Depression is commonly defined as a feeling or an emotion. While people who are depressed might still be able to walk, talk, drive a car or otherwise behave like a rational, functioning adult, deep down inside, people with depression might feel as though life isn’t really worth living. This emotion is often driven by a chemical imbalance inside the brain, and sometimes, that imbalance is caused through habitual use of addictive drugs. Prozac may be a helpful addition to a treatment program for addiction, as this medication can ameliorate some common chemical abnormalities that can lead to feelings of hopelessness and loss.

Chemical Changes

Addictive drugs bring about changes in sensation through changing the chemical makeup of cells inside the brain. Some addictive drugs boost the production of so-called “feel-good” chemicals like serotonin and dopamine. Other addictive drugs tinker with the uptake or recycling of these chemicals, meaning that a small amount of a signal is amplified and augmented, so it resonates for a much longer period of time. The brain, in response, amends its own responses by turning off receptors for pleasure signals or refusing to produce pleasure signals without the input of drugs. A brain modified like this simply cannot feel pleasure without drugs.

Sometimes, therapy can help people to overcome their feelings of grief and loss, but sometimes, the sensations are so profound that people simply can’t seem to find a way out and they sink lower and lower into despair. For example, a study in the Journal of Addictive Diseases found that people on methadone therapy for an opiate addiction had high levels of depression, and those scores persisted unless people had treatment with an antidepressant. Even though these people were getting help for addiction, their depression was still in place, unless they had antidepressant treatment.

Relieving Distress

A study in the journal Psychopharmacology suggests that antidepressants like Prozac aren’t addictive, in that they don’t cause compulsive use in people who take them, but they can cause a physical dependence. In other words, while people who take Prozac in rehab aren’t likely to start abusing Prozac, they might feel unwell when they don’t take the drug. Some people may avoid the medication because of this issue, but others are aware of the problem and consider it a small price to pay to leave misery behind.

A Prozac dose might start quite small, and the drug might take weeks to take effect. This can be troubling for people who have a history of drug addiction and who therefore believe that popping a pill should make all misery cease, but it’s important for people to take the drug exactly as it’s prescribed and allow it to function as it should. In time, the drug may begin to correct the chronic imbalances that cause depression, and once the right dose is found and the drug has taken hold, the person might feel the clouds of depression begin to part. The person might be able to participate more fully in rehab at this point, since depression is no longer blocking the person’s ability to plan, share and discuss. In a way, Prozac could make a recovery possible, as it could help the person feel engaged, hopeful and willing to recover.

Prozac alone can’t be considered a cure for addiction, however, as it doesn’t help people to understand why they’re taking drugs and what they’ll need to do in order to stop taking drugs in the future. Only therapy can bring that about. But, as mentioned, Prozac can help some people to participate in therapy, so for some people, Prozac is a vital part of the healing process.

Making a Decision

Prozac is typically provided to people who have an underlying depression that was in place before the substance abuse began, and it’s often offered to people who have used drugs and developed depression symptoms when those drugs were removed. However, people who are in treatment are often allowed to make their own decisions about the therapies they want and the therapies they’d like to avoid. Customization is key to successful addiction care, and some people simply don’t want to take medications as they work toward sobriety. Those who don’t want to take Prozac can discuss the issue with their therapists, and they may utilize other depression therapies instead of medications.

At Axis, we believe in providing our clients with choices in their care, and as a result, we don’t force our clients to utilize Prozac if they’d rather not do so. But we do find that some clients need this medication, and we develop personalized treatment programs that can help them use the medication properly. If you’d like to find out more about this, please call us.