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.