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Lortabs and Depression?

My boyfriend has fallen into a major depression over the past few months.  Many things contribute to it, but he is also taking lortabs almost every day (unless he can't get his hands on them).  He has been taking the lortabs for a long time (before he was depressed).  He has no insurance (he's obtaining the pills illegally), so there is no doctor to help him out.  So what am I asking for here?  Any advice I guess.  But I would also like to know if there have been any studies done linking lortab use to depression.  Sure, when you are on them you feel great, and if you don't have them you feel considerably less than great.  But would long term usage of them actually lead to depression?  
I am actually in the process of working towards my PhD in (hopefully) behavioral neuroscience.  So I am highly interested in any info regarding the neurological aspects of lortabs (especially the ones similar to depression).  
Any help, pointers, advice, or other helpful websites to look at would be much appreciated.
Thanks.
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Avatar universal
Now my problem is that he does not agree at all with me when I told him the excessive unmonitored lortab use may be causing his depression.

I'm trying to find some empirical evidence relating to it, but unfortunatly I can't afford to pay $30 per article.  I would like to know why primary source documents are not available to be used in cases like this.
It is rather unjust if you ask me.

So if anyone knows of links to sites with free access articles on this topic, please let me know.
Or if anyone has any other suggestions of how I could convince him he needs to get off the drugs it would be well appreciated.
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Avatar universal
Yes depression and long term opiate use go hand in hand. At first it seems better but then goes down. Many opiate addicts need antidepressants once they come off. Your boyfriend's depression may be only the result of opiates due to the effects it has on his brain.
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