Category Archives: Holistic Health

Mar
26
2019

Using Drug and Holistic Detox Therapies

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Ever heard of equine therapy? The treatment method is also called horse therapy as it involves weekly interactions between patients and horses to help get through the initial stages of drug addiction. Drug addiction is a hard topic to talk about and open up for with counselors during treatment, so some patients feel that having on-verbal communication with animals like horses is much more helpful. Similar to the type of pet therapy with dogs or cats that patients in hospitals use, equine therapy incorporates outside activities with horses outside and inside a facility. Usually a therapist who specializes in the treatment method is assigned to the patient and spends time observing their behavior patterns as they interact with the horses on site. Often they will notice a shift in their emotions and composure over time when they heal with the help of the gentle mammals around them. Understanding the benefits of equine therapy can be extremely helpful if you’re looking to start holistic therapy in the near future.

Equine therapy brings peace and confidence.

Benefits Of Equine Therapy

Many benefits come with practicing consistent equine therapy as it doesn’t involve the use of traditional pain pills or anti-drug medication. Patients benefit from naturally healing their mind and body with the help of horses. Some of the best benefits that come with equine therapy include:

  • It improves emotional awareness and mental clarity in patients. After a long time spent interacting with animals and zoning in on their internal thought processes, patients learn more about their mind and bodies. They often learn how to overcome previous mental blocks that brought negativity to their lives and can bypass the anxious thoughts that come to mind throughout the day. Many of these benefits of equine therapy are rooted in nature of the animals. Horses are patient, enjoy the company of humans who treat them well, are typically non-judgmental, and have no ill expectations or motives. They respond to the feeling state we show and are naturally herd animals so they have very high emotional intelligence compared to other mammals like dogs. They often are tuned into the behaviors and expressions of those around them and in turn make great companion animals for people going through drug addiction treatment. While working with horses equine therapy patients come to terms with their preconceived beliefs about their world, their mind, and form great topics of discussion and during their equine therapy.
  • Equine therapy can help treat a variety of diseases. Equine therapy has been successfully integrated the programs for adults and teens who are going through abuse, addiction to drugs and alcohol and serious mental disorders. Symptoms from issues like ADHD, eating disorders, bipolar disorder, and even PTSD are shown to alleviate after a patient goes through an entire program of equine therapy. If a patient wants to sign up for the program, they need to declare what symptoms they are facing with their doctor and enroll in a local facility that provides equine therapy. Typically this treatment method is present in rural areas so be sure that you are located to one that isn’t far away.
  • Equine therapy helps to improve anxiety about past traumatic events. Horses can open the door to processing hurt and negative feelings from what injured a person before. With their non-judgmental state, horses help patients especially suffering from long term PTSD to learn about where these feelings came from. If the horse exhibits helplessness or fear, they may see their emotions within the animal and understand more about what is going on in their mind. They may come to terms with the fact that their environments are always out of their control and it’s up to them to stay strong and open, just like the horses in therapy. Any type of reaction from the horse’s and the patients themselves is a great learning tool for individual therapy during treatment. Counselors can use their observations to find topics about stress and anxiety to cover to the patients who need help the most.
  • Equine therapy teaches us the value of honest, hard, and consistent work. Horses require us to work to feed them well, clean their stalls, give them baths, buy food, and train them to ride during the day.. Domestic horses have to be groomed, exercised, and paid close attention to. They’re very social animals as well so building an organic relationship with them during treatment is a must for a patient who has enrolled. Similar to the real world, we all have to work hard to take care of ourselves, our families, and maintain close relationships with our friends. If we are constantly focuses on ourselves and being selfish, those aspects of our world can suffer or decline over time. Horses help patients learn to enjoy the process and stay patient when obstacles come our way. Developing a personal relationship with one is said to be one of the most extraordinary experiences someone can go through.

Equine Therapy For Life 

You don’t have to live on a farm or have a personal pet horse to benefit from equine therapy. The treatment has been shown to improve the physical and mental health of patients suffering from a variety of disorders for years. The natural method is emotionally supportive, keeps people accountable to work hard, and motivates them to stay more mindful about their thoughts and the world around them. If you don’t know if equine therapy is for you, look up health treatment centers are around your region. Sometimes staying in a sober living home is more effective than commuting to one during a busy week. See what works for you because you won’t regret the improved health you experience!

Mar
26
2019

Using An Intervention For An Addict

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If you know a loved one who is going through drug or alcohol addiction you may feel helpless. Some people turn to the emotion of anger as they realize their family member, friend, or spouse is abusing illegal substances in their free time. Some people turn to enablement and allow their loved on to continue their substance abuse in fear of losing their close relationship. Some turn to stonewalling and completely cut out the addict from their lives to prevent further damage. Some encourage the addict and tune into the addiction so they can maintain a feeling of love and intimacy with the person. No matter what a person decides to do, an addict will not stop their addiction until they are faced with the hard facts about their behavior and what consequences have been caused by it. Since talking about addiction and explaining your feelings can be hard during a face to face conversation, experts recommend writing an in depth intervention letter to communicate. Letters are great because they can be edited, rewritten, and peer reviewed before the final presentation to the addict. You’ll want to show battle proof evidence that the addict is being destructive and provide a realistic plan for them to follow so they can get treatment. Let’s walk through the best tips for writing an intervention letter so you don’t make any mistakes!

Write a successful intervention letter.

Writing An Intervention Letter

Thinking back to high school days I was always stressed about writing essays and letters for assignments. If you didn’t have concrete directions and tips from someone who did it well, you could easily find yourself at a loss for words. Some of the best methods to follow when writing an intervention letter to a loved one includes:

  • Being clear and concise. Explain what your feelings are, what instances make you angry from their substance abuse, and why you believe that they need to get treatment. Get the quotes from people who are also affected by the addict and provided a clear plan for him or her to follow to get help. If your letter is all over the place, sounds too controversial or puts down the addict, your plan for them to change will backfire. We all like having straight to the point opinions and directions when we are going through a new process so make it as easy as possible for the addict to understand your words. Be honest and don’t sugarcoat things if you truly want them to stop abusing drugs or alcohol.
  • Coming from a place of love. You want the addict to change and still believe that they are a good person besides the fact that they’re abusing drugs or alcohol. Make it known in your letter that you deeply care about them, their health, and their future. State that you are trying to understand their perspective and don’t want them to continue getting hurt. If you knew the person for a long time, take time to talk about some of the favorite memories you had together before they began their addiction. Thinking back to the good days may help the addict to remember your relationship and why you care so much about their wellbeing.
  • Include treatment plans and a variety of choices. Make sure that the addict knows that treatment is not what the movies show anymore. There is no asylum type treatment for addicts that confines you in a room for days. Mention that there’s now group therapy that helps the addict meet a variety of people and gain emotional support. Tell them that recovery companions can be assigned to clients who want one on one interactions and personal advice about getting through tough withdrawal symptoms. Explain what natural remedies are available like art therapy, equine therapy, music therapy, and more that help people progress through their triggers. Let the addict know that all these treatment methods are meant to treat the person as a whole and doesn’t just rely on another medical prescribing that could cause other problems. The world is much more caught up on treating physical and mental addictions than it was even a decade ago.
  • Signing them up beforehand. If you want to force the addict to go to an initial appointment with a treatment expert, mention the date and center that they can go to. If you make an appointment for them beforehand, the addict is less likely to have an excuse to give about being busy and fading out of thin air. They may be more encouraged to be open about what treatment options are available, talk about their struggles, and start an actual plan if you do the busy work for them. It does sound like a lot of amends to make on your end but if you truly care about them you’ll do whatever it takes to boost your chances!
  • Being optimistic and encouraging. Tying back to our theme of being loving to the addict, make sure you end your letter with a sign of positivity and motivation. Talking about their world ending and saying that all will be lost throughout the entire letter will be very draining for them to read. After you talk about their addiction risks, your treatment plan, and what they need to do to get help, mention that they are strong human beings and are loved by many. Tell them that they have the power to chance and only need to stay consistent with making good decisions to get out of their addiction. Many people fall into addiction without even realizing it, so breaking that mental barrier of defeat is crucial.

Moving Forward

Anyone who has a drug or alcohol addiction can be moved to change with the right intervention letter. If you want them to do extra research, get them to fill out an intervention quiz or do it yourself to see what the next steps are. You’ll learn a lot more about timing an intervention and how to best conduct one with an addict you know well. We all can benefit from extra knowledge in communicating with others so check out your resources!

Mar
06
2019

Eating An Anti-Inflammatory Diet

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Healthy food is nice to talk about in theory and annoying to practice in reality. We all want to believe that we follow a great diet and our treating our body with care. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to downing cups of kombucha and eating kale all day in order to achieve the results of a healthy diet. Often our diseases, fatigue, and other issues can come up from eating an inflammatory diet. This means that the foods we eat could be irritating our bodies and making it more prone to developing a sickness.

Common diseases like diabetes, heart disease, or irritable bowel syndrome can be traced back to having untreated and chronic inflammation. By following tasty and nutritious anti-inflammatory foods, some symptoms you have can be reduced or even disappear overall in time. Let’s cover the best foods that contain anti-inflammatory properties to start eating right now!

Anti-Inflammatory Foods

With enough inflammation, our immune system starts providing a stash of white blood cells to areas of concern for treatment in our body. Short term inflammation can be from minor cuts and scrapes, short sicknesses, and other issues. This is our body’s normal and healthy response to keep us functioning strong in the long term. However, if our immune system starts attacking body tissues that are healthy, people start to see disorders like fibromyalgia, celiac disease, asthma, and even diabetes. Since there’s no direct cure with medication, it helps to eat foods that help combat the inflammation inside in a natural way. In fact, patients in a 2014 medical study did find that they were able to stop using at least one of their medications after eating anti-inflammatory foods.

To start moving toward an anti-inflammatory diet, we have to avoid foods that are overly processed in factories and contain loads of scary chemicals or dyes. There’s been a massive number of recalls for foods that contained dangerous blue and red dyes in common cereals, juices, and packaged desserts. Many doctors suggest following the eating patterns of the Mediterranean diet, a diet incorporating various fresh fruits, lean meats like fish, and fiber abundant vegetables. It contains little to no red meat, absolutely no chemicals, and a healthy dose of omega-3 fatty acids that aid  heart health.

Other Anti-Inflammatory Foods

  1. Get your sweets in by eating good fruits like fresh berries instead! Eating foods like strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries are great because each serving contains a large dose of vitamin C. Grapefruit, watermelon, and apples are also great to get into hydration and extra fiber in throughout the day. You’ll feel more energized not feel as tempted to reach for the candy bar next time to sweet tooth hits you. If you do need to give into the craving, alternative desserts like Halo Top or protein cookies are a great choice that have less additives than the traditional food.
  2. Eat more whole than white grains. White grains are highly processed and area totally drained of their nutritional content in the factory. All the fiber and grains are depleted in the manufacturing process and lots of sugars are added to boost the taste. Instead opt for Ezekial bread, sprouted breads, and even whole grain pitas so you can get in healthy carbohydrates throughout the day.
  3. Eat meats that have health fats.Fatty fish and some lean meats are a great source of protein and the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA. Each acid does a great job to reduce inflammation in your body. Chronic inflammation patients swear by eating at least a few servings a week for the nutrition it provides. If you can’t get enough of fatty fish in the week, you can also get supplement omega-3 fatty-acids by pill form and take it in the morning or night. Go for the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids like salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel, or anchovies. These are great to incorporate into baking, stir fry recipes, soups, and other snacks!
  4. Eat your high fiber vegetables.Broccoli and its close relative cauliflower are great for decreasing the risk of heart disease with its antioxidants. Broccoli is rich in sulforaphane as well,  an antioxidant that strongly fights signs of inflammation and boosts your immune system. Veggies like zucchini, celery, carrots, and potatoes are great as well to get in fiber and additional taste in your meals. Avocados are also packed with extremely high levels of potassium, magnesium, fiber and heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. They’re a tasty addition to any salad, breakfast burrito, and works great in dessert recipes as well. Explore what amazing dishes are out there!
  5. Drink your water black teas, red teas, and tasty green tea. Unsweetened tea is one of the best beverages you can drink for its anti-inflammatory properties. It also lowers our risk of obesity, heart disease, and cancer along with boosting your metabolism with consistent use. As someone who loves to drink coffee, green tea is a great alternative for a small boost in the evening that will calm down your system at the same time!

Follow An Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Eating a new diet that prevents inflammation might be hard, but the long term benefits well worth the upfront changes to your lifestyle. Sometimes it takes trial and error to see what meals you like and what ones you are fine avoiding. Lots of resources and articles are available today to incorporate the foods into your breakfasts, lunch, and dinners. Even snacks that you bring to work can be anti-inflammatory if you prepare them in advance. Make sure to look up what resources are available, especially if you’ve been suffering from inflammatory issues or diseases that root from chronic inflammation!

Eat organic for it’s anti-inflammatory benefits.

Mar
06
2019

Adolescent Detox

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Teens are facing a lot in life right now. They juggle social pressures, social media, school stress, and living under the same roof as their parents. They may want to feel freedom and gain independence or are stressed at the thought of even moving out. What most people don’t know is that younger teens are at more risk than ever for developing symptoms of depression and anxiety. If they speak up to their friends, they could be faced with embarrassment or labeled “weird” for not pretending like everything is okay. Depression is much more than just a phase since it isn’t easy to magically shake off. If someone doesn’t take action and buries their frustrations, pent up emotions and physical signs of depression can slowly take over. A teenager could fall into a cycle of seeking dangerous and addictive faces as well like drugs or alcohol. Make sure you’re aware of how teen depression works and how to stop it!

Teens are facing higher rates of anxiety and depression.

Teens are facing higher rates of anxiety and depression.

Help For Depression In Teens

For any teen that is going through depression, it is crucial to get help as soon as possible. They may think that going to a counselor or a treatment center is making way too much of a “big deal”, but the consequences that follow unresolved depression are much greater than the actions they need to take now. Treatment centers around the country have specialists that are meant to directly help teenagers adapt through puberty, social pressures, and school anxiety all while dealing with symptoms of depression. Their unique stage in life takes a unique professional perspective, so don’t encourage a teenager to go to any expert for help.

Most universities offer their own counseling services at no cost for students and many high schools now also have their own in-house specialist. If a teenager feels uncomfortable being around their peers, they can also explore online support groups and off-campus centers in the community. Holistic medicine centers and other natural approaches help teenagers treat their mind, body, and spirit instead of push the use of mediations. Some teens suffer from adverse side effects from anti-depression meds so having a consultation meeting in the beginning is crucial.  Educate yourself with what your options are if you suspect symptoms of depression coming on.

Red Flags Of Depression

Depression is a silent disorder, but physical signs of it can come about in a teenager over time. The teenager can exhibit extreme weight loss or weight gain, worse off sleeping habits, poor hygiene, and lose control of their physical appearance in general. They may just look a lot paler from malnutrition or tired from lack of quality sleep in general. If you know the teenager well you will tell a difference in the way they carry themselves. As a result of not taking care of themselves, they will perform more weakly in their sports or school activities, seem more “out of it”, and may catch diseases more easily than you remembered as well. Girls and guys may show differing signs of depression so keep a keen eye out for any sudden changes.

Teens with depression go through intense mental trauma. Since their hormones start to become more erratic from the disorder, their emotions can experience frequent highs and lows even throughout one day. One morning they may seem fine while a few hours later they could appear like they’re about to cry. If this is much more sudden in change than usual, try your best to talk to them and keep an open mind.  If they start to, appear more irritable or down than usual, or generally “unplugged” from the world then they may be going through something. Most importantly, a teenager can begin to lose sight of their normal personality, relationships, and interests as well. They may start to appear less present and skip invites to events because they are going through an episode of depression.

Impact Of Depression On The Brain

Depression can affect a teen’s brains in dramatic ways. Not only do they see the world in a negative light but they may start to be overly critical of themselves and think about lies regarding their reality. They have a hard time thinking about positive thoughts and could intensify experiences or interactions with people much more than usual. Teens with depression are also much more prone to stress and can get easily overwhelmed by small problems. They may feel like the sky is falling down at any moment and may over exaggerate certain obstacles that frequently happen in everyday life.  A family history of depression could play a role in a teenager’s risk in developing symptoms. Depression can run in families, but not everyone with a depressed family member is also destined to become depressed. Talk to anyone in your family who went through depression and you’ll see that often it was a combination of stress in life, their poor health, and other factors that led to their disorders.

Depression in teens heavily impacts their brains.

Getting Help

Being depressed as a teen and getting over depression doesn’t have to be as hard as we all think it is. We all have hope and have the power to take meaningful action. The key is to get professional help from an adolescent drug detox treatment center, a counselor, and a support group so you know exactly what steps to take. Everyone will have a different experience with depression so remember that we can’t expect certain tactics that worked for others to do the same for us. It takes time to learn our bodies, navigate our minds, and conquer our temptations so we are truly making improvement. Be sure to ask as many questions as you need to along the way so you aren’t left in the dark!

Mar
06
2019

Have A Healthy Microbiome

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Want to avoid having disease in the future? Tired of having bloating, headaches, and stomach issues after eating your favorite meals? Want to benefit from improved mental clarity and health overall? This isn’t some ad for a magic pill or recipe, but a call for you to switch to maintaining a new lifestyle that boosts your chance for having a healthy microbiome. A microbiome makes up the variety of healthy gut bacteria that keeps the digestion system strong. Anti-inflammatory foods contain antioxidants, minerals, and other important bacteria that improves the efficiency and strength of our immune system. It promotes the popular “gut health” we are hearing about so much in the media.

Not everyone knows that exactly gut health even means, and I sure didn’t even a year ago. Luckily, I’ve compiled the best tips for building up a microbiome that helps keep your body strong. You’ll want to learn these tricks that are easy to implement into your daily schedule so you benefit from less digestion issues, lower risk of disease, and even weight loss when accompanied with consistent exercise!

Building A Healthy Microbiome

Common diseases like diabetes, heart disease, or irritable bowel syndrome can be traced back to having an unhealthy microbiome. Eating many inflammatory foods can further irritate our body and lower its strength to deal with dangerous agents from the outside environment. At the end of the day, all we have is our health is make sure you eat well and stay mindful of your nutrition in general. The first step to take is to cut out highly processed and sugary foods that provide you zero nutritional value. While you can eat these foods from time to time for a treat, you should eat natural and organic produce the majority of the time so your microbiome is supported. Sugar causes our digestion to go into overdrive and has no nutritional benefit at all. Sugar also leads to mental crashes shortly after a huge amount is eaten. Eating enough vegetables, fresh fruits, lean meats or dairy (if you’re vegan), and healthy fats is a great place to start. These foods are available at any grocery outlet and you don’t have to break the bank at a place like Whole Foods to get your fresh foods. After you gather your materials, start cooking more meals at home to save money and limit the amounts of oils and sodium that are added to it. Most restaurants secretly add ingredients to boost flavor that skyrocket the amount fats and sodium total.

Another basic rule to follow is to stay hydrated. Drinking at least seven to eight glasses of water each day so your body can work well during the day and night. Our bodies are made mostly from water so having enough of it is crucial for us to stay healthy. Being short on water can cause dehydration effects like headaches, aches, low energy, increased appetite, and poor sleep. It’s a simple but crucial building block to helping our bodies fight inflammation and disease. Drink your black teas, red teas, and green tea as well if you want more flavor during the day. Make sure you limit the sugar and milk you use in it and never order the “regular” from restaurants because it contains lots of dangerous additives.

Adding Probiotics

Increasing the amount of probiotics you eat will also help your microbiome stay healthy and maintain a beneficial variety of bacteria to aid digestion. They may improve digestive health, reduce depression, promote heart health and some evidence suggests they may even give you better-looking skin. Some foods that have probiotics naturally include Greek yogurt, kefir, and soy milk. These foods come a wide variety of flavors and types of milks made from so you can easily add them to your diet. Just remember that any recipe that requires heating the yogurt in any way is going to kill off its good bacteria, so stick to no-cook recipes for the most gut benefits. Other great foods that contain probiotics include kombucha and pickles because of their fermented prosperities. In the past few years kombucha has skyrocketed in popularity and comes in an assortment of brands to choose from. As for fruits or veggies, raw apples, bananas, asparagus, beans, artichokes, garlic, onions, and leeks are all great sources.

If you don’t like to eat any of these choices, you can also take a daily probiotic supplement by pill or powder form to aid your gut health. Make sure these supplements are organically made and come in a flavor you like! You can then taking them with water in the morning or add the powder to a daily smoothie or parfait that is packed with essential nutrition for your body. If you have any more questions, consult your doctor and do some research on your own for the best brands to try in this category.

Maintain A Microbiome For Life

To get the results you want, make sure to stay consistent and be more mindful of what you’re eating and drinking during the day. Make sure you keep in mind of what is in your beverages and foods when you eat out and take enough vitamins and minerals throughout the week. Don’t overlook important things like drinking enough water and sleeping at night because allows our body to continue to work well. If something is lacking in one of those categories, make the necessary changes in your lifestyle so your health is put first. Limit your wild nights of drinking, cut out your chocolate cake desserts, and buy more organic produce for starters so your body can have a break. Just listening to your body makes a world of a difference!

Eat natural foods for a healthy microbiome.

Eat natural foods for a healthy microbiome.

Jan
25
2019

Art Therapy For Children

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Children are lovers of all things fun, creative, and freeing. They won’t hesitate to take a paint brush or pen and create pictures of their wildest dreams. In our world today, young kids are experiencing more stress than usual with school, growing up, and being around technology all the time. With mounting pressures affecting them more than ever before, some parents wonder what will help them naturally take the edge off without being too invasive of their space. For children who already have mental illnesses like high anxiety, PTSD, or depression, the answers can become even vaguer since they aren’t as skilled in articulating what symptoms they are feeling. A child may think the world is crashing down around them, and overly exaggerated what is going on. On the flip side, they may be quiet and hesitate to say they’re feeling “out of it” or in pain because they don’t understand what is happening.

For a child who is showing frequent signs of stress or anxiety at school or at home, using art therapy is a great way to get them to open up and reflect on their environment. They have the choice to connect with their feelings in a safe space and aren’t in fear of being judged during an art therapy session. Better yet, they can work with the counselor leading the session to talk about what they are feeling and learn more about their personalities. This is essential, since children don’t yet have a strong grasp on who they are, why they’re afraid of, and what they want in life. No matter what, children are guaranteed to have fun in art therapy and will want to show the world what magical pieces they can make from it. Let’s look at the ways art therapy works and how it’s perfectly suited to help our tiny tots.

Art therapy has endless possibilities.

Art therapy has endless possibilities.

Using Art Therapy

Art therapy is a great way for very young children to communicate easily and without fear. Originating in 1904 by Margaret Naumburg, art therapy can take on many forms and is used for patients of any age if they wish to start. Like any other therapy process, both the patient and the therapist has to remain patient and open to change for it to be successful. Unlike other methods, however, art therapy is unique for the following reasons:

  • Art therapy can include any kind of art medium. Traditionally, painting, crayons, colored pencil, charcoal pencils, and even clay sculpture were used for patients during their sessions. Typically therapists choose what medium would best suit the patient and after hearing suggestions from the patient. Today, with the amount of digital tools to our use art therapy includes digital collaging, 3D printing, animated drawings, and digital painting done from a laptop. This allows patients to be able to complete sessions in the comfort of their own home if they wish to do so. For children who may be shy of hospitals or confined environments, digital art therapy is a great alternative to improve their mental health over time.
  • Art therapy allows clients young and old to better process their inner thoughts and understand what stress might be present in their lives. Some of the most popular art therapy methods are active imagination therapy, gestalt art therapy, and third hand. Active imagination allows patients to practice free association with words or images that come to their mind while they create art. Gestalt art encourages clients to use art along with language instead of analyzing their external environment. For patients suffering from anxiety, this is great so they can better reflect on their own feelings and thought process instead of reacting to the world around them. Third hand has the therapist helping the client produce artistic images together by digital media, collaging, or other mediums. Through this method, the two parties can develop a strong bond and better communicate their thoughts.
  • Art therapy helps children build self-expression, positive perspectives, and stronger self-independence from the negative events or people in their life. A child can work through any difficult feelings or experiences by drawing about them instead of painfully explaining every detail. It also is a great way for them to unwind after a long school day or get out of the house if they feel stuck at home.
  • Art therapy is exciting and always different. No session will be exactly the same, since art is an ever changing form of self-expression. Every art piece a child draws will take on a different persona or show a different story from their imagination. This is enjoyable for the therapist to see and serves as a fun activity for the child if they build a positive relationship over time. Parents don’t need to worry about the therapist accomplishing this since they have years of intense training in social work, art therapy, and even psychology under their belt. .

Art Therapy In The Future

As technology continues to disrupt our lives and what we know to be true, so will the form of art therapy. The method of treatment was much different one hundred years ago compared to today. Luckily, people of any age can benefit from art therapy since it allows one to decompress, let go of their fears, and gain self-awareness. Children especially have an important voice since they are the future of our society and often have a fresh perspective on our world. They should be given the chance to unlock their inner imagination and help them engage more fully with their environment. Since younger children also usually have a lot of questions about new things like therapy, it’s important that they feel listened to and supported from start to finish. If you also want to learn more about what art therapy services are available in your local community, check out what is located in arts centers, nearby universities, and counseling locations. Some areas might specialize in art therapy for younger patients like children. Be sure to know all your options are before making a big decision that could impact their health!

Art therapy is a great and natural way to improve mental disorders.

Jan
06
2019

Are Millennials More Depressed?

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It seems like so many millennials these days are going through depression, anxiety, or other mental issues like PTSD. If you aren’t one, you may think that they deserve the stereotype of eating too much avocado toast, spending too much money on experiences than actual needs, and are babied too much by society. If you are one, you might be angry at the world for leaving an economy trashed by reckless reforms, constantly judging you for using helpful technology, spending money on experiences than useless material goods, and seeing the liberal side of political issues overall. For either party, we can agree that living in society today is tough and almost anyone is prone to developing mental health issues like depression if they aren’t taking care of themselves.

What doesn’t help millennials, however, is the mounting pressure from all sides to perform better than before. Olympic records are becoming faster every year, college is becoming more expensive, iPhones are becoming a necessity to actually stay in touch with peers, and the job market seems to be shrinking. Count in the thousands of dollars of student debt that we have to bear after college that our parents didn’t have to worry about. Jot down the rising costs of healthy food and affording things like health insurance that the older generations keep shouting at us to have. As a millennial myself, I can honestly say that we have it very hard. Not all of us are battle proof enough to go through these struggles with enough family support, healthy routines, and mental tenacity to come out happy and unstressed. Social media plays a huge role in our life’s, and why not? It weaves us together and helps us share important information. Yet, it mainly show us only the highlights of other people’s lives and we never see the times they are struggling just like us. We scroll on our phone and watch Jeffree Star’s latest YouTube video to relax, but in the long run it costs us sleep that could actually benefit us more.

The first step to helping each other with depression is to stop the judgement. If you are feeling strong and care about another person’s well-being, it is time get educated about the types of treatment plans that are available and what affordable activities can actually help!

Social media can contribute to poor teen mental health.

Poor Mental Health

There’s many signs that point to someone (not just a millennial) suffering from depression or weak mental health. Maybe they just look sad or act irritable most of the day, are losing interest in activities that once had their passion, are eating or sleeping differently, or are not doing well in their classes or job. On the deeper level, they could have thoughts of suicide, are isolating themselves from people, or are turning to substances drugs or alcohol. If your suspect these things, come to them with an open mind and don’t accuse them of doing something that they’re not. Catch them at a time when they aren’t busy and put yourself in their shoes. Maybe they’re annoyed or are giving you vague answers to get away. Remember that their tone of voice is just displaying stress they’re experiencing from their mental health.

Overall, tell them that you understand and make it really clear that their emotions are valid. It isn’t wrong to feel upset or stressed if their problems aren’t “as big” as others. Remind them that everyone is going through a struggle of their own. Lastly, be compassionate without point fingers are why they aren’t getting help already. They would not know if a certain treatment is for them if they are so worked up day to day and often can’t give you an answer to such a pressured question.

Getting The Right Help 

Make sure you accentuate how positive someone’s decision to get treatment is. Acknowledging their problem is huge! But that’s the first step. Make sure it fits their schedule and don’t pressure them into seeing the traditional counselor if they want to make diet changes, sleep changes, and exercise changes first. Sometimes seemingly severe mental health issues can be improved in a few weeks with enough sleep and proper nutrition. If they know that their state is much more severe than that, help them look at local treatment or counseling centers that are friendly towards helping younger people. Seeing a younger counselor can sometimes be more comfortable since they might be more relatable to your stage of life. From there, form a plan with possible antidepressants (at a last resort), counseling, support groups, holistic medicine, or another alternative depending on the person’s situation.

Usually the best results are from using a combination of medication and therapy so any other issues besides the depression or stress addressed. The exact plan that the person you’re helping will follow will be determined after all their factors are taken into account. Taking time to tailor a plan to their needs is necessary for successfully completing it.

The Youth Is Strong

You aren’t weak or incapable because you’re young. We millennials are talented, intelligent, and see sides of issues with creativity and with less stubbornness on average. We know how to improvise and deal with life problems with less money in the bank after so many loans. Just having the skills of conquering that is a tremendous feat. Dealing with poor mental health and anxiety disorder in millennials can be hard because we all take on so much each day. We are always adjusting to the stress of school, work, and being a successful person. If you or someone you know is too depressed or stressed, first talk to someone trustworthy. Then, go together to see a counseling expert who can form a battle proof plan. Take action and see where the road takes you!

Millennials can adapt and succeed.

Nov
27
2018

Opioid Withdrawal and Addiction

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No one is ever safe from developing an addiction to heroin. If you happen to be hooked onto a certain food, activity, or another illicit substance like alcohol or drugs, you know exactly what I’m talking about. You tend to crave it during the day no matter what you’re doing, and the thought of going cold turkey with the opioid withdrawal symptoms makes your skin crawl already. The worst part about being addicted to drugs, however, is that the withdrawal symptoms are much more intense and sometimes painful to go through alone. Across our country, thousands of people are experience withdrawal symptoms from being addicted to prescribed or recreational opioids. 

Opioids are designated as its own class of drugs working which are often given by doctors in every field to relieve severe muscle or bone pain. Typically the process for a patient to receive these drugs is easy, but the effects of their long term usage can be devastating if they aren’t educated on its risks. Opioids are present in popular medications like painkillers and heroin to date. Once a patient realizes they feel pleasure or no longer have the pain they can’t stand experiencing, they turn to opioids weekly, daily and sometimes multiple times a day to cope. With the numbers of patients checking into rehab centers with opioid addictions climbing each day, it’s crucial to know how they work and what risks there are if you see being prescribed the drug in the future. With the current opioid overdose epidemic affecting every community in our country right now, you don’t want one with the numbers. 

It can be difficult to deal with opioid addiction.

How Do Opioids Work?

Naturally derived from the opium poppy plant we can find in nature, opium blocks any types of pain receptors and communicate “pain” to us in our body. This is why most patients suffering from traumatic injuries, are healing from an extremely invasive surgery, or are experiencing a severe disease are given opioids by doctors to cope. 

On the flip side, opioids also help patients feel more happy or satisfied with their surrounds in the “high” they come on to. This pleasurable effect is proven by research to be highly addictive and is hard to come off of if it is used in large doses too often. 

If a patient is using opioids for a very large period of time, they may start to experience more erratic or slower breathing patterns, an irritable bowel or constipation issues, feelings of vomiting, dizziness or lack of focus, and drowsiness throughout the day. For a person that needs to keep up an active lifestyle or has a large workload, this can be extremely detrimental to their daily functionality. In addition, opioids can completely restrict your ability to breathe at a dangerously high dose which can lead to a fatal overdose. 

While some opioids are known as narcotics and help with patient’s pain, these are not the exact same type of drugs as one like Tylenol. You might have heard about drugs like Vicodin, OxyContin, fentanyl, and heroin which are illegal in all states in the country. For someone abusing these substances frequently, they may show signs of lack of hygiene, loss of control of their responsibilities, changes in their weight, eating, or sleeping habits, signs of irritability, and a newfound financial crisis. Some people are highly skilled in covering up their opioid addiction while others may find their habit slips through the cracks  Someone who takes notice of their own withdrawal symptoms persistence should seek therapy as soon as possible so they can prevent future damage. 

Keeping Up With Opioid Addiction

While there is immediate cure for a patient who has opioid withdrawal symptoms, they need to know that they must stay committed to maintain a sober mind and body. If you happen to be suffering from opioid withdrawal symptoms and don’t know how to cope, don’t get too nervous. The first action to take is to check yourself into a detox facility to first rid your body of any traces of the substance in a relaxed and controlled manner. This won’t be any kind of horror-esque rehab facility or a similar type of therapy you may be thinking of if you’re a fan of scary movies. You will be treated by employees who truly care about you and will lead your hand every step of the way so you minimize your levels of discomfort.  

If you were initially addicted to a dose of opioids nearly every day are drastically tapering your use, make sure you ask questions about how your body will react. You may have difficulty concentrating or have lower energy levels at first from the withdrawal. Make sure you read your reviews before attending a facility to start your treatment just in case there’s anything you should know more about. 

Finishing Strong

After you have detoxified your system, take the steps to organize a battle plan for getting over relapse and conquering sobriety. With the help of a counselor that may be recommended to you through the detox facility, you will gain ample education and emotional support about dealing with your opioid addiction. It is important that every patient understands that you might feel like a failure or feel hopeless in the beginning. This is completely normal and is not a sign of your potential in the end of treatment.

Yet, with enough emotional support from your counselor, potential support group, close friends, and your family members who are informed about your treatment, you will be armed with enough motivation to push through the journey. We all can use consistent encouragement and positive thinking from our loved ones so we get through the harder days during treatment!

Jul
06
2017

How being “aware” of the present moment can help anxiety

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Having the ability to be mindful is definitely a lot tougher than most people think. It is not as simple as just reflecting or contemplating on a current moment, yet it is a full body effort to be totally present in where you are and what is going on around you. Being mindful means tapping in to all five of your senses, feeling the breeze on your skin, smelling the aromas in the air, hearing the faintest of noises in the distance; it is the ability to do all of these things yet silence your mind and focus on maybe a single objective that you place there or nothing at all. With practice. these skills can be honed in and refined; however, to get it perfect on your first try is close to impossible. As the saying goes, if at first you don’t succeed try try  again. In this life, bettering ourselves is something we should strive for every day, therefore even if we do not get it right first time doesn’t mean we shouldn’t continue to try.

Having a skill such as awareness is crucial to our everyday lives and can lower stress and anxiety levels immensely. Many people try so often to immerse themselves in their busy lives giving themselves no time to stop and breathe through the day and take a step back. Having a quiet period to yourself everyday can help keep you fresh and ready to go, instead of getting stuck in a rut where at most times of the day you are feeling overwhelmed with tasks. There are a few ways we can incorporate being mindful into our day, making sure to choose something you enjoy is very important in your quest to refining your ability to be aware of the present.

Different methods to becoming more aware

There are many different ways you can practice being mindful. One method to achieve this is called awareness meditation. To perform this, first make sure to sit comfortably and focus on your breath. If your mind starts to drift, simply shift your focus back as you notice it, and do this without judgment or frustration. Make sure to observe your emotions and let them pass through you without resistance. Having these types of experiences and meeting them with nonjudgmental thoughts will allow you to see the anxiety more clearly and pinpoint the root of the problem; this can make the adversity of stress easier to overcome. For example, being in touch with your anxiety and allowing it to move through your body without resistance is a key stepping stone in overcoming it. Accepting your anxieties and knowing it will pass can decrease stress levels and allow you to become more comfortable in your present situation.

If this method is not something you would want to try, there are many other different ways to achieve mindfulness. Doing activities such as yoga or sports can be something where you are able to find that place in your consciousness of complete focus. It allows you to come away from the stresses of your day and have your mind singularly focused on the task at hand. Plus being active is a great way to stay in shape and keep yourself healthy.

Finally, if none of these methods seem appealing to you, then you should try holistic therapy. This is a treatment that can be performed by a specialist and promotes the overall wellness of the patient. It is a way to become more physically, mentally and spiritually healthy. Holistic therapy specialist will take into account every aspect of your life and treat you in such a way that it leads to a more balanced and healthy lifestyle.