Tending To Teen Depression During the Holiday Season

With the holiday season fast approaching, many families are very eager to spend time together and enjoy some relaxation and bonding after a long and stressful year. The holidays present an opportunity for parents to enjoy some quality time with their children and catch up on the events that have shaped their year. 

However, while holidays are ideally fun and exciting for most teenagers, they can nonetheless be very stressful for some. This is especially true if they have suffered a recent loss of a loved one or if they have a family member who is affected by a terminal illness. It is not very uncommon for teens to suffer from debilitating depression during the holiday season. 

If your teenage son or daughter is struggling with depression during this time, here are some of the tips that you can employ to help them cope with their uncomfortable feelings. 

Ensure they Eat a Healthy Diet

It is very easy for your child to succumb to unhealthy eating habits when dealing with depression during the holidays. They may start binging on unhealthy fast foods to distract them from their feelings, or refuse to eat at all. As their primary caregiver, you should ensure that your struggling teenager partakes a healthy diet in order to promote their physical and mental wellbeing. Make sure that your teenager takes in regular meals with lots of fruits and vegetables. It is also vital that they drink lots of water to keep their bodies healthy. 

Employ Humor to Help them Relax

The physical and mental health benefits of laughter have been proven beyond dispute. Studies have shown that laughter can help reduce blood pressure, release tension in the body muscles and improve metabolism. If your teenager is struggling with depression, helping them to laugh more can greatly help alleviate their negative feelings and promote physical wellbeing. Try sharing jokes with them as often as you can, or watch comedies which they like together with them.


Encourage them to Exercise

Engage in physical exercises can greatly alleviate depression since it helps boost the production of endorphins, which are feel-good hormones. Even a simple exercise like walking or jogging can improve blood circulation in the body and promote better mental and physical health. You should, therefore, encourage your teenager to take part in exercises. Going on morning jogs together, for instance, will not only enable your child to become more active, but it will also allow you to bond with them.


Help them Confront their Negative Thoughts and Feelings

It is very easy for depressed teenagers to fall into a vortex of negative thoughts and feelings which makes it impossible for them to enjoy life. If these issues are not dealt with appropriately, they may lead to suicidal thoughts. To avoid this eventuality, you must support your child in confronting these unwanted thoughts and emotions. Cognitive-behavioral therapy can help your depressed teenager to examine their thoughts and develop healthy mechanisms of coping with them whenever they arise. 

In Conclusion

The holiday season is supposed to be a time of relaxation and bonding. By applying these tips, you can help your child overcome their depression, so that they can enjoy this festive season along with friends and loved ones.

Dealing With Bullies

Bullying is one of the worst types of abuse that any child can go through. Kids who are bullied tend to be perpetually scared, lonely, and prone to feeling hurt, sick, and embarrassed. Some of the tactics often used by bullies include kicking, hitting, violent pushing, and sometimes mean words intended to tease or scare the victim. Bullies also use threats to make their victims do things they wouldn't otherwise do. 

Bullying is A Massive Problem 

You may not see it in the news every week, but bullying is actually a big problem. Statistically, 75% of all kids report being bullied, teased, or made fun of in their interactions with other kids. The aftermath of this leaves the young victims feeling inadequate and stressed, which can subsequently make them sick. 

Notably, kids who have been bullied may be reluctant to go to school. And even when they go, their minds may only be focused on how to deal with the bully. 

Why Do Bullies Act That Way? 

Most bullies are often driven by attention seeking tendencies - they see it as a way to gain popularity among their peers. Other bullies have an inferiority complex, hence they pick on weaker kids to feel powerful. In contrast, some bullies may have been victims of bullying before. 

Kids who come from dysfunctional families, where violence is a daily occurrence, are also more likely to become bullies, as they may perceive violence as an ordinary act. 

In most cases, bullies will pick on someone they consider weak or powerless. It could be the kid who gets upset fast or the tiny one who can't fight. Sometimes, however, they may just terrorize a random person for no particular reason. 

How to Handle Bullying

Our advice on this depends on your situation. We have highlighted ways to prevent run-ins with bullies, as well as what to do if you get confronted by one.

1) Avoiding Conflicts With Bullies

• Avoid the bully as much as possible - Instead of skipping class, you may want to change your route home to avoid meeting them outside the safety of the class.
• Be Brave - Whenever you're in the presence of a bully, stand straight and act brave with a "don't mess with me" attitude.
• Change Your Attitude About Yourself - Too often, bullies capitalize on your lack of self-esteem. To overcome this, you may want to get more exercise, read more books, and watch less TV. Being fit and performing well in school will do wonders for your self-confidence.

2. If The Bully Pokes You

• Ignore Them - Pretend you didn't hear what they said about you and quickly walk away to a safe place.
• Stand up to the bully -Put on a brave face and say something like "Stop It!" as you walk away. 
• Don't Show Your Feelings - Avoid getting visibly sad or upset in the bully's presence as it emboldens them.
• Talk to An Adult - If you have a run-in with a bully, confide in an adult, you trust and see how they can help you. It could be your teacher, school administration, parents, or older siblings. Sometimes all it takes to stop a bully are some stern words from an adult.

What Happens to Bullies?

More often than not, bullies end up in trouble, either with the law, or the school authorities. If not, they end up with very few 'true' friends, as everyone else learns to avoid them. Simply put, it doesn't pay to be a bully.

Teens and Mental Health

Today's youngsters are struggling with mental health issues on a scale that's not been seen before. The World Health Organization (WHO) puts the percentage of teens and children experiencing mental health issues globally to be between 10 and 20%. 

Further, according to the American Journal of Managed Care, the years between 2008 and 2017 saw a significant increase in the number of adults suffering from mental health disorders across the majority of adult age groups. However, the biggest increase (71%), was among the younger adult demographic (18-25yrs).

With numerous factors at play, it is difficult to point out the exact cause of the increased physiological distress among teens. Nonetheless, the Pew Research Center opines that 61% of teens in the US admit feeling a lot of pressure to achieve good grades in school. Additionally, 29% of American teens feel under high pressure to look and dress well, while 28% struggle with the pressure to fit in. Seeing as the world is more or less fully interconnected, it is safe to say that teens in other countries also face similar situations. 

Key Factors Shaping The Teen Mental Health Landscape 

Below are some of the most notable factors in regards to the mental health of young adults:

1. Information Overload

We live in a never-ending cycle of news, with both mainstream media and social media churning out news and information every other hour. Consequently, young people are in a constant struggle to keep up with the news to appear cool or knowledgeable to their friends or social media followers. This information overload on young minds causes anxiety, frustration and stress, among others, and consequently leads to mental health problems. 

2. Social Media

With smartphones and the internet guzzling up an unacceptably large portion of our lives, teens are finding it hard to cope with it all. For one, the majority of teens log on to their social media accounts the first thing in the morning, which leaves them vulnerable to peer pressure. It doesn't help that cyberbullying and sexual harassment have taken over most social platforms.

3. Stigma Surrounding Mental Health

First off, most teens are embarrassed to see a therapist due to the social stigma that surrounds mental health care. Admitting to seeing a therapist or having a mental disorder carries a high risk of being branded weak, dumb, or a 'sicko.' As a result, most of the teens choose to hide their emotions, worries and frustrations. 

Fortunately, mental health campaigns by governments and celebrities have seen a slow and steady lifting of stigma around mental health disorders. Hopefully, more young people will seek professional help when in psychological wilderness.

5. Worries About The Future

Everywhere you look, from your TV to your local newspaper or even Instagram, you will see cynical reports about your country or the world. For instance, global warming, Brexit and terrorism are some of the most widely discussed things in our current world.

All these negative news and predictions increase the pressure on young people, who get anxious and concerned about their future lives. Eventually, this affects their lives, both in terms of productivity and mental stability.

Coping With Back To School Anxieties

According to a 2017 study, one in every four parents stays at home to tend to an anxious child. Notably, anxiety is common among school-going children, and it may be caused by several factors, some of which are beyond your child’s control.

Children with back to school anxieties will conjure up all sorts of excuses to remain at home and may become highly irritable. Though this is normal, letting your child stay at home will only enable their fears even further.

Today, we will discuss some of the steps to take to ensure your child transitions into school life seamlessly.  

Start with the Simple Things

A child’s development and temperament is greatly affected when they do not get enough sleep, food, or playtime. All these factors help in nourishing the body and mind, thus making your child more relaxed. 

Ensure that your child eats well and gets a good night’s sleep every school night. This will make them less irritable and more likely to listen to you. 

Do Not Dismiss your Child’s Worries

How do you react when your daughter refuses to go back to school, simply because her friends refused to play with her the previous week? Well, as a parent, you may not take the claims seriously. 

However, your child does not have as much life experience as you. To her, it may seem like the end of the world. Rather than dismiss any worries your child may have, listen and show them you understand, then give them a broader perspective. 

You will be surprised at how reasonable your child is with the right approach. This will also strengthen your bond, and it will be easier for them to come to you with future issues.

Come up with a Lasting Solution 

Once your child displays any anxiety towards school, do not approach it as a one-off situation. For most parents, the priority is getting their kids off to school for the day so that they can attend to other duties. 

However, if you notice any abnormal behavioral changes in your child, you should strive to look into the cause of the problem, and engage your child in creating a lasting solution. This helps to prevent such occurrences in the future. 

Essentially, you should talk with your child and develop a coping mechanism together. You should also discuss other hypothetical situations and help your child see the best ways to handle them.

Be Mindful

Young children learn through observation and mimicking. Your reaction the moment you drop your child off at school is very crucial. For instance, if you seem worried, your child may get the impression that school may not be a good place. You should therefore show excitement for their new chapter, and say your goodbye cheerfully.  

Take Away:

When it comes to dealing with back to school anxieties, patience and empathy are the secret ingredients. Rather than approach your child from a position of authority, level with them, be a friend, and they will be more likely to take your advice positively. 

Why Young Athletes Struggle With Mental Health Issues

High school sports used to be all about having fun and learning to work together as a team. This is rapidly changing, and many young athletes now feel that taking part in sports is not so much fun anymore. We really need to ask ourselves if we have made high school sports too professional. Could it be that we are losing some great young athletes because we are placing too much pressure on them? It could very well be the case.

Mental Health and Young Athletes

It is tough enough to take part in athletic events and sports when you are an adult. Imagine what it must be like for young people who are trying to cope with school commitments and taking part in sports at the same time? Putting too much pressure on young athletes can quickly lead to mental health problems. Yes, it is important to exercise, and fantastic when you do well, but participating in the first place is more important. 

Anorexia in Young Athletes

A plethora of factors plays a role when it comes to young athletes and mental health. Do successful young athletes need to pose in skimpy bikinis and promote diet shakes? Body image is part of the mental health picture when it comes to teens and athleticism. Young female athletes are particularly influenced by looks and body image. Maybe professional athletes should focus on sport and avoid doubling up as bikini models. 

Anorexia in young athletes is now very common. It is a serious mental health issue that can stay with someone for the rest of their lives.


Less Pressure More Fun

It is about time we went back to basics and concentrated on having fun instead. Teen athletes often put a lot of pressure on themselves. Pressure can also come from fellow athletes. We all like to do as well as we can, but young athletes often try to compete more against each other than adult athletes.

They want the best results and some even train excessively. Training too much can lead to both physical and mental health issues which will affect school work. When you work with young athletes, it is important to see the full picture. Treat the young person with respect and make sure he or she is happy to keep up with training schedules as well as academic schedules.

Teens like to say yes and as a result, often take on too much. It is up to adult coaches to act responsibly. Looking after both physical and mental health is not easy, but a parental style approach often works the best. Try combining training with fun activities, make sure school work can fit in easily and that all young athletes get time off. If you can do so, you may even come across some fantastic talents. 

Remember that it is better to encourage than to push an athlete. This is very important when you work with young athletes who are also having to deal with the trials and tribulations of growing up. Getting it right often means that you have made a friend for life and giving someone a positive attitude towards their own mental health.

Mental Health: Be aware of the signs

When it comes to mental health, are you taking good care of yourself? The only way to go is to be sure that you are doing the best that you can when it comes to your diet, the amount that you exercise, and your general lifestyle.

As a parent you are only responsible for the children that you have brought into this world and yourself. But what happens when you feel that your children are not only growing up but headed down the wrong path? If you are staying late up at night wondering where they are or worrying over sudden changes in their mood or personality, you're not alone.

You may have felt as though it were just yesterday that they were small. Now they are hitting their teen years and things are getting more challenging. There are a lot of transitions that come along with going through the older years as well as life. They can be emotional as well as trying.

As a parent, you may want to do all that you can to protect them. But as they become teens that are going to be adults you really have to do all that it takes to try and do the right thing. Keep talking to them and keep the lines of communication open.

You want them to have a support system but also pursue resources that are available. Mental health is a tricky subject and you may want to talk to a teacher as well as a psychiatrist. The key thing is to know when you need to ask for help.

You may want to look for signs that your teen is not well. This may include poor grades as well as having a bad attitude. They may be late or may not be home all that much at all. They could also be hanging out with the wrong crowd and just seeming sad or different than they normally are.

A treatment center could be the thing to set them in the right direction again. They have all the tools that can help your teen to adjust during this tough time and do all that they can to be on the right track. If you want to help your child sometimes you have to accept that it is a tough decision that you have to make.

The good news is that there is always something that can be done to help if the teen wants to accept help. Get in touch to find out more and you may educate yourself more on a topic that you thought you knew how to fix. We cannot control how the disease progresses or whether mental health is present but we can control how we react to it and what we do to help the people that we love to get better and not to be sick anymore.
sure that you are doing the best that you can when it comes to your diet, the amount that you exercise, and your general lifestyle.

Treatment may be the best course of action. Find out more by getting in touch and see whether the answers may be waiting for you and your child together today so that you can move forward to the future.

Signs That Your Teen May Be Stressed

Teenagers may not have the same set of responsibilities that adults do when it comes to career  and taking care of the family, but they are well aware that it is within their future. Even though it may not be there at the present moment, they still experience stress.

Teens can deal with all types of issues, situations, and emotions. Problems with academics, grades, tests, peer pressure, bullying, sports, socializing and more can all affect a teen and cause stress. A teen that does not have the right amount of support may be at more risk for problems with mental health and their health as well as academics.

For this reason, it's a good idea to look out for signs that your teen may be stressed. Check out these signs that your teen may be too stressed so you can help them out and provide resources and suggestions and find ways to help them.

1. Getting headaches or stomach aches.

Sometimes stress can manifest as a physical health problem. If your teen is getting headaches or stomach aches on a regular basis, it may be due to stress.

2. Issues with sleeping.

Some people have a tough time going to sleep or staying there, which can be a sign that you're stressed. The cycle can continue, where less sleep means that they can't handle stress. Too much sleep may be a sign of stress as well, when they're trying to sleep a lot on weekends or go to bed right after school. They may be trying to get away from their stress.

3. Having problems with their education.

Problems with stress can often come from school issues. Academic problems might also be a sign that your teen's too stressed. Grades going down or attendance or issues getting work done might be related to stress.

4. More irritability than usual.

Teens can be moody and irritable, but a teen that is stressed out will usually be even more irritable than they are on a regular basis. If a teen is getting irritated or reacting to small inconveniences, they may be having a tough time navigating life or be struggling with a certain issue.

5. Retreating from socializing.

The social habits of the average teen are going to be changed by stress. Isolation from friends or activities that they enjoy could be a sign that they're struggling with stress.

6. Bad changes in behavior.

Sometimes, behavior problems can come from a teen being stressed. You may see more problems in behavior. Address it and ask what's wrong before setting limits to see what's wrong.

7. Having a tough time concentrating.

Teens have a tough time concentrating on the work that they do. They might be distracted easily or have difficulty focusing while doing school work. 

8. Worrying a lot.

They may seem to be worrying more than normal. Teens react to a lot, but if yours seems to be always worried or having anxiety, you may want to try and get them into counseling.

Have a conversation or encourage your teen to develop stress management techniques. Talk to them about speaking with a counselor or therapist and dealing with their stress head on.

The Benefits of Seeking Family Addiction Therapy

Addiction affects entire families. These days, addiction therapy and treatment can not only extend to the individual struggling with substance abuse but to family and friends too.

Family addiction therapy is an option for anyone close to someone that is abusing alcohol or substances. Addiction is often a disease of the family. It can put family members through a lot of stress, emotionally, physically, financially, and more. It can cause experiences that are sad, damaging, or frightening.

Family members usually come up with unhealthy strategies to cope with the addiction. As the family becomes more dysfunctional and fragile, younger members may be especially susceptible to being traumatized or negatively influenced by being exposed to addiction.


How Families Cope

Abuse of substances can have different effects depending on the situation, but no one can deny that they affect the dynamics of the family in a lot of unhealthy ways. These can include:

• Safety The family may be put at risk in many ways

• Negative emotions- Others may feel anger, guilt, anxiety, resentment, and more

• Responsibility- Certain members of the family may have responsibilities that aren't appropriate for their age

• Communication- Family communication may become negative, with positive interaction being limited. Concerns and needs of others may not be met

• Boundaries and structure- Structure may be lacking in the home, with limited parental involvement and boundaries that are loose or do not exist. This results in children having confusion over what behaviors are negative or inappropriate

• Denial- A family member may not face the issue and deny that it exists, not wanting to face it or because of fear
• Relationships- Abuse can result in damaged relationships, that continue through generations due to behavioral modeling that is negative. Abusers often isolate, spending social time mostly with other abusers

Coping with Unhealthy Behaviors

Families may often have unhealthy ways of dealing with addiction, such as denial or enabling. However, they can feed the addiction and get in the way of a successful recovery or path to treatment.


Codependency

This happens when an individual must adapt to a dysfunctional family. Behaviors that qualify as codependent can be learned attitudes, behaviors, and thoughts that have you neglecting your desires/needs for the problem of a loved one.

These include constantly worrying about the addiction and abuse, denial or isolation, reacting in an irrational or violent way in events regarding an addiction, having low self esteem, aiming your misplaced anger at children or the pets, engaging in unhealthy behaviors to cope, and having to base your mood around theirs.

Enabling is also supporting abuse by taking away consequences. This makes it possible for the person to continue their addiction and the unhealthy cycle continues. These include using with them, ignoring or repressing your feelings, accepting excuses, protecting their image, making everything appear normal, and feeling guilty whenever you can't stop consequences.

Family therapy may be able to help. It provides a space that is safe where people can learn things about how they can assist someone's recovery. It also allows the family to heal as well as recover collectively and make positive changes that can improve their home and relationships.

Involvement in recovery and treatment with the family may prevent relapse, but it is always a risk. Know the stages of what relapse involves and the signs it may be happening. Get in touch with us  today to find out about what family programs are available to help.

Are Substance Abuse and Depression Linked?

Mood disorders and substance abuse have a term when they are combined as coexisting, and it's called dual diagnosis. Is there a link between using substances and depression?

It's true that one issue can often make another worse. It's estimated that currently twenty percent of Americans that have an anxiety/mood disorder also have a problem with substances and vice versa. Those on drugs are twice as likely as the average person to have disorders of mood and anxiety, and the reverse is true, according to NIDA.


Shared Triggers of Using Substances and Depression

Which comes first, depression or abusing substances? Depression may be a predictor of dependence on alcohol for the first time. They both share triggers as well. Connections between the two may include the following.


The brain.


Parts of a brain can be affected by depression or by substances. Abusing substances has an effect on the areas of the brain that respond to stress and those areas can also be affected by mental disorders.


Genetics.


It turns out that DNA could increase your likelihood of having an addiction or mental disorder. Disease Markers published research in 2012 that indicated this fact. NIDA also reports that genetic factors may increase the odds that one of the conditions will show up once another has appeared.


Developmental problems. 


Drug use early in life can alter brain development, making later mental illness all the more likely to
occur. The opposite is also true, that early mental health issues could up the chances of abusing drugs or alcohol.


Environmental Factors

Trauma, stress, or an unhealthy household early in life can cause depression as well as turning to substances. Dual diagnoses can go back to early life experiences. Children are always in a state of discovery and gratification. An interruption of this process can manifest in a clinical way. Denial or interruption can influence individuals, letting them believe that what they think or feel is wrong generally across the board.


Those who have a dual diagnosis may not be trying to medicate themselves or their depression and may be doing the opposite, according to Dr. MacIsaac. Those who are depressed may choose to drink in order to feed into the negativity. It can be soothing at first, but then make the individuals feel worse than before.

These types of people get a form of oxygen through this negativity. Even signs that treatment may be working may end up triggering a drive or need to return to negative discovery through substances like alcohol. According to Dr. MacIsaac, substances such as alcohol may only make their depression worse.


The Importance of Simultaneous Treatment

In order to recover, individuals dealing with abusing substances and going through depression may need to be treated for both of these conditions. They may not want to accept treatment, clinging to the way that they feed the negativity.

Those that have a dual diagnosis must ultimately see the root of all of their issues and understand them. Then they have the chance to change. It may involve therapy, rehab, antidepressants, meetings, a support group, and more.

The APA recommends that people ask for a referral from their primary care provider, discover whether the psychological association in your state has a service when it comes to referring people to licensed professionals of mental health, or ask relatives/close friends if they have psychologist, psychiatrist, or mental health counselor recommendations.

How to Address Addiction As Family and Friends

Many individuals struggle with addiction, and so do many of their friends and the family members. Some continually try to help the individual seek addiction treatment, while others have reached a

breaking point so many times that they don't know what to do anymore or have given up.

The pervasive nature of addiction means that relationships are disrupted. They become unreliable, even untrustworthy. They may have stolen from you. You may not even recognize the person anymore.

Addiction is something that can not only affect the person with the substance abuse problem but the people that are closest to them as well. Family members often should be involved in the treatment process. Getting additional information, education, and resources can be helpful.

Friends and family may not always understand addiction or the need to set boundaries. They enable the addict by excusing behavior, covering up, casting blame, doing things for them, and even taking their word at face value. This can be precisely what an addict wants you to do and has even pressured or manipulated you into doing. However, all it does is allow addiction to continue. The family can become reactive as a result. Successful recovery can involve the following.



Give up the old ways.

If it's not working, it's not working. To embrace recovery, family and friends must give up on the old way of doing things. Only with new strategies can they start working to make healthy existence, at least for themselves, a reality.



Get rid of your urge to fix it.

Only the addict can fix it. The family cannot be the answer to addiction or many addictions would be solved already. It is too large of a burden and an individual must choose to take on recovery themselves. The individual in the middle of addiction must be the primary person to take control and say yes to getting clean and sober.


Be on the same page.

When family members are working together to be supportive and everyone is on the same page, it's easier for an addict to embrace recovery and gives them less room to capitalize on any rifts or weaknesses in family dynamics.



Hold them accountable.

Instead of blame, accountability must be the action pursued. Holding an addict accountable for what they do is important. Have boundaries set, have certain expectations, and maintain structure.



Be aware of where your energy goes. 

Energy can often be redirected in a family to go toward the addict. Families must take care into guarding the relationships that they have outside of the addict.

Family treatment and professional guidance or attending meetings can inform families on what is and is not healthy behavior. Support and guidance may be necessary and many family and friends do not even realize that they needed an outlet for their emotions.



Try healing with family therapy.

Effective therapy in families should be inclusive of all the family and friends' needs and take into account their dynamic. Clear goal setting and prioritizing therapy for the family could be healing. It can be done without the person suffering from addiction as well if that is more comfortable or productive.


Recovery may mean walking away from the loved one with a problem and going in another direction. It also could be working on yourself and your own quality of life. Family healing is important. Don't allow addiction to rule your life through another.

The Connection Between Depression and Substance Abuse

When it comes to using substances and mental illness, is there a connection between the two?Individuals that have been professionally diagnosed as having mental illness during their life have been found to make up a significant percentage of substance users. Mental illness and substance

abuse together form what is known as a co-occurring disorder or dual diagnosis.

What is depression? A mental illness that can often occur with using substances such as drugs or alcohol. Those who use substances (or abuse them) are more likely to suffer depression, whereas the opposite is also true in what is a bi-directional relationship.

When someone is depressed, they may abuse substances to change their mood or get rid of negative feelings. However, some substances act as depressants or in other ways and can actually contribute to depression, after the effects wear off or as they deal with emotions about addiction.

Signs Of Depression

About one third of adult individuals that abuse substances may also deal with depression. Symptoms of drug use can be the same as depressive symptoms, so it makes it tough to actively diagnose an individual with depression when they are using at the same time.

Depression can also manifest in different ways, depending on the individual. Some people may show signs of being in a low mood or overly fatigued. Some may be angry or irritable.

Signs include:

Sleep changes
Appetite changes
Losing interest in hobbies or activities
Feeling despair or guilt
Low energy
Difficulty concentrating
Thoughts of suicide

If you do not know whether you abuse substances, these questions might help:

Do you attempt to stop your habit but can't?
Does your life revolve around your addiction?
Do you have substance cravings?
Is your life being affected negatively by your using?
Do you continue to use even you're aware of the risk to personal relationships?
Do you use substances to a dangerous point?
Do you have to do more to get the effect you want?

Seek Treatment:

Treatment is important for those suffering with depression or a substance problem, or both. Medications or antidepressants may help with symptoms and treatment and counseling may provide emotional and behavioral support necessary to have a healthy lifestyle.

When seeking treatment, you may want first to get medical attention to deal with any withdrawal symptoms. This may require abstinence for some time to get an accurate diagnosis from a clinician. You may want to speak to a doctor regarding programs specially designed to deal with a dual diagnosis. Just ending substance use may cause the depression to get worse, risking a possible relapse.

Individuals sometimes find that support through counseling and medical attention as well as their peers is helpful when it comes to addiction. You may find that outpatient or inpatient treatment programs are appealing to you. Treatment programs that work usually have peer support, pharmacotherapy, treatment plans individualized to the person, medical assistance on site, involve the family, and have support programs as a follow up to address relapse.

Treating depression in the end may be key to treating substance issues, and vice versa. If you abuse substances, you may be struggling with depression or making it worse. Seek treatment to really address what's going on with you and be the healthiest and happiest version of yourself.