As in any segment of society, depression is often found in the GBLT community. But often very little is known about the symptoms of depression and how it relates to alcohol and drug addiction. When people think of depression there are a range of emotions and behavioral patterns that come to mind — sadness, a change in sleep patterns, an increase or decrease in appetite, loss of energy, poor concentration, low self-esteem, delusions, addictive behavior, suicidal thoughts and hopelessness. All these are symptoms of depression. Major depression as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition (DSM III) involves a minimum two-week period with any of the above symptoms.

With depression, outside sources should be utilized for diagnosing individuals, such as a psychiatrist or psychologist, who can diagnose depression using a clinical approach. The potential for people experiencing depression to try and reach out for something to help alleviate their mood is high. Several studies suggest that people with depression often subconsciously or consciously reach out for food or substances to alter their emotional state.

Of course, who hasn’t felt signs of depression or who hasn’t gone on an all-night bender due to a sad event, such as a break-up with a loved one? But how do you know if you’re really depressed or just experiencing a natural low? How can you tell whether or not you’re depressed? Are the feelings occurring over a two-week period and has your occasional use of drugs or alcohol increased in quantity or strength? If so, it is highly recommended that you seek help. Several resources available include a licensed therapist, a harm reduction specialist, a case manager, psychiatrist, psychologist, a 12-step program (such as AA or NA) and/or an alcohol and drug treatment center.

Though the stigma of depression caused by societal pressure is not as common as it once was in the GLBT community, determining whether your alcohol or drug use has become a problem remains a challenge. For many, it is not often clear that their ongoing depression is a result of alcohol and/or drug use. The stages of alcohol and drug addiction are misuse, abuse, and, finally, dependency/addiction. Since denial is a large part of the problem for people seeking assistance for substance abuse, they more often will say they are depressed or have symptoms of depression without making a connection to their use. Self-honesty is an important part of identifying that you have a problem. If you can identify how the use of a substance(s) correlates to your inability to cope with feelings, then you may be able to recognize a problem with your substance use.

So when should you seek help? When you realize that the behavior you are repeating does not work — and that you are not obtaining the desired result from your use — you are ready to seek assistance. For those that are aware a problem exists in their life and are open to some suggestions, a referral to a harm reduction program or psychologist is available.

The most important aspect to remember is that denial is the number one reason people do not recognize depression and substance use and abuse. Often family, extended family and friends joke, reflect on, or confront people in stages of depression and substance use, though it often doesn’t raise awareness in the individual in question. Or often people come to their aide to assist them in the hope that they can help them out of their situation. As many of us who have tried to help others often learn, it can often seem like an endless cycle of extending the olive branch, with the person not improving at all. There are many people in the GBLT community who have met at least one, if not countless, people who have tried and not been able to help someone dealing with depression or substance abuse.

However, it is just this sense of hopelessness on the part of the individual and their peers that can begin a path towards seeking outside help. It is important to know that any step towards dealing with depression and alcohol or drug use is a positive move, though it can be a journey that takes time, with many initial set-backs and reversals that can prove frustrating. But, as many members of our community have learned, if you are persistent in seeking assistance and moving in the right direction, results can be achieved.