Depression and Addiction: Two New Ways to Be a Hollywood Star

When you pick up a magazine or tabloid today, it is almost natural to find some news or bits about a celebrity who’s off to rehab for some type of addiction or an article describing a young starlet’s struggle with addiction. Stories of has-beens who start drunken brawls or of icons who overdosed on drugs are just common fodder for today’s rumor and gossip mills.

Don’t want to be part of Hollywood’s crowd anymore? Do not think that you are safe from depression and addiction. Even a commoner like you can suffer from these two if you do not take care. It does not matter whether you are popular or not; whether you party hard or are in bed by 9 o’clock. The most ordinary things in your medicine cabinet are enough to make you suffer from these two conditions, especially your antidepressant pills.

Depression and Addiction: Partners in Crime?

Addiction and depression often go hand in hand. Rare is the case that a person is diagnosed with just one condition. While addiction is often seen as the result of taking antidepressants which are notorious for being habit-forming, the situation can also be reversed. Depression can also result from a person’s feeling of helplessness in being unable to control his addiction.

Depressed people often withdraw from social contacts and may even have trouble holding jobs. They may find themselves spending more time alone, without a supportive social network, and turning to drugs for comfort. It may even be easier to spend time with others who abuse drugs, instead of pursuing healthier relationships, because social expectations may be lower.

Fluoxetine, perhaps the most popular drug prescribed for depression can result to addiction if used improperly. One of the most common scenarios is a patient who had developed such tolerance for the drug that it has ceased to produce the same effects. He then strives to increase the intensity of the effects by increasing fluoxetine doses.

Similarly, a substance abuser who developed depression as an offshoot of his addiction may be prescribed to use antidepressants. Alcohol and other substances can interfere with the treatment and even intensify a person’s depression and addiction.

When a person is diagnosed with both disorders, the case is usually referred to as a case of dual diagnosis.

Is There Hope?

None seems to be the answer when you take the behavior of some of the most popular figures of young Hollywood today. Going in and out of rehab seems to be the fashion with these celebrities with no significant changes in their manner or behavior. Where does this leave you, the average person on the street who sincerely wants treatment?

The answer is in seeking treatment for both conditions at the same time. You go to rehab for addiction treatment while undergoing therapy for depression. Ultimately, you must also understand the root of these conditions to fully benefit from the dual treatment.

The combination of addiction and depression can make it harder to recover. When a person feels sad, hopeless, or exhausted, battling an addiction is a special challenge that may be difficult to face. But, knowing about the link between addiction and depression, being aware that dual diagnosis is possible, and seeking treatment to address both issues can help make recovery possible.

However, if you want to skip the whole brouhaha and be saved from being like today’s Hollywood crop, be sure to use your medications according to your doctor’s prescriptions. Doing something as simple as this can save you a lot of trouble.