Can Seasonal Affective Disorder Lead To Substance Abuse

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a cyclic form of depression typically occurs in the winter months. People will feel sad, like a normal depression, but tend to experience lower sadness in the summer months than in the year’s autumn and spring months.

SAD can be debilitating, and, unfortunately, many people who suffer from it do not seek help. SAD is devastating, both mentally and physically, for those who seek to overcome substance abuse problems without appropriate treatment.

Symptoms of SADS are the same as any other type of depression, such as depression and anxiety, but more severe.

SAD is particularly dangerous for people suffering from drug and alcohol addiction, and self-medication can cause depression and addiction. SAD and start a cycle of depression, addiction, or both – self-medication and drugs or alcohol can cause the process to begin again.

SAD can often cause desperate, totalizing feelings of sadness and isolation, and sufferers can experience feelings of hopelessness, anxiety, panic attacks, and other symptoms of depression and anxiety.

If the person is already recovering, this can be a trigger for self-medication, and it feels as if it works. When alcohol or drugs leave the body, depression can return in the form of depression, anxiety, panic attacks, or anxiety.

Dual diagnosis can lead to a severely impaired quality of life and make effective treatment of addiction more difficult. If you suffer from depression, anxiety, panic attacks, or other seasonal affective disorder symptoms, do not forget the dual diagnoses.

When a person leaves rehab and returns to their former environment, they can become overwhelmed and panic. Duplicate diagnoses are far too common, and addicts are more likely to suffer from mood disorders than people with seasonal affective disorders.

Drug and alcohol abuse can increase in dual diagnoses, but the right prescriptions, drug education, and counseling are tailored to double diagnoses.