600 South Odessa Ave Egg Harbor City, NJ 08215
Follow Us:

Tag: therapy

Dreams Linked with Anxiety 

Dreams have a way of telling us what we want out of life as well as what we are afraid of. The same can be said for those that have anxiety. By deeply analyzing the dreams you have at night, you will be able to explain to your therapist what you need to continue working on to help you manage your life.

Falling

Dr. Carole Lieberman, M.D., says that one common dream people with anxiety have is falling. It can be that you are falling out of a plane with a broken parachute or falling onto train tracks with no time to get up before the train comes. This can mean that you feel like your life is out of control. You are afraid to break out of your comfort zone and try something new in fear that it will cause you to fall and get hurt. You feel like you cannot fix any tough decision situation that comes to you. All you are looking for is a safety blanket.

Being Late

Running late in a dream can be just as nerve-wracking as when you are awake. You could have a dream that you look at the time and it is hours after the test you were supposed to take. You could be running towards the classroom to take this test anyway, but there are obstacles in the way like the traffic preventing you from crossing the street. Maybe you decide to take the bus to make it go faster, but the bus brakes down and none of the cabs are stopping for you. This can mean that you are afraid of missing out on something. You do not have to be in school to be afraid of a test you are afraid to miss as the whole point is you do not want to miss an important engagement no matter what. You are afraid of the obstacles that you may run into when it comes to chasing your goals. 

Being Unprepared

You could be taking a very important test that you were ready for when you were awake or you have your lines memorized before it is time to perform onstage. In this dream, however, you are not as prepared as you thought. You are drawing a blank and everything you studied cannot be remembered. This makes you feel vulnerable and out of place. You could be having this dream because you are afraid of being in a situation where you could suffer embarrassment. That you could spend so much time preparing for something only to fail everyone and yourself.

Drowning

You may have had a dream where you are getting crushed by a tidal wave and you are drowning. You keep trying to swim up to the surface, but the water keeps rising higher. This can mean that you are going under emotional stress. You could be going through a life change that you are not ready for which is the same as being unexpectedly hit by a wave. This dream is telling you how important it is to stay afloat and to rise above any waves that head towards your path.

Being Laughed at

Another dream you may be having is that you are being laughed at by everyone. It can be when you are in the company of your friends and family. It can also mean performance anxiety where it is your big moment in front of a crowd and the thanks that you get from the audience is a mockery. This dream shows you that you have insecurities and fears of being embarrassed. You know that you tend to stand out from the crowd and that you are different than others in your social circle. Instead of feeling proud about being yourself, you feel like people will punish you for it before they say or do anything.

No Control

You could be having dreams of the worst-case scenario occurring for everything that is going on for you. You could have a dream that your romantic partner breaks up with you and finds someone new. You could dream that you have been missing a number of shifts, leading you to be fired. This could mean that you are afraid of having anything good happen to you because you feel like it is too good to be true. You have no control in your dreams as you are watching everything slip away from you. You fear that the same is true for your life. 

Naked in Public

It is a classic dream to speak to a big group of people only to discover that you are not wearing clothes. This can mean that you are feeling vulnerable and wish to have privacy. You feel like no matter who you are speaking to, people are trying to dig too deep into your personal life instead of leaving you alone. The best thing that you can do about all of these anxiety dreams is to speak to someone about them. As soon as you are feeling any moments of discomfort, that is the time to tell someone instead of waiting right before you go to bed or in the middle of the night. Every time you have the same dreams, write them down in a journal to read to your therapist. By talking out your nightmares, you will see that you can tackle them all when you are awake.

 

Located on the shore of Southern New Jersey, Enlightened Solutions is a recovery center that uses evidence-based therapies and holistic healing to treat addiction and mental illness. With the opportunity to learn about therapies that are keyed in to healing the human spirit and learning about new stress-reducing techniques centered around a 12-Step network, you will ensure a lasting recovery. For more information, please call us at 833-801-LIVE as we are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Suggestions for Starting Therapy

Starting therapy can be a real challenge for many of us. Sometimes even just the thought of it can be so scary it stops us from trying. We struggle to get the process started. Sometimes we don’t know where to start. Here are some suggestions to help.

Ignore the naysayers

A lot of us have friends and family that will try to dissuade us from therapy. “Why pay someone to do what a friend can do- listen to you complain?” Actually, a therapist can do a lot more than just listen, and therapy can help you do much more than just complain about your problems. Therapists can provide guidance from their years of experience dealing with similar issues. They can help you to look at the underlying issues, rather than just your temporary circumstances. They can listen from the perspective of wanting to help you get better. Sometimes our friends have our best interests at heart but because of their own stuff can’t see the bigger picture, and sometimes they don’t actually have our best interests at heart.

Find the Right Person

Not every therapist is going to be the right one for you. Try different therapists until you find the right fit. Feel empowered to interview them and ask them whatever questions you might have. You can ask what kinds of issues they usually focus on with patients. You can ask what kinds of therapeutic techniques and healing tools they’ve used. For example, do they specialize in CBT? Do they believe in holistic health? Can they help you find a psychiatrist should you need medication? If you feel like a therapist won’t be a good match, or makes you uncomfortable, don’t be afraid to try someone new. Do they talk more than they listen? Do they interrupt you or make you feel unheard or misunderstood? Trust your instincts. Hold out for someone you feel can be part of your recovery team. We often know instinctively when someone is or isn’t a good fit for us.

Get Help

Ask for recommendations from friends, family, your doctor or clinic, your health insurance, community advocacy organization, help line or referral service. Sometimes when we’re really depressed or actively using, we can find logistical things like scheduling and dealing with insurance very overwhelming. When we can’t get out of bed, making phone calls can feel impossible. Some of us wait until we’re already in crisis to start looking for a therapist, and then it’s even harder to get the process going. Ask someone for help, and then let them help you.

Believe in Yourself

It’s scary to look at our stuff. It can be terrifying. Therapy is meant to help you work through painful things. Be brave and believe in your ability to get better. Believe you deserve to be happy.

Therapy can be hard. Enlightened Solutions wants to help. Call (833) 801-LIVE.

Tips for Managing PTSD

Post-Traumatic Stress disorder (PTSD) is very common with individuals who are in recovery from addiction.  It is an experience of reliving a traumatic life-event that has occurred in the past.  PTSD is most commonly associated with combat veterans but can also occur with a myriad of other experiences, including, but not limited to, physical fights and rape, car accidents, natural disasters, unusual health challenges, naming just a few.  

When dealing with PTSD, it is very important to be aware of the principle of trauma-informed, especially when choosing a therapeutic practitioner.  To be trauma-informed is the recognition of the effects of trauma on a person’s reactions and life experiences.  This is a critical awareness when dealing with PTSD to mitigate the false beliefs that can form about the self of the person dealing with PTSD.  To be trauma-informed about PTSD is to recognize that the experiences of PTSD is not who the sufferer is.  

Once some foundational work has been done with a therapeutic practitioner, individuals can be an active participate in their own ongoing healing from PTSD through the practice of mindfulness.  Once the baseline awareness of a PTSD response has been established, the person with PTSD can be cued to recognize when they will need to access mindfulness tools.  

 

The Frozen Lemon

It can be supportive to use a frozen lemon to break a PTSD episode.  This simple tool is very powerful for bringing the person experiencing PTSD out of the mind and back into the body.  By holding a frozen lemon in one’s hand and closing the fist around it, the intensity of sensation lessens the hold of the mind on the past experience, bringing it down to a level of manageability.  

 

Making the Image Black and White

When the PTSD takes someone into a critical moment of the traumatic experience, use the imagination to turn the image into black and white.  Many people find that this will reduce the intensity of the experience.

 

Changing the Position

When the PTSD memory involves another person, the person experiencing it can engage the imagination to change the position of placement of themselves and the other in the memory.  For example, if someone is standing over the person with PTSD and it makes them seem more powerful, the imagination can be engaged to make them stand below you, minimizing the power that they hold in the memory.  

 

Enlightened Recovery Solutions offers a harmonious approach to holistic treatment, bringing together the best of evidence-based, alternative, and 12-step therapies. Call us today for information on our transformation programs of treatment for addiction and alcoholism: 833-801-5483.

Supporting A Loved One Who Has Experienced Sexual Assault

According to RAINN, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, an American is sexually assaulted every 109 seconds. Out of every 1,000 perpetrators, only 6 will end up in prison to pay for their crime.

 

Listen To Their Story

Our cultural environment tends to play the role of the non believer when it comes to listening to stories of sexual assault. We like to blame the victim for not doing enough to protect themselves or change the situation. Sexual assault is highly stigmatized in our society, leaving victims of sexual assault feeling a double dose of shame. One of the best things you can do if your loved one has experienced sexual assault is listen to them actively. Active listening means creating the space to totally hear what they have to say without interruption, question, or judgment. After they are done, thank them for sharing, and remind them you are hear to listen to them.

 

Learn More About Sexual Assault

Sexual assault is not just rape. Men and women are groped, mistreated, and physically/sexually abused each day. Around the country there are trainings on stopping sexual assault, caring for someone who has been sexually assaulted, and learning more about consent. Sexual assault can be traumatizing resulting in ongoing effects similar to those of PTSD which can include symptoms of depression and anxiety.

 

Encourage A Report

Millions of sexual assault survivors go without making an official report. Many feel a report only brings them more shame and judgment, that they are never taken seriously. A report should still be made, as well as a full physical inspection. Support them by telling them you’ll be by their side.

 

Understand Their Sensitivity

We live in a sex driven culture that often doesn’t consider the depth of its jokes. Understand that for years to come, your loved one might be sensitive to the hypersexuality around them. What might seem like a harmless joke may be a deeply disturbing trigger for them. Try to act respectful toward sex, sexuality, and topics of sexual violence.

 

Enlightened Solutions supports the treatment of substance use disorders which are co-occurring with mild or severe PTSD. Our facility is certified to treat dual diagnosis clients in order to meet all of their needs for recovery. Call us today to learn more about our programs, 833-801-5483.

You Didn’t Know How Good Massage Was For You

Massage is good for Muscle Recovery

Massage helps to loosen up muscles that are storing tension. Tension in the muscles can come from strenuous physical activity, sickness, and stress. Muscle tension prevents the natural flow of energy from moving through the body. Additionally, tight muscles can lead to injury and muscle trauma, which is very painful and takes time to heal. Through massage therapy, tight and tense muscles get released, also releasing any toxins being held in that area. If you cannot get regular massage treatments, doing self massage on your shoulders, arms, and legs can be of great benefit. Self-massage is a great way to practice self-compassion and self-care.

Massage is good for Lymph Nodes

The lymphatic system is important to the body. Healthy lymph nodes means a healthy body. Massage helps to stimulate the lymphatic system by causing lymphatic drainage. Massaging lymphatic areas helps to release waste and toxins stored in lymph nodes. Cleaning out the lymphatic system improves the immune system, increases metabolism, and helps the body better to function.

Massage is good for Relaxation

Massage is usually seen as a luxury activity for relaxing days at the spa. All that muscle work is of no coincidence with the ability to relax. Many massage therapists have healing energy that is transmitted during their massage work. In fact, many regard massage as a healing touch, and those who practice is have healing hands. Not only is massage itself relaxing, but it is actively aiding you in being able to relax. Working on tense muscles helps you to notice where you are holding stress. Then, you can let it go. You begin to relax on a mental, emotional, and physical level because everything is connected holistically.

Massage is good for Circulation

Especially for people recovering from intravenous drug use, helping the circulation of blood flow is an important healing aspect. Massage is proven to improve over all circulation. There is an increase in blood flow and vascular function. Circulation is important for recovery from drug and alcohol addiction because the entire body needs to heal.

Massage is good for Healing

Massage is recommended as a healing tool for people after surgery. Detox and recovery from drug and alcohol addiction is it’s own kind of surgery. Recovery is a long process of healing, for which there are many ways to help. Massage helps people in recovery relax and release emotional stress they may not be able to otherwise.

  • 1
  • 2

Contact Us

We are here to help. Contact us today and get the answers you need to start your journey to recovery!

  • Discuss treatment options

  • Get help for a loved one

  • Verify insurance coverage

  • Start the admissions process

Get In Touch

Fill out this form and we’ll respond to your message

    This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

    You Have Any Questions?

    • Don't hesitate to contact us or visit our clinic.


    Copyright © 2023 Enlightened Solutions | All Rights Reserved