Mental Health Archives - Page 14 of 15

Nama’stick To Yoga Because It Helps With Depression

Written by enlightened solutions on April 14, 2017. Posted in Addiction, Healthy Living, Mental Health, Recovery. Leave a Comment

According to Bustle, Boston University recently released information from their study on the efficacy of yoga in treating depression. Published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, the study followed thirty people of varying ages who were clinically depressed. Within the group, the participants were either medication-free or had been consistently taking medication for three full months or more.

One half of the participants were instructed to take a ninety minute yoga class in addition to four yoga sessions of thirty minutes on their own at home. In the other half of the group, participants took two yoga classes and three sessions at home each week.

The study lasted for three months. At the end of the three months, researchers evaluated the participants’ depression with the use of clinical depression questionnaires. For the half of the participants who had more yoga in their schedule- two group classes a week and three at home yoga sessions a week- there was a better improvement in score. Overall, the majority of participants in either grow saw a 50% more positive increase on their scores regarding their depression.

Yoga has been found to be helpful in alleviating the symptoms of many mental health conditions including anxiety, addiction, alcoholism, and post traumatic stress disorder. Skeptics of holistic healing arts and their effectiveness in treating mental health disorders have combatted years of research proving that yoga is helpful. This new study from Boston University shows that yoga is undeniably effective in alleviating symptoms of depression. A fifty percent increase is an astonishing and impressive advancement for those struggling with clinical depression.

Practicing yoga today is easier than ever. Many apps exist which can be downloaded to smart technological devices, full of yoga sequences and classes. Yoga instructions can be found online through streaming video services like YouTube. Yoga studios are plentiful and most major commercial gyms offer numerous yoga classes throughout the day.

For treatment of addiction, alcoholism, and co-occurring mental health conditions, yoga is becoming a primary practice. Regular practice of yoga helps increase blood circulation, improves heart health, reduces inflammation, and improves mood. Those who practice yoga find that they feel a greater sense of wellbeing, universality, and connectivity to the world around them.

Yoga is often a life-transforming practice. Recovery is about healing and transformation. Are you ready to make a change in your life? Enlightened Solutions is an integrative and holistic treatment program which draws on clinical and evidence based practices. For information on our treatment programs for men and women, call us today at 833-801-5483.

A parent finds out how to How to help a loved one with addiction.

A Balanced Diet Is A Balanced Life

Written by enlightened solutions on April 4, 2017. Posted in Healthy Living, Mental Health, Recovery. Leave a Comment

According to a UK mental health website, “Nearly two thirds of those who do not report daily mental health problems eat fresh fruit or fruit juice every day, compared with less than half of those who do report daily mental health problems. This pattern is similar for fresh vegetables and salad.” Those who experience adverse mental health issues on a daily basis are eating unhealthy foods high in saturated fats, unhealthy oils, and tons of sugar.

The brain, the body, and even the soul run on food. If you don’t believe the soul enjoys food, pay attention the next time you feel as though you’ve walked through cloud nine after eating a favorite comfort food. Food is a sensual experience which integrates all the senses and perspectives. You think food, you feel food, you experience food, you remember food. You also completely rely upon food. Food is more than calories, flavors, and recipes. Food is the fuel to the body’s engine. Without food, the body will not survive. What we give our bodies in food is what we have to work with, to live off of, and use to grow. Would you water a plant with a sugary, carbonated soda? Feed your garden potato chips and chocolate cookies? What we grow is food, and food nourishes us. Yet, we wouldn’t feed what feeds us what we often feed ourselves!

It is because of this imbalance that the brain often suffers. Essential nutrients like omega acids, amino acids, and fatty acids only come from food. The brain needs healthy oils, fats, and acids to recover and function at its highest capacity. When our diets are full of unhealthy foods, our brain is not capable at doing its best, which translates through us in many different ways.

Ongoing evidence shows that a healthy diet is critical for long term recovery. Depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and other co-occurring mental health conditions can be supplemented with specific diets. For example, avocado, eggs, and whole grains give depression the fats and oils needed to balance mood and regulate emotions. High amounts of protein help sustain ADHD and create more focus. Addiction needs a full spectrum of fruits, vegetables, proteins, and complex carbohydrates to replenish malnourished bodies. Chemical dependency tends to set priorities on the consumption of drugs and alcohol rather than fruits and vegetables.

Food is healing. Learning how to heal the mind, body, and spirit with food is a lifetime tool for recovery. Enlightened Solutions emphasizes the importance of personal nutrition and healthy living through organic meals, cooking classes, and experiential learning with budgeting, grocery shopping, and more. For more information on our treatment programs for addiction, alcoholism, and co-occurring mental health disorders, call 833-801-5483.

The 4 Common Types Of Depression

Written by enlightened solutions on February 28, 2017. Posted in Addiction, Drugs & Alcohol, Mental Health. Leave a Comment

Depression is a globally experienced mental health disorder on every level. Coping with depression which goes undiagnosed or untreated can result in substance abuse or other harmful behaviors. If you are living with depression there is hope.

Major Depression

Major depression is the most common diagnosed form of depression. Also called chronic depression or clinical depression, it is the stereotypical type of depression which is ongoing. Major depression is characterized by feeling as though one is being swallowed by darkness. Feelings of being numb, emotionless, and uninspired are common. Other symptoms can include:

Weight gain
Loss of energy
Loss of interest in hobbies and passions
Fatigue
Suicidal Ideation

Treatment for major depression can include antidepressant medication therapy and traditional psychotherapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy has been proven to be helpful for treating depression. Often, a change in diet, exercise, and wellness can reduce symptoms of depression.

Persistent Depressive Disorder

Though persistent depressive disorder is as ongoing as major depressive disorder it is not the same in terms of severity. Symptoms of depression can last for two years of more but never reach the all-encompassing darkness that major depression can. People living with persistent depressive disorder are usually highly functioning, simply carrying the burden of depressing thoughts of feelings. Symptoms can still include:

Changes in appetite
Changes in energy
Problems with self-esteem
Feelings of hopelessness and helplessness

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder and depression are separate, yet connected. Formerly called “manic depressive” disorder, bipolar disorder includes bouts of mania and depression. After a manic episode, people with bipolar tend to come “crashing” down into depression. Their symptoms reflect the opposite of what they experienced during mania. Bipolar depression is often characterized by feelings of worry, discouragement, loss of self-worth and hopelessness.

Seasonal Affective Disorder

Caused by a change in time and season, the brain creates more melatonin during the day because of a lack of sunshine. Low energy, low mood, and depressive symptoms like hopelessness are common for people to develop during the winter months. Usually, the depression symptoms disappear as the weather starts to change. During the dark days of the year, people can feel incredibly down and even suicidal.

Are you coping with depression by abusing drugs and alcohol? Enlightened solutions offers day treatment programs which are certified in treating co-occurring disorders for mental health and substance abuse. Start your healing with us. Call today for more information at 833-801-5483.

Do We Need Our Compulsive Behaviors?

Written by enlightened solutions on February 24, 2017. Posted in Addiction, Mental Health. Leave a Comment

In any 12 month period, reports the National Institute Of Mental Health, 18%of adults in the united States will experience anxiety so severe it could be diagnosed as an anxiety disorder. About 7% of adults will experience major depression. Anxiety is a pervasive problem which threatens people’s sense of security. Anxiety causes us to feel that we are being threatened in some way if by nothing else than our own thoughts. Often, addictions and addictive behaviors are coping mechanisms for anxiety. New research suggest that the majority of our compulsions- from drug use to checking our social media sites- could be rooted in anxiety.

According to The Wall Street Journal, “…compulsions…are born in anxiety and remain strangers to joy. They are repetitive behaviors that we engage in repeatedly to alleviate the angst brought on by the possibility of harmful consequences.” Symptoms of withdrawal like obsession and craving, for example, can feel like harmful consequences because the brain is convinced that it cannot survive without drugs and alcohol. For other anxieties, however, the brain is convinced the absolute worst will be the result of not engaging in a compulsion. Not checking social media, for instance, could mean we miss out on important news from a friend.

Compulsions, the article argues, are a form of self-reassurance. “Suffused with and overwhelmed by anxiety,” the author explains, “we latch onto any behavior that offers relief by providing even an illusion of control.” That is because “the roots of compulsion lie in the brain circuits that detect threats and generate a profound feeling of anxiety…” Meaning, that compulsions cause our anxiety and anxiety causes our compulsions. Compulsive behaviors are a form of self-soothing, self-care, and survival.

The Difference Between Compulsion And Addiction

Where does a compulsion become an addiction? As the author points out, compulsions are “strangers to joy” whereas an addiction is rooted in pleasure. Neuroimaging research of both addictive and compulsive behaviors shows a distinct difference in this way. Of course,someone receives a reward from feeling relieved from their anxiety. Such reward would stimulate the areas of the brain which process pleasure. But the greatest activity is in the anxiety circuitry. Behaviors are not the same as substances. Though they create pleasure, they satisfy a different need.

Enlightened Solutions is a certified co-occurring disorder treatment facility offering partial care programs of treatment for both anxiety and co-occurring anxiety. If you or a loved one are struggling to cope with anxiety and compulsive behaviors call us

Why Talk Therapy?

Written by enlightened solutions on February 17, 2017. Posted in Addiction, Drugs & Alcohol, Healthy Living, Mental Health, Recovery, Sober Living. Leave a Comment

Millions of reasons exist for why talk therapy works. If talk therapy wasn’t ass effective as it is, it wouldn’t be a major part of treatment plans for recovering people all over the world. Therapy works for people who are able to get honest, open up and receive the help they need from their therapists. Treatment programs for recovering addicts and alcoholics include a lot of therapy. Individual therapy sessions, group therapy sessions, therapy activities, groups dedicated to specific therapy types like cognitive behavioral therapy- there is a lot of therapeutic work that takes place.

Psychological Bulletin recently published a study of over 200 psychological studies on the changes people experience over time. Self-improvement is a popular subject these days as everyone is on a mission to be happier, healthier, and more productive. Overwhelmingly, the research found, the surest and most time efficient way to achieve personal change is through therapy. Reporting on the study, the lifestyle website Bustle explains that the change in therapy over the course of three months is significant. That same change can be achieved without therapy; however, it would take 30 to 40 years. Left to our own devices, change can help. Self-help books, podcasts, meditations, activities, and retreats, can all help create effective change. However, therapy proves to be the fastest and most profound method for growing.

Finding A Therapist

Treatment is not always an option for people in need of support for mental health. Due to financial strains or personal life responsibilities, any level of treatment might be hard to come by. Finding an hour to two hours a week to work with a therapist is manageable for most people. You can find a therapist by searching for someone local nearby with the specialties you need. If you have insurance, you can call your insurance provider to get information on what your behavioral health benefits are and what local therapists are covered in your area. Referrals from friends is always a great place to look for therapist recommendations as well.

Fighting The Stigma

Mental health and mental health care still face a lot of negative stigma in today’s society. Reaching out and taking time to help yourself grow in positive ways is nothing to be ashamed of. By the time everyone else has changed over a lifetime, you’ll have changed a hundred times more.

Enlightened Solutions offers a variety of partial care day programs with options for customization to meet the needs of each client. If you are ready to make a positive change in your life and are ready to ask for help, call us today at 833-801-5483.

Is Depression Caused By A Lack Of Expression?

Written by enlightened solutions on February 2, 2017. Posted in Mental Health. Leave a Comment

Circus animals are prone to get depressed. Tigers, lions, bears, and elephants, are wild animals. They are meant to roam large and vast lands, hunt, mate, and explore. When they are put into the circus, however humanely they are treated, they are confined. Instead of being free, they are caged. Rather than explore and be the animals they are, they are trained and forced to perform in unnatural ways. Many animal rights activists criticize circus companies for torturing animals in this way because it rids animals of their autonomy to be who they are. Similar criticism is given to zoos.

Oppression and Self Expression

Humans face a similar tale. Oppression is a common story in a human life. Though the reasons are different, people get oppressed in their ability to fully express who they are. Whether it is due to cultural conflict, religious conflict, environmental conflict, or other means, people are not allowed to fully actualize who they are. Each human is a unique and different individual. Like snowflakes, humans have numerous similarities and commonalities, but at the core, not one of us is exactly like the other. When others find ways of repressing that, humans react in one of two ways: they act out or they shut down, a symptom of which can be depression.

Gbenga Adebamo is a counselor who wrote on the many ways depression is created out of a lack of expression, for The Good Men Project. He describes everything from lack of gratitude, to grief, to overparenting- and includes addiction. Depression and addiction are highly co-occurring disorders. Worldwide, depression is a leading mental illness. “One of the major reasons why people relapse back into addiction,” Adebamo explains, “is simply because they are unable to find positive expression for their energy.” Adebamo continues to describe the energy behind people’s addictions and how, after getting sober, that energy needs to find somewhere to go. Often, addiction is a coping mechanism for pre-existing depression or other areas which Adebamo might label as being resistant to expression.

Finding Your Expression

Recovery is a process of discovery. Through treatment and therapy, you have the opportunity to discover, or re-discover, how it is you express yourself. Expression doesn’t have to be creative, it just has to be you. After years of being told that your means of expression is wrong, you begin to believe you are wrong. You are not wrong. Now is the time to find out who you really are and live an authentic life expressing who that is.

Start with Enlightened Recovery Solutions on your path to sobriety. Our partial care programs are designed around the unique needs of each individual to help them become their authentic selves. If you or a loved one are experiencing difficulty with depression, addiction, or both, call us today at 833-801-5483.

Does Marijuana Help Mental Health?

Written by enlightened solutions on December 15, 2016. Posted in Drugs & Alcohol, Mental Health. Leave a Comment

Marijuana is legalizing and medicalizing around the country. 2016 alone has seen the legislative approval of recreational marijuana use in 4 states. Many others have decriminalized small amounts of marijuana as well as medicalized it. As the normalization of marijuana grows, research continues to grow as well. CBD oil, which removes the high-inducing THC molecule from marijuana, is being used to treat cancer, autism, ADHD, depression, and more.

A recent review of research has found that marijuana can benefit mental health disorders. Social anxiety, PTSD, and depression can all be benefited from the use of marijuana, according to the review. Specifically, these mental health disorders benefit from the use of marijuana. Other mental health disorders like bipolar might not benefit from the use of marijuana as they result in more negative effects.

According to Time.com, one of the main encouragements for expanding research into the positive benefit of marijuana in treating mental health is to aid in the war on opioids. Quoting Zach Walsh of the University of British Columbia, Time cites, “If people use cannabis as a replacement for opioid medications, or to get off of opioids or cut back, we could see some pretty dramatic public health benefits.” Walsh continues to explain what millions of Americans know to be true: “The level of opioid overdoses is so high right now.”

Isn’t Marijuana Addictive?

Marijuana is not considered to be an addictive or habit forming drug by most. However, marijuana use disorder has become a realistic problem. Marijuana today is stronger than it has been in previous decades, causing more a chemical alteration and creating a dependency. Regular marijuana users do experience symptoms of withdrawal without using marijuana. For this reason, recovery professionals are concerned about the use of a mind altering substance to treat the addiction to another mind altering substance.

As controversy still reigns regarding medication assisted treatment and the use of natural substances like Kratom, it is unlikely marijuana as an addiction treatment will gain traction. Additionally, marijuana, though legalized at state level for some states, is still a federally illegal drug. Until the DEA lifts the Schedule 1 label on marijuana, conducting further studies will be difficult.

Enlightened Solutions provides a continuum of care to men and women seeking a creative approach to treatment. Our programs combine evidence based treatment with twelve step philosophy and include holistic modalities for care. For more information, call 833-801-5483.

Are You Having Nightmares? These Could Be The Reasons Why

Written by enlightened solutions on December 14, 2016. Posted in Healthy Living, Recovery. Leave a Comment

Dreams are the brain’s way of making sense of the day. Our brains are like supercomputers, computing, analyzing, and storing thousands of pieces of information each day. Sometimes, there are bits that fall under the radar. Dreams help the brain process what is left over. Interpreting dreams is an ancient practice. Some people read very heavily into their dreams as if each night’s internal cinema were a prophecy coming from the subconscious. Others can hardly connect to their dreams and give them little attention when they occur. Everybody dreams, whether they can remember them, or care about them, or not.

Nightmares are the horrific kinds of dreams. Violent dreams can wake us up in the middle of the night, hearts pounding, minds full of anxiety. In early recovery, during treatment, withdrawing from drugs and alcohol can cause nightmares. We might experience episodes of PTSD in our sleep as our brain tries to process events from the past. Almost everyone in recovery experiences “using dreams” throughout their sobriety, especially in the first year. A using dream is when one knowingly, or unknowingly, uses a substance, comprising their sobriety. Being in treatment especially triggers these dreams as the mind has an ongoing subconscious narrative focusing on staying sober.

Sometimes these dreams can be violent. If you’re using used to take place in violent environments or were associated with violent environments, dreams about using can turn violent. However, our past is not the only thing which dictates violence in nightmares. New research revealed that what you think about and what kind of media you consume within 90 minutes of bedtime has a great effect on what kind of dreams you have.

Media consumption can affect how often you dream as well as what you are dreaming about. If you are laying in bed scrolling through old pictures of partying, drinking, and using, it wouldn’t be unlikely for you to have a using dream. According to Bustle, people who consume media of the violent kind within 90 minutes of going to bed were 13 times more likely to have violent dreams.

Cut off your media consumption at least one hour before bedtime. Making a gratitude list, praying, and meditating before bed can help set your mind in a positive place. Drinking a calming tea and journaling will help your mind be at ease as well.

Enlightened Solutions has the answer to the question of how to treat drug and alcohol addiction. By using tested 12 step philosophy with modern holistic treatments, we provide an integrative approach to healing. We want you to start your new life with us. Call us today at 833-801-5483.

7 Art Therapy Ideas For The Winter Holidays

Written by enlightened solutions on December 8, 2016. Posted in Art Therapy, Recovery. Leave a Comment

Holidays are known for beautiful decorations, fun crafts, and delicious meals. Incorporate your recovery into holiday cheer with some of these therapeutic activities.

Art Therapy Ideas For The Winter Holidays

Ornaments.
Decorating ornaments is a great way to express creativity and add to the holiday tradition. You can buy pre-colored ornaments and use adhesive methods like hot glue gun or modge podge to cover the ornament in decoration or collage. Buy clear, glass ornaments and different color paints. For a therapeutic twist, use the clear ornament as a metaphor and notice how each paint leaves a unique color streak when you pour it on the inside. Some colors mix better than others. As you twist the ornament in different ways you can change the way the paint colors the inside of the glass. Like in life, we are affected in different ways by the things which come into our existence. Not everything mixes beautifully, but by learning to navigate life and accept what comes, we can still create something to cherish.
Wreaths.
A wreath is a beautiful holiday welcoming symbol that can be incredibly creative. How do you want your door or home to be noticed? Start with a styrofoam ring and start to decorate. You can choose whatever theme you want and hang the wreath proudly for everyone to see. For a therapeutic activity, consider the wreath to represent the circle of your life. Choose decorations to show how far you’ve come and where you want to go.
Custom Wrapping Paper.
Buy sheets of blank colored wrapping paper and sets of sharpies or paints. Rolling the paper out across the floor, use rocks or something heavy to hold down the corners. Draw, splatter, paint, and doodle all over the paper for a pattern that is completely original and unique to you.
Holiday Themed Coloring Books.
Coloring is a great art therapy tool. Find holiday themed coloring books and spend time coloring in the scenes which speak most to you about the holidays.
Snow Globes.
Imagine what your perfect winter wonderland would look like. Using any kind of jar, fill the body with water and white glitter. On the inside of the lid, glue decorations to depict your ideal scene. Is it trees? A log cabin? Walking a dog? Find a small toy or decoration. Once it is dry, screw the lid back on and flip it over.
Holiday Music Meditation Activity.
Holiday music can bring back a lot of happy memories and a lot of difficult memories. Pick a favorite album or song to do a mindful meditation to. Notice what emotions come up as you listen to the song. Which parts are your favorites? What smells does it remind you of or feelings? After the song, journal your reflections.
Ugly Holiday Sweaters.
The ugly holiday sweater has become a major trend for parties and celebrations. Finding the right ugly sweater can take tons of shopping in thrift stores and shops. Create your own using fabric paints, decorations, patches, and more. From any store, purchase a plain colored crewneck sweatshirt. Using the colors and decorations you’ve chosen, decorate the front of the sweater. At your first sober holiday party, you’ll blow everyone out of the way with your very own ugly sweater. Use the activity as a time to practice remembering not to take yourself, and even the holidays, too seriously.

We know the holidays can be hard. You don’t have to do it alone. If you or a loved one are in need of seeking treatment this holiday season, Enlightened Solutions is here to help. Give yourself the gift that will last the rest of your life. Call us today: 833-801-5483.

Size Isn’t Everything

Written by enlightened solutions on December 7, 2016. Posted in Healthy Living. Leave a Comment

Imagine if the whole world ran on the principle of size the way that the fashion industry forces us to do. The entirety of the world’s systems would be changed. Classrooms wouldn’t run by age but perhaps by weight and height. Job promotions would be given out not based on performance but on shoe size or length of hair. Medical treatment in an emergency room might be based on shirt size rather than urgency. It might seem silly to think about. For the millions of men and women suffering from negative body image, size matters. In fact, size is everything.

Get Over the Size Thing

An obsession with size is literally waking up and making the decision on how worthy or unworthy one is based on what clothing size they will be able to fit into that day. If there was a daily regulatory process where everyone was weighed and measured, then told how they should a) feel about themselves b) feel about others and c) be treated by the rest of the world, there would be an outcry. Due to years of pressure from the fashion industry, unfortunately, many people feel that they deserve this kind of treatment. Sadly, they are unable to recognize that the only one stamping them with their daily evaluation is themselves.

According to a recent survey by Yahoo, 71% of women surveyed (about 1,000) didn’t even know what size clothing they should be wearing. However, when women don’t fit into the size they think they should, they experience shame, guilt, and disappointment. The size on their clothes, when it doesn’t fit the ideal standard, brings on feelings of shame about oneself and one’s body.

Ignore the Shaming

It really seems quite preposterous. Yet, mainstream society has created a valuation of women based on beauty, which is in part founded by size. Where did this madness start? Multiple documentaries like America The Beautiful have investigated. What lies beneath a global obsession for thinness is the penny pinching efforts of fashion labels. In an effort to save money on expensive fabrics being used for fashion shows, designers turned to models with smaller sizes in order to make smaller close, hence less fabric. That’s it. As a result, there’s a global insecurity with size, shape, and body image.

Enlightened Solutions is a certified dual diagnosis treatment facility offering care and recovery to those suffering from substance use disorders and mental health disorders such as an eating disorder. Body image, eating disorder, and substance abuse often come hand in hand. We’re here to help you find a healthy view on yourself, love yourself, and accept yourself again. For more information, call 833-801-5483 today.

Tag: Mental Health