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I'm addicted to coke and alcohol with a history of major depression. How do I get clean without getting depressed?

answered 07:51 AM EST, Wed March 06, 2013

anonymous

I have had 2 major depressive episodes in my life. I am currently very addicted to alcohol and to cocaine. I was not very depressed but I always have anxiety and some other issues that I think I self medicated with drugs and alcohol. I think that now the drugs and drinking are just making me feel worse which is why I want to stop. I want to stop but honestly what keeps me going is the fear that coke withdrawals are going to push me back into another major depression. What’s the best way to stop using cocaine for a person with my psychiatric history to minimize the chances of a depression relapse?

William Anderson Says...

W. Anderson

MA, LMHC

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Go to a treatment facility that treats both addiction and mental illnesses. Talk with a counselor there about your problem. You can decide to get into an inpatient program or an outpatient program. They have psychiatric care as well as addiction treatment, and they will help with your addictions as well as your depression and treat you medically as you detox.

Don't be afraid of the coke withdrawal. You know things have been getting worse the way you are, and they will continue to get worse unless you get clean and sober. Be afraid of getting worse if you don't get clean and sober.

Get going on this now. The sooner you sit down with a counselor at one of these places, the sooner your life will get better.

I'm addicted to coke and alcohol with a history of major depression. How do I get clean without getting depressed?

William Anderson Says...

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