Depression is one of the most common causes of alcohol addiction. A person often starts drinking to cope with loss, stress, trauma and all other forms of adversity. Over time the relationship between alcohol and depression gets stronger until they are inextricably linked. Eventually, the causes and effects of alcoholism become one and the same, and the symptoms are exacerbated by the cause.
Identifying and Treating Interrelated Depression and Alcoholism
Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches alcohol and depression treatment programs help patients to explore the origins of their depressive disorders, learn alternative ways to manage them and work towards the goal of living a healthy and fulfilling life.
Physical and Behavioral Liabilities of Alcoholic Depression
Alcohol’s impact on the central nervous system mirrors symptoms of depression such as lethargy, irritability and the inability to concentrate or focus. This means that patients who suffer from depression-related alcoholism feel the same symptoms whether they’re sober or intoxicated. By taking a dual diagnosis approach to patient care and treating each condition simultaneously, we’re able to alleviate the physical and emotional burdens patients face.
Recognizing the Need for Treatment
Because the symptoms of alcohol and depression are often similar, it can be difficult to distinguish one from the other if the patient has started drinking.
Some behavioral indicators that an individual is suffering from alcoholic depression include:
- Erratic changes in mood or disposition
- Constant preoccupation with drinking
- Legal problems related to drinking
- Loss of interest in relationships or professional endeavors
- Insomnia
- Fatigue
- Tremors
- Thoughts of suicide
Other signs include weight gain, irritability and general disinterest in activities that were once enjoyed.
Our Specialized Treatment Program
After assessment and medically monitored detox, alcoholic depression patients are designed a customized care plan which includes medication for depression, in-depth group and individual counseling, and an individualized array of alternative treatment methods including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), lightsound neurotherapy, and meditation. This program offers patients specific treatment for depression so that they no longer feel the need to self-medicate with alcohol.
