Addiction and Depression

When a person has an addiction plus depression, doctors say they have a "dual diagnosis." The term is a reminder for physicians, nurses, and other medical professionals that this patient has extra challenges on the road to recovery. Symptoms of addiction and depression can be very similar. When depression is directly connected to the drug or alcohol abuse, and isn't present independently, it's considered a consequence of the addiction.

The combination of addiction and depression can make it harder to recover. When a person feels sad, hopeless, or exhausted, battling an addiction is a special challenge that may be difficult to face. But knowing about the link between addiction and depression, and seeking treatment to address both issues, can help make recovery possible.

Often, some people who are several weeks, if not months, into their recovery, still exhibit symptoms of sadness, hopelessness, and exhaustion. This might not be due to “not working” the recovery program hard enough or not having “faith” in a higher power, but, rather, to the presence of depression and the need for special treatment. For more information contact your state’s Mental Health Association.

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The U.S. Employment Situation: June 2009

Non-farm payroll employment continued to decline in June (-467,000). The unemployment rate was 9.5 percent and the number of unemployed persons 14.7 million, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor. Job losses were widespread across the major industry sectors, with large declines occurring in manufacturing, professional and business services, and construction. Since the start of the recession in December 2007, the number of unemployed persons has increased by 7.2 million, and the unemployment rate has risen by 4.6 percentage points.

In June, unemployment rates for the major worker groups--adult men (10.0 percent), adult women (7.6 percent), teenagers (24.0 percent), whites (8.7 percent), blacks (14.7 percent), and Hispanics (12.2 percent)--showed little change. The unemployment rate for Asians was 8.2 percent, not seasonally adjusted. Among the unemployed, the number of job losers and persons who completed temporary jobs (9.6 million) was little changed in June after increasing by an average of 615,000 per month during the first 5 months of this year.

The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) increased by 433,000 over the month to 4.4 million. In June, 3 in 10 unemployed persons were jobless for 27 weeks or more.

Best of luck in your job or career search!