Brehs who been addicted to drugs, or know addicts... Is addiction usually a product of depression?

[Prince Cairo]

I was having this conversation with my homie the other night and the point at issue was whether the average drug addict falls into that cycle because they were already depressed or is it usually some other, external factor that brings them into that world, and then the depression kicks in. Better yet, exactly how correlated are addiction and depression? Are depressed people more likely to gravitate toward some substances than others?

(we're not talking about some no tooth having, blotchy skin ass meth head. But someone who has a psychological or even physical need to use, yet keeps their life together for the most part. Some call them "high functioning" alcoholics/ drug users)

 

[FlyGuy]

I don't know what starts is (the drug abuse, or the depression) but once they hook up, they're married for life

 

[Unknown Poster]

yes.

 

[Prince Cairo]

I don't know what starts is (the drug abuse, or the depression) but once they hook up, they're married for life

Do you think people with depression have a tendency to use other drugs more than others?

 

[FlyGuy]

Do you think people with depression have a tendency to use other drugs more than others?

None of the drug users I've ever associated with were 'openly' depressed, but the signs were there. I personally have had no qualms with experimenting as far as drug use goes. Only thing I don't do is needles. It's pretty known in my circle that I'm the sad guy. Everyone else does it under the guise of living fast, but it's all the same.

 

[NotAnFBIagent]

As someone who has used alcohol and drugs to help cope with depression and having been around addicts I can tell u they often go hand in hand
When u feel like shyt constantly u look for anything to ease the pain and self medicating with drugs and alcohol is often a common answer

 

[Amestafuu (Emeritus)]

Do you think people with depression have a tendency to use other drugs more than others?

No just abuse more than doing it casually

However alot of people develop depression due to drug use. They however are not willing to admit that the depression is self inflicted

 

[SheWantTheD]

Yeah, I think it has to deal with depression and escaping life for the time being and all the problems that come with it.

 

[Sterling Archer]

Drug Counselor here. Depression is not a requisite of addiction however depression makes a drug user significantly more susceptible to addiction.

 

[Prince Cairo]

Drug Counselor here. Depression is not a requisite of addiction however depression makes a drug user significantly more susceptible to addiction.

I see. This makes sense

 

[The Coochie Assassin]

It's definitely a mental problem obviously. Wanting an escape from stress, poverty, unhappiness, loneliness, low self worth, etc.

 

[Poitier]

Depends, many times it starts out as purely hedonistic. Depression and escapism is only a small part of it.

 

[010101]

yup*

 

[MF budz]

Experimenting, no. But if you are actually addicted i think you were trying to escape reality. Obviously there is outliers to every situation. Addiction is crazy. Ive never been addicted but i was heavily dependant on weed my late teens and early to mid 20s. I realized for me it was holding me back in a lot of ways from what i wanted to accomplish and to also escape from real world conflicts and my anxiety. I just do it when i feel like it now as opposed to 20 dabs and some blunts a day. Ill take a vicodin every now and then too just because i like the feeling. I actually have a friend who is addicted to opiates and the shyt is sad brehs.

 

[Prince Cairo]

Where's the line at which someone goes from dependency to addiction?