The disease of substance abuse comes in many forms, and the biggest problem in America is prescription drug abuse. In fact, more people die from prescription drug overdoses each year than both heroin and cocaine combined. This is why it’s important to seek the help you need if you’re struggling with antidepressant abuse. At Rose Hill Center, we’re committed to helping young adults overcome their mental health disorders. If you struggle with depression, we want to help you.
How Does Antidepressant Abuse Happen?
There are a variety of reasons people develop substance abuse habits with drugs or alcohol, but mental illness is at the forefront. This makes the situation extremely difficult if you engage in antidepressant abuse via prescribed medication. This form of substance abuse can be hard because you want to stop, but you don’t know another way of managing your depression without it. Moreover, the problem is that your abuse of the medication is actually making your depression worse.
This type of substance abuse happens because of tolerance, as well as psychological dependence. For some people, taking certain medications for too long makes him or her need more to feel normal. However, the other issue is that developing a psychological dependence can make you want to take more than your prescription. Antidepressants are meant to help get you to a point where you’re able to overcome depression in other ways. When you keep turning to the medication and abusing it, the substance abuse habit worsens.
It’s essential that you do not stop taking your antidepressants without consulting a doctor. If you stop taking antidepressants suddenly, you may be risking your life. Withdrawal symptoms may occur, and you may relapse into depression, which can lead to suicidal thoughts and actions. If you start taking the medications again later, it may take several weeks for your moods to balance out again. However, with the help of a doctor, you can safely ease off of the medications and stop antidepressant abuse.
Who Needs Help for Antidepressant Abuse?
The first step towards getting the proper type of mental health treatment is acknowledging that you have a problem. Additionally, the disease of substance abuse is extremely cunning. Being in denial about your abuse habit without knowing it can make it impossible to get the help you desperately need. For example, signs of abuse of antidepressant medications can include the following:
- Taking more than what’s prescribed
- Having symptoms of withdrawal
- Issues with family due to the medication
- Issues with work or school because of the medication
Getting Help for Antidepressant Abuse
The best thing you can do is go to a facility that specializes in dual diagnosis treatment. This is also known as having co-occurring disorders. This means you have a mental illness, like depression, as well as a substance abuse problem. Therefore, you need distinct forms of therapy. This is extremely important because if you only treat one of the issues, your chances of relapse are higher. For example, if your depression is treated, but not your substance abuse, you may begin to turn to other substances.
Rose Hill Center is a mental health facility that can help you learn a better way of living. We are here to help you learn how to overcome your depression without dependency on antidepressants. Our passionate staff will teach you the coping skills you need to live a successful life. Furthermore, some of the other services we offer include:
- Residential rehabilitation services
- Transitional living services
- Community support services
- Depression treatment
- Schizophrenia treatment
To learn more about how we can help, call us today at 866.367.0220 today.
