There is a clear and definite connection between alcohol and depression. Women who struggle with depression are more likely to turn to alcohol misuse than those that don’t have a mental health disorder. In addition, those that engage in excessive alcohol consumption can also face a heightened chance of experiencing depression.
When someone experiences both depression and a substance use disorder (SUD) simultaneously, it is known as a co-existing disorder. When an individual seeks professional help, these disorders must be treated simultaneously and must be dealt with very delicately. This is because treatment providers will want to ensure that neither condition worsens as a result of the treatment of the other disorder.
Understanding How Depression Is Diagnosed
When a person seeks help for a mental health disorder, their treatment provider is going to undergo not only a full physical health examination but will also have the patient undergo some mental tests to determine if they are, in fact, struggling with depression. Some questions a treatment provider asks may include:
- Have you lost enjoyment over hobbies or activities that you once loved?
- Do you feel a need to detach or disassociate from your friends and family?
- Do you feel hopeless or worthless on a regular basis?
- Do you ever have thoughts of harming yourself or others?
- Do you regularly struggle with fatigue or low energy throughout the day?
- Do you have trouble focusing throughout the day?
If you have answered yes to any of these questions, you may be struggling with a mental health disorder. But don’t worry, there is help available to you.
Understanding the Link Between Alcohol and Depression
Many women who struggle with depression don’t recognize that they are struggling with an actual mental health disorder. They believe that the way they are feeling mentally is a result of their life circumstances and that there is nothing that they can do to make themselves feel better. They may have simply accepted their current mental state as their reality and don’t recognize the fact that treatment options are out there and that they don’t have to continue to live this way.
Every person’s situation is different. Some women do recognize that they are suffering from a mental health disorder and take the necessary steps to get help. Unfortunately, some people struggle with what is known as treatment-resistant depression. What this means is that while they may be going through therapy or taking prescription medication to alleviate their depression, they might not be experiencing relief.
When someone struggles with treatment-resistant depression, they tend to get frustrated and experience a lack of hope. They may feel as if they have done absolutely everything possible to find relief and establish relief, only not to find the results that they are hoping for. In time, this can become very discouraging, and it can also start to make an individual come to believe that relief is not possible for them and that they will always have to live this way.
Luckily, there are new alternative methods of treatment that are being used to treat this type of depression. Some of these methods include eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, neurofeedback therapy, and trauma-informed yoga.
Understanding What to Expect from The Ho-Tai Way
Our team at The Ho-Tai Way understands that every woman’s circumstance with addiction is different, which is why we practice individualized treatment. We look at a woman’s body, mind, and spirit and don’t view them as just a number or another procedure. Even if you have tried to seek treatment for your drug or alcohol use and depression in the past and have not found the relief that you were looking for, there is hope, and recovery is very much possible for you. At our facility, we offer both traditional and alternative treatment options so that our patients have the ability to try treatments that they might not have had access to before.
We understand that seeking treatment for SUD can seem scary, especially when you’re also battling a mental health disorder. But our team will make sure that you know exactly what to expect from every step along the way. At our facility, you will receive the privacy and dignity that you deserve while being made as comfortable as possible. We will help empower you, connect your mind and spirit, help you to learn more about yourself than ever before, and provide you with the tools necessary to establish better mental health and enjoy lifelong recovery. It’s time to start a new chapter of your life.
Many women who struggle with an alcohol use or substance use disorder also struggle with depression. This is called a dual diagnosis and should be treated very delicately as treatment providers don’t want one disorder to worsen as a result of treating the other. While there are treatments out there, such as prescription medication and therapy for depression, this doesn’t provide full relief for everyone. That’s why alternative methods such as eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), neurofeedback therapy, and trauma-informed yoga are becoming more widely used. At The Ho-Tai Way, we utilize both traditional and alternative methods of treatment so that our patients have the highest chance possible of recovering. If you are struggling with a substance use or alcohol use disorder and a mental health disorder simultaneously, there is hope, and our team can help you. Call (714) 881-8931 today to start the next chapter of your life.
