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For someone recovering from drug addiction, one of the biggest hurdles people face is deciding how to go about their recovery. Some opt to use methadone to help with the medication-assisted treatments, an opioid that doesn’t have the same long-term effects as its more addictive cousins. However, like other drugs in the same family, there is potential for side effects. When it comes to this method, people often ask — do methadone treatments cause depression?
How Methadone Treatments Work
One of the most common addiction treatments for people dealing with a substance abuse disorder is a medically-assisted detox; however, opioids present unique challenges. Flushing your system of the drug in question can lead to a devastating shock to your system and increasingly more serious withdrawal symptoms. Depending on the severity of the symptoms, people are more likely to relapse into their opioid addiction.
A methadone-centric treatment aims to help mitigate some of the more devastating withdrawal symptoms. This particular drug allows patients to be slowly weaned off their vice safely in place of trying to stop cold turkey. When done with the help of trained professionals, the process can prove effective and get the patient on the road to recovery from their opioid use disorder.
Is Depression a Potential Side Effect?
Utilizing these treatments for your ongoing recovery means understanding the potential side effects of methadone on your system. There are a variety of physical and mental side effects that someone can experience from opioid withdrawal, the severity of which can vary wildly from person to person. However, methadone by itself usually does not result in depression. There has to be an additional trigger that causes it.
Possible Causes of Depression While Undergoing Methadone Treatments
While taking methadone by itself may not cause depression, that does not mean that this mental illness cannot happen while you’re going through the process. Knowing the possible causes can help you receive the treatment and support you need while staying the course of your recovery. Here are some possible underlying reasons why you have depression while taking methadone.
Opioid Withdrawal
Even though methadone doesn’t carry many of the same addictive side effects as other opioids, the withdrawal can sometimes present similar symptoms. One of the most common conditions that can develop is depression. Going through withdrawal can make people long for the time when they are using and could ignore the negative feelings associated with depression. Depression and anxiety can be a sign of extended opioid withdrawal, and while methadone should help mitigate these mental health disorders, some symptoms may linger.
Co-Occurring Mental Health Disorders
When someone experiences a substance use disorder, it is rarely just the one condition they have to contend with. In many cases, opioid abuse can bring on co-occurring mental health disorders either due to the initial substance abuse or a potential cause. Some people suffering from mental health disorders may seek an escape from their mind’s constant state and resort to using opioids to avoid these feelings and achieve something similar to happiness. Additionally, depression can be caused by a person’s actions while suffering from addiction, when previous close relationships or financial hardships start weighing on their mind.
Addiction-Induced Lifestyle Changes
People suffering from opioid addiction often see their life circumstances change instantly. Drastic changes in their diet, sleep patterns, and more due to their addiction can cause feelings of anxiety and depression that can prove difficult to treat.
Trust Silver Pines Treatment Center With as Your Next Drug Treatment Center in Mahanoy City, PA
Whether you or a loved one need the right care and support through a
methadone treatment, you want to find an experienced team that has helped
countless patients through similar experiences. Silver Pines Treatment
Center has made it our mission to help our patients in their recovery. We
provide our patients with personalized treatment programs that help treat
underlying and co-occurring conditions like depression. Contact our team
today at 267.719.8689 to learn more about our
treatment programs and
admissions process
