Compass Recovery urges dual treatment for depression and addiction

During Depression Awareness Month, Compass Recovery is telling Orange County residents to look at depression and substance use together, not as separate problems. The Cypress treatment center says integrated care can better address co-occurring conditions and urges people to seek help before the holidays intensify warning signs.

Why it matters: - Depression and substance use often overlap, and treating only one can leave the other driving relapse or worsening symptoms. - Compass Recovery says integrated care can improve outcomes for people dealing with co-occurring mood and substance use disorders. - The timing matters because the months before the holidays can make changes in behavior more visible to families.

What happened: - Compass Recovery marked Depression Awareness Month by encouraging Orange County residents to consider whether depression and addiction are feeding each other. - The Cypress addiction treatment center said it provides depression and addiction treatment through integrated care. - The center urged people who notice warning signs to speak with a licensed professional. - Dr. Joseph Banner, Clinical Director of Compass Recovery, said treating only addiction or only depression often leaves half the problem in place. - Rodger Shelton, President of Compass Recovery, said the weeks before the holidays are often when a problem comes into focus.

The details: - A 2019 review from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found depressive disorders are the most common psychiatric disorders among people with alcohol use disorder. - Having both conditions is linked to greater severity and a worse prognosis than either one alone. - Low mood can lead someone to drink or use substances to cope, and substance use can deepen low mood. - Warning signs can include persistent sadness or hopelessness, losing interest in usual activities, changes in sleep, pulling away from family, and using alcohol or drugs more often to cope. - Compass Recovery offers medical detox, residential treatment, medication-assisted treatment, and dual diagnosis care for co-occurring conditions. - The center also provides cognitive behavioral therapy, EMDR, dialectical behavior therapy, individual therapy, group therapy, and family therapy. - Compass Recovery works with Aetna, Blue Shield of California, Cigna, and TriWest, and self-pay options are available. - The center offers a free, confidential Dual Diagnosis Assessment as a starting point, not a diagnosis. - Immediate help is available at (949) 444-9047 or at the company website. - Anyone in immediate danger should call 911, and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available by call or text at 988.

Between the lines: - Compass Recovery is framing depression and addiction as a single clinical cycle, which reflects a dual-diagnosis approach common in addiction treatment. - The message is also aimed at families, since symptoms may become more noticeable as holiday stress builds. - The emphasis on early outreach suggests the center wants people to seek help before substance use or depression worsens.

What's next: - Compass Recovery is encouraging people who see these patterns to use the free assessment and contact the center for help. - The center says people should reach out now, before the holiday season is in full swing, if warning signs are appearing. - Compass Recovery continues to serve adults throughout Orange County and Southern California with medical detox, residential treatment, dual diagnosis care, medication-assisted treatment, intervention services, and its Purpose Discovery Program. - The center is based in Cypress at 9431 & 9432 Alderbury St., Cypress, CA 90630, and is Joint Commission-accredited and licensed by the California Department of Health Care Services, License No. 300331CP.