This is a vicious cycle that needs more than a single sentence for its causes to be answered. It’s the craving all right; while the causes behind physical cravings are easy to understand, psychological craving may have the roots of the causes spread beyond the feel-good myth. Recent works on patients of depression have thrown some important light.
Depression roots upon the deficiency of certain chemicals in the brain, which can be triggered either by specific life events or by chemicals. Substance abuse aside, depression gives rise to destructive behaviors like drinking, overeating and overspending. It’s the adrenalin rush that wards off the depression temporarily, spanning over a few hours to few days. Those who choose drugs (or alcohol) need using it in order to feel normal. These substances imitate the neuro-chemicals to lift the spirits. Those who lose their sleep because of depression, use the drugs as an easy way to sleep. But the paradox is, often these chemicals make a person oversleep and enter a depressive state far worse than what was experienced initially.
Most of the rehabs fall short when it comes to diagnose a patient psychologically; thus, they cannot eliminate the chances for a relapse completely. Treating the physical manifestations of depression alone is not enough; the problem might just get worse. Anti-depressives or anti-anxiety medications that support maintaining the chemical balance are just the replacements for the drugs; it is always suggested that coordinating and managing a depressed individual should start alongside. An addict must be brought back to the daily routine he was used to after the first few days of regular medication; by tapering the dosages (lowering the medicine and increasing the tasks) over a specific time has been found to give spectacular results.
