I live outside the circle of life in a place called misery. In misery, I have found comfort. It is all that I know. The people inside the circle seem too normal and happy and I don’t understand that. I’ve never fit in. Alcohol allows me to go inside the circle from time to time, but the journey has gotten longer and the frequency less. As I fade into the light, it is your hand I take; it is your soul that I keep. Together we live in misery.
Depression keeps one outside the circle of life. Untreated depression, many times is the root cause of alcoholism or drug addiction. The addiction becomes nothing more than a symptom of a greater underlying emotional disorder. Alcohol or drugs are the medication the addict turns to for treatment of their depression. Most do not even realize they’re doing this; it just becomes part of the norm. As the dark cloud of depression sets in, alcohol and drugs provide fast, instantly gratifying relief. The addict feels normal again, the sun has reappeared, if only for a brief time, always to be followed by more clouds which lead to intense storms. It’s a vicious weather pattern of the mind.
When The Addicted And Depressed Aren’t Committed To Treatment Wholeheartedly
On occasion the addict will turn to processionals for help and the scenario often plays out like this: They agree to get counseling once a week and start on a medication prescribed for their depression. These medications generally have an onset time of about 4 weeks until the effects can be felt, during which time the feelings of depression are still present. The counseling will many times be ineffective. An hour a week or even two, leave all the rest of the hours available for the addict to contemplate how they feel.
Frustrated with the length of time the medication is taking to make them feel better, they turn back to self-medicating behaviors for instant relief. From the moment the first drink of alcohol enters the body or the moment the drug is ingested, one experiences the sense of wellbeing. Euphoria experienced, the sun once again is shining. The mind now will rationalize, then justify and then minimize their depression.
They stop the medication, stop the counseling; they become their own doctor prescribing to themselves what they believe works for them. They cut down, they add to, they subtract from, they switch brands, move locations, change jobs, the list can go on and on, all in search of the perfect cocktail that produces sunshine amongst the ever present clouds.
Kate’s Downward Spiral Of Drinking And Depression
Kate had a depression problem it seemed all her life. She was kind of a loner, quiet; she did her own thing through grade school and junior high. She never hurt anyone or created any problems, but her mind was always a million miles away. She quit high school and got her GED. In college she discovered alcohol and, as a result, became more outgoing, social; she entered the circle of life. As the years passed, alcohol was a constant companion that produced a sense of normalcy. When she drank, she could be in the circle of life, but when she wasn’t drinking she had to leave that circle. The sunshine produced by alcohol began to not last that long, and the clouds of depression would only occasionally give way to partly sunny skies.
Kate’s husband, John, whom she married while visiting the circle of life, became very concerned for her life and sought help. He contacted a dual-diagnosis treatment facility that dealt not only with the alcohol problem, but more importantly with the co-occurring disorder of depression.
Kate’s Hopeful Comeback
Kate agreed to go, she almost welcomed the opportunity. Kate was put on depression medication and was in counseling eight hours daily. By dealing with her emotions and feelings in individual and group therapy sessions, she never really thought about whether or not the medication was working. A month or so later, the medication balanced her chemistry, while all the continuous therapy gave her new hope. Today Kate lives inside the circle of life, without the need to self-medicate. She has a stable marriage and a pretty good life.
Depression is a real thing and dangerous, if left untreated. If your loved one is addicted to alcohol or drugs, you can be sure depression is not far behind. Medication is not always necessary, everyone is different, but professional help is essential in these situations for it will produce a more consistent weather pattern and pull one out of misery, back into the circle of life.
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