Depression and substance use disorder often appear together for a variety of reasons. Their coexistence can lead to more severe consequences, as each condition may exacerbate the other, making recovery more challenging.
Fortunately, there are resources available to help escape this cycle, halt self-medication, and embrace a hopeful and joyful life.
Anhedonia: The Emptiness Of Addiction
When a person excessively consumes alcohol or misuses prescription medications or illicit drugs, it creates an unnatural high, artificially altering brain function.
Different drugs affect the body in unique ways; for instance, central nervous system depressants (such as alcohol and benzodiazepines) reduce brain and body activity, while stimulants (like amphetamines and cocaine) increase it. Regardless of the substance, these drugs trigger the release of dopamine, conditioning the brain to increasingly crave them. As one author noted, a person’s relationship with a drug can evolve from merely ‘liking’ it to ‘wanting’ it, eventually reaching a point of ‘needing’ it. Moreover, physical dependence alters the body’s chemistry over time, leading to a growing reliance on these substances.
Everyday joys cannot match the excitement of a chemical high. As dependence on substances grows, the impact of these substances diminishes, prompting individuals to seek stronger compounds, mix various drugs, or drink more frequently, even in hazardous situations.
This path is destructive and ultimately unfulfilling. The temporary pleasures from substance use come at a cost, leading to long-term damage to one’s physical health, mental state, relationships, finances, and passion for life. Over time, the brain’s capacity for pleasure diminishes as it becomes less responsive to dopamine and other feel-good chemicals, resulting in a state known as anhedonia (which means “no pleasure” in Latin). This condition robs individuals of enjoyment from simple, everyday activities like spending time with family or sharing a meal.
Other Substance Abuse-Depression Links
Experiencing anhedonia and depression due to substance abuse is more common than many realize, with even moderate alcohol use being capable of triggering persistent depressive symptoms. Several other factors can connect these intertwined disorders, such as the following.
Common Risk Factors
Depression, alongside other mental health issues, and substance use disorder are believed to share various underlying risk factors. Some of these are biological, while others relate to an individual’s upbringing and environment.
These risk factors include:
- Genetic predispositions (as substance abuse and mental health conditions often run in families)
- Characteristics of brain structure and personality
- A history of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs, like neglect, violence, abuse, or the loss of a parent)
- Lack of treatment for childhood mental health problems, including ADHD, anxiety, or attachment issues
- Living in unsafe or impoverished conditions
- Experiencing a recent traumatic event (such as accidents, medical diagnoses, job loss, divorce, or bereavement)
While none of these factors guarantee the onset of either a substance use disorder or lasting depressive symptoms, they do heighten the likelihood of experiencing one or both conditions, especially during times of high stress.
Self-Medication
Self-medication refers to the practice of using substances to handle difficulties like depression, stress, anxiety, trauma, or physical discomfort.
However, this only offers temporary relief and does nothing to address the underlying feelings or situations being avoided. There are significant risks involved as well. What may begin as a casual drink or two after work to unwind can rapidly evolve into dependence, affecting behavior and altering brain function and chemistry.
This process can create new problems and sources of stress, leading to more avoidance and worsening long-term consequences, as substance use escalates while depression remains unaddressed.
Loneliness
As social beings, humans require connections with peers and family for mental, emotional, and physical health. Unfortunately, depression, addiction, and loneliness often influence one another. The deterioration of any one of these aspects can increase the likelihood of experiencing the others.
Consider the following:
- Depression can drain a person’s motivation to engage socially or be emotionally present when they do interact.
- Addiction often leads to isolation, as individuals focus inward, distancing themselves from those who disapprove of their substance use.
- This isolation and loneliness can heighten feelings of depression, disconnection, and decreased self-worth, making it more likely for someone to experience depression or turn to substances for relief.
Despite the rise of digital connections in today’s world, true personal relationships are fraying. Reports from the U.S. Surgeon General indicate that fewer than 40% of American adults feel deeply connected to others, contributing to an increase in rates of hospitalization, dementia, high blood pressure, chronic pain, and premature death.