression is the most severe and persistent form of depression. Individuals may struggle with seasonal depression or a seasonal affective disorder, where due to a lack of natural light (among other things), an individual has a persistently low mood. Bipolar disorder is a unique mental health issue related to depression. Often it is referred to as manic depression, but medical professionals no longer use that term as we’ve grown to learn more about the condition. Women frequently struggle with post-partum depression, a severe mood disorder experienced after childbirth.

When doctors diagnose depression, they look for the following symptoms:

  • Feeling depressed most of the time
  • Feelings of tiredness or lack of energy
  • Feeling guilty, worthless, or hopeless
  • Difficulty staying focused, making decisions, or remembering details
  • Too much or too little sleep
  • Weight loss or gain
  • Appetite changes
  • Little to no interest in activities you used to enjoy
  • Thoughts of suicide or death
  • Feelings of restlessness and irritability

If you are experiencing five or more of the above symptoms and have been for two weeks or longer, you have the definition of clinical depression.

Depression can also manifest itself through physical symptoms, including back or joint pain, headaches, digestive issues, and even sluggish speech and movement. This is because serotonin and norepinephrine, the brain chemicals linked to depression, affect both pain and mood.

When Is it Time to Consider Treatment for Depression?

If you can relate to any of the following five statements, your mental health and overall wellness would benefit significantly from depression treatment.

  1. My depression makes me want to consume more substances, but my substance abuse makes my depression worse.
  2. I have lost interest in things I used to like and receive joy from.
  3. I am isolating myself from friends and loved ones because of my depression.
  4. Sometimes I find it difficult to get out of bed and keep up with chores or hygiene because of my depression.
  5. My chronic depression has led to suicidal thoughts, ideation, or behaviors.

There are many effective treatments and therapies for depression and other mental health conditions; a depression treatment specialist can help you explore your options and discover what works best for your needs. All you have to do is reach out, and you can live the life you want, free of depression.

Addiction And Depression Treatment Programs

For many people, their depression may have driven them towards substance abuse, while for others, their addiction may have affected their mental health. Many of the symptoms of depression are also signs of addiction, making it vital that you receive the appropriate care and treatment for both disorders. At Oceanfront Recovery, we offer a specialized mental health treatment center in Laguna Beach, CA, to address your situation. Aside from treating depressive disorders, we also offer:

Our staff of experienced professionals will create a depression treatment program personalized to your needs, treating your depression and addiction concurrently and helping you to find the root of your addiction so that your treatment is effective and successful.

Depression is a common issue among addicts. People try and self-medicate with alcohol or drugs because the temporary high is an escape from the feelings of sadness or worthlessness. However, it’s a slippery slope into addiction. Not only will you need more and more of the substance to feel “happy” again, but the more you consume, the more your body becomes dependent on that substance, and the harder the crash after the effects wear off.

It is estimated that one-third of people who suffer from depression also have a problem with alcohol or drug addiction. It makes sense because substance use can reduce feelings of emotional and physical pain and make you feel happy and euphoric. But not only can self-medication lead to addiction, but it can make your depression even worse because of the long-term effects of alcohol or drugs on your brain chemistry. The depression treatment program in Laguna Beach, California, breaks this cycle.

Learn How Oceanfront Recovery Can Help You Today

If you or a loved one suffer from depression and addiction, Oceanfront Recovery is here to help with our depression treatment program in Laguna Beach, California. Contact us and speak confidentially to one of our experienced intake specialists. Call (877) 296-7477 or fill out Oceanfront Recovery’s online form today and let us help you get on the road to mental and physical health, free from addiction.