Joining the recovery family offers you a fresh start at life. Recovery can give you so many wonderful gifts. Recovery gives you a chance to mend ties with family, self, employers, and friends. Even though recovery offers you a chance at a new beginning, recovery does not make you exempt from life. Life still happens to every human walking this planet.

Perhaps you have been diagnosed with depression already, and aren’t sure what steps to take next. You may even feel depressed and have not been formally diagnosed with depression. As alcohol and drugs leave your system, other issues can become more pronounced. Substance use is a coping skill and can be a way to self medicate depressive symptoms.

Symptoms of depression include:

Sleeping more or less than usual
Increased or decreased appetite
Sadness
Thoughts of suicide
Rumination – re-playing self defeating thoughts
Body aches
Loss of motivation
Concentration problems
Loss of interest in once enjoyed activities
Excessive crying
Early rising
Fatigue
Apathy
Using drugs and alcohol as a way to cope
Anhedonia- the inability to feel pleasure.

Coping with depression does not make you weak. Depression doesn’t mean that you’re doing recovery wrong. Recovery doesn’t make you exempt from life and its challenges. You can still enjoy your new sober life if you are coping with depression.

Talking with a professional through therapy is a productive way to learn how to effectively handle a depressive disorder. Through therapy, you learn coping skills and are able to process past traumas. There are also medication interventions called antidepressants that replace brain chemicals that contribute to depression. Taking prescribed medications to improve mental wellness does not negatively affect your recovery. In fact, properly treating depression greatly improves your chance for long term recovery.

Statistics state that about 16 million US adults have had at least one depressive episode in their life. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 350 million people worldwide are impacted by a depression diagnosis. Depression is treatable. You can still have a fulfilled and sober life, while also coping with depression. As long as you seek treatment, you can get better. You are not a diagnosis.

At The Kimberly Center, we care about your recovery. Recovery is more than alcohol and drugs. Recovery is about improving your physical and emotional well being. Call us now at 855-4-KCENTER to learn more about how treatment can help you today.