Depression is a mental illness that affects millions of people around the world, and many people don’t understand it. One of the reasons so many people live with depression for so long is because they don’t know the symptoms. Depression doesn’t always mean that you’re having major issues, and it can affect your life in subtle ways. This is one of the reasons why National Depression Screening Day 2018 is available to help those who may be struggling.
Awareness and National Depression Screening Day 2018
National Depression Screening Day 2018 is more than helping people find out if they have symptoms of depression. A major part of this day is also about increasing awareness because many friends and family don’t understand depression. Depression is a mental illness that can sometimes be difficult to notice in those around you. Some of the most common signs that someone is struggling with depression include the following:
- Not finding joy in activities
- Isolation
- Negative thinking
- Hopelessness
- Weight loss or weight gain
It’s difficult for loved ones to know if someone needs the help of depression treatment if they don’t know what to look for. A common mistake that parents make is thinking that their child’s behaviors are normal for their age. While growing up can be difficult, and many different changes happen, there’s also the possibility of depression. On National Depression Screening Day, more people begin to educate themselves about this serious mental illness.
National Depression Screening Day 2018 and Substance Abuse
Many people don’t realize it, but depression is one of the main reasons as to why people turn to substances in the first place. Most people abuse alcohol or drugs to either get a feeling, get rid of a feeling or have an escape. It’s very common for people with depression to feel no emotions or joy at all, so they try to self-medicate with drugs or alcohol. Unfortunately, the repetition of this behavior can lead to an addiction, which is then a dual diagnosis issue.
Having these co-occurring disorders of addiction and depression can also lead to even worse depression in a person. National Depression Screening Day also helps educate people about how the abuse of substances can make depression work. Through the abuse of drugs or alcohol, the brain begins to change and not create the proper neurotransmitters. There are also cases in which a person’s primary source of depression is his or her substance abuse problem.
Supporting National Depression Screening Day
Zelus Recovery offers substance abuse programs for young adults and adolescents, and we’re honored to support National Depression Screening Day 2018. We specialize in helping people who struggle with an addiction as well as various symptoms of mental illness. Our goal is to help young people take back control of their lives and become the person they want to be. Some of the therapies we offer here include the following:
- Family therapy
- Group therapy
- Psychotherapy
If you or a loved one is struggling with depression and addiction, call Zelus Recovery today at 208.518.0797.
