Dual Diagnosis: Depression, Anxiety, and Addiction in Los Angeles Therapy
If you’re in the Los Angeles area and struggling with depression or anxiety alongside addiction, know that you’re not alone.
A growing body of research shows that depression, anxiety, and addiction often occur together. Luckily, they can also be treated effectively through an integrated, dual-diagnosis approach.
Addiction can include any compulsive behavior. Alcoholism, drug addiction, over-spending, gambling, and eating disorders can all be categorized as addictions.
A dual-diagnosis treatment means that therapy sessions will look at your mental health symptoms and addictive behaviors at the same time. In this way, you can build skills for emotional regulation, self-care, and relapse prevention.
Why is it Important to Recognize Depression & Anxiety in Addiction Treatment?
Studies suggest that up to half of people with a substance-use disorder have a co-existing condition such as depression or anxiety.
The trouble with just treating addiction is that many people turn to alcohol, drugs, or other harmful behaviors in order to cope with feelings of intensive emotions. It’s common to feel triggered by intrusive thoughts, fears, or sadness. Research shows that if mental health concerns are treated separate from addiction, relapse rates are higher than if they were treated together.
Short term, substances can feel like a relief. But overtime the symptoms of depression and anxiety can worsen and deepen the cycles of addictive behavior (Sanford Health).
As a Los Angeles based therapist with a focus on addiction, I can help you to see these patterns clearly and provide grounded alternatives for coping.
What does Anxiety or Depression Look Like When Paired with Addiction?
While depression and anxiety look different for everyone, therapy can help you get unstuck so that you can finally find true enjoyment in your life.
Here are some common ways that depression and anxiety may show up when addiction is also present:
Coping Mechanism: The addictive behavior is turned to when dealing with sadness, anxiety, loneliness, or panic.
Lack of Improvement: Typically, after the addictive behavior, you feel worse. Reducing the addictive behavior may not clear up the anxiety or depressive symptoms.
Relapse Under Stress: While you might have tried to quit and even had extended success, relapse can occur when under stress.
Isolation: You may spend more time alone in order to appear “okay,” and don’t want others to know what you’re going through.
Solution-Oriented Goals
Solution-oriented goals help you improve the overall quality of your life.
It’s important for clients to learn healthier coping mechanisms that work for them, and to learn how to tolerate discomfort without numbing or escaping.
Relapse-prevention strategies can be more effective when tailored to your specific triggers, lifestyle, and support systems. Moreover, somatic therapies like EMDR and Brainspotting can help resolve trauma so your nervous system is more regulated.
Get Started with Addiction Treatment
In my practice, I use trauma-informed methods to support people who are suffering from anxiety or depression and addiction. With over 25 years of experience, clients come to me for my comprehensive and integrative methods.
When we work together, I’ll help you to move forward in life so that you’re no longer held back by addiction, depression, or anxiety.
If you’re in California and reading this because you’ve felt stuck between depression, anxiety, and addictive patterns, you don’t have to suffer alone. Integrated therapy can make a real difference.
Click here to schedule a free 15-minute consultation with me, and take the first step towards lasting positive change.
Further Resources About Addiction Therapy
Can Therapy Help Me Overcome Addiction?
