Healthy Living

Boundaries are a foreign concept to many people. What does it mean to set healthy boundaries in your relationships with other people? Isn’t it a bit awkward to say this is what can be and this is what can’t be, don’t cross the line? If boundaries were communicated with 100% transparency and authenticity, the world would be a funny place. We’d spend a lot of time hearing about the wealth of life experiences which brought someone to decide that this was a healthy boundary they needed to set in their lives. Boundaries can be specific to the individual and their unique needs. Some boundaries are more general and can be applied to anyone in any relationship. Setting healthy boundaries isn’t hard to do. The awkward blatant communication isn’t necessary. Instead, boundaries are usually set through actions. Ceasing to enable certain behaviors, communicating one’s needs in a compromise, and saying “no” are classic boundaries. It isn’t hard to set boundaries, but it can be uncomfortable. For that reason, it is important to practice setting boundaries. Overtime, creating and setting healthy boundaries becomes a natural part of the recovery process. Here are three important boundaries to understand and set: “No”. Saying no is automatically setting poignant and descriptive two letter boundary. When you say no, you clearly define something about you that you don’t like, aren’t willing to do, or a level you aren’t willing to go to. Shaking It Off. Letting people get to you for any kind of reason is an invasion of your own boundaries. Inside your world, there is peace and serenity. When you let a resentment, anger, guilt, shame, or any other kind of toxic attachment to another person enter and disrupt your internal sanctuary, you are violating a boundary. Your space, your thoughts, and your feelings are for you. Shaking it off and letting it go is a way you maintain healthy boundaries. What happens with or to someone else ends where you begin. The spaces have a healthy difference. Not Your Problem. Setting boundaries doesn’t mean you lose your sense of empathy or your ability to connect with others. It simply means you don’t get yourself lost in other people and vice versa. Boundaries means there is a clear distinction of who you are and who someone else is. Recovery is about setting new boundaries which separate you from old, toxic behaviors which harmed your ability to happily live your life. Avalon Malibu strives to provide trusted programs which produce total healing in mind, body, and spirit. For a confidential assessment and more information on our programs, call 1 888-958-7511.

You’re always connected to someone you love. This is as much a literal fact in the brain as it is a philosophical fact for getting through a breakup. No, you’ll never forget someone you fell in love with and developed a deep connection with. You’ll be connected for the rest of your life. That is, at least, according to the connections of your neural pathways. Relationships are habitual. They are attachments we develop and associate with pleasure, reward, and security. When we spend an exorbitant amount of intimate time with someone for years or months on end as we do in relationships, we create a lot of patterns in the brain. Those patterns are not easily forgotten, no matter how badly we wish they could be. According to Discover Magazine, “Experts say the neurological attachment that happens between young lovers is not unlike the attachment a  baby forms with its mother. Hormones like vasopressin and oxytocin are key in helping create a sense of closeness in relationships and play a starring role in both scenarios.” Having significant intimate experiences with that person makes the connection even more strong. “Such preferential encoding in the brain is one reason why stories of people reconnecting with a high school or college flame are commonplace.” Old flames can cause haywire in circuitry for those in recovery from addiction. Coupling the neuroscience of a relationship with the neuroscience of addiction creates a tenfold of ‘preferential encoding’ in the brain. Most people new to recovery who aren’t in a relationship are advised to stay out of one for at least their first year. For those who are in a relationship unhealthy and toxic to their recovery, they are encouraged to walk away. It isn’t because of the threat, the distraction, or the drama. When one partner tries to get sober and the other partner continues using, there is a constant reminder of those neural pathways which highlight the connection between partner and using drugs. Too often people in recovery relapse because of rekindling an old flame with an ex who is still using. It takes little wooing to light up the circuitry in the brain which says this person is a good idea and using drugs with them is an even better one. Recovery is about learning to live, one day at a time. Learning to have a healthy relationship with yourself will ensure your ability to have healthy relationships in the future. Avalon Malibu happily provides relationship counseling and therapy to those who are committed and wish to work on both relationships during their time of treatment. In recovery, everyone has an opportunity to heal. For a confidential assessment and more information on our programs, call 1 888-958-7511.

Living with depression can be manageable. Avalon Malibu has created programs that not only help clients heal but learn how to transform their lives. For a confidential assessment and more information on our programs, call 1 888-958-7511.

Depression is a mood disorder which impacts mind, body, and spirit. Symptoms of all three areas are prevalent in depression and can cause someone to feel as though they are out of control in their lives. Physical pain is a common accompaniment to depression. Aches, pains, muscle fatigue, and exhaustion are all common. The depressed body feels low in energy and mirrors pain being experienced in mind and spirit. Hopelessness, pessimism, fear, melancholy, detachment and emptiness can be felt as much physically as they are both mentally, as well as spiritually. Psychosomatization is not uncommon with mood and personality disorders, especially depression. Somatizing congested emotions which have not been confronted and processed can lead to physical pain, which only increases the difficulty of the experience of living with depression. Psychiatry Advisor cites new research which has found that physical pain is more common for those who are living with depression. This combination of symptoms has a greater affect than physical and emotional pain. “...those with both depression and pain are more likely to have cognitive impairment,” the article explains. The findings of the new research “...provide evidence to screen for pain in those with depression and cognitive impairment,” and emphasizes that “...effectively treating pain in these populations may increase cognitive and functional outcomes.” Screening for physical pain in a diagnosis which is known for providing someone with emotional pain, might be the answer to effective recovery. Cognitive impairments can last beyond treatment if they are not properly assessed and confronted. Cognitive functions are the functions within the brain which helps humans make decisions, make judgments, and perform almost every executive action they have. Importantly, cognition is what helps humans make meaning in their lives by assimilating information and transforming it into knowledge. Treatment for mood disorders often falls short when cognitive impairments get in the way. With an impaired ability to make sense of incoming information, all of the efforts of treatment become ineffective. Too often, this is blamed on the individual with accusations of being unwilling or not committed to recovery. Exacerbating an already exhausting amount of shame and stigma, too many clients give up on themselves and their recovery because they aren’t “getting it.” Screening for physical pain in depression could be an answer to interrupting and remedying cognitive impairments, leading to a successful and effective recovery. Treating mind, body, and spirit, stems beyond physical and emotional pain but has a significant effect on the entire brain chemistry. Avalon Malibu believes that holistic healing is the answer to trusted results in recovery. Our programs for mental health are some of California’s only certified primary treatment programs. For a confidential assessment and more information on our residential treatment programs for depression, call 1 888-958-7511.

30% of the American adult population lives with some kind of an anxiety disorder. Only a small percentage of those struggling will ever seek treatment. Problematically, many of them are not aware that they have an anxiety disorder which needs to be treated. Instead, they live with labels of being fearful, being sensitive, being afraid, or worrying too much. Coping with anxiety can be done in healthy ways or unhealthy ways. Many people who live with anxiety find themselves developing mechanisms for coping which work best for them, even if they aren’t healthy ones. When someone creates a coping mechanism, no matter how unhealthy, they stick to that routine because it has a benefit of some sort which works for them. Abusing mind altering substances like drugs and alcohol is one of these coping mechanisms. Co-occurring anxiety and addiction is common. Though the drugs and alcohol pose equally as significant a problem as the anxiety, the payoff of the effects of the substances is enough. Drugs and alcohol can either depress the system to reduce the tense feelings of worry or they can excite the system to create a kind of tension that feels more in control. Unfortunately with substance abuse, especially when co-occurring with anxiety, control does not last long. As chemical dependency full develops, the coping mechanism of substance abuse becomes a more serious manner of survival. Avoiding the combination of anxiety and substance abuse is possible. Here are 5 ways you can reduce your risk or watch over a loved one living with anxiety 10 Minutes Of Exercise Exercise is one of the ways that the Anxiety And Depression Association Of America recommends coping with anxiety. As little as ten minutes of exercise can clear up anxiety and produce hormones which focus the brain in a different direction. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Incorporating mindfulness into the home at an early age can help children learn how to manage their stress as well as their emotions. Mindfulness meditation practices reduce the heart rate and concentrate the mind on the present moment. Balanced Diet And Nutrition The brain needs essential fatty amino acids to function. Low sugar and low processed food diets help keep mood swings and emotional excitement to a minimum. Creating healthy meals as a process can be good for managing anxiety around food. Avalon Malibu is one of southern California’s leading dual diagnosis treatment centers providing primary care for both mental health conditions and substance use disorders. For a confidential assessment and more information on our trusted programs, call 1 888-958-7511.

“Awe” is defined as “a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder. Awe is often synonymous with wonder or wonderment. “Wonder” is defined as a feeling of surprise mingled with admiration, caused by something beautiful, unexpected, unfamiliar, or inexplicable.” Recovery, in any of its forms, is all of these things. There is a clearly inexplicable process which can bring relief to depression, security to anxiety, healing to trauma, and an end to substance abuse. Having lived entire lifetimes with unmanageable symptoms, the transformation of recovery is unexpected and certainly unfamiliar. Yet, through the process, there is a reverential feeling with that something beautiful is happening. With a healthy sense of fear of what has been before the awe-inducing wonderment of the what is now, people live their lives in happy bewilderment at the miracle of recovery. Cultivating awe in your life is part of making meaning, which is essential to happy and healthy long term recovery. Mindful cites, “research suggests that awe has numerous psychological benefits, including increased life satisfaction, a sense of time slowing down or standing still, and  greater desire to help others.” In addition, experiencing awe regularly can improve one’s health. Recent studies have found that experiencing awe more frequently can reduce inflammation, thereby reducing the risk of heart disease. “Awe may help people cope better with stress,” the article expands, “by promoting curiosity and exploration, rather than withdrawal and isolation.” What Is Awe? “...Awe involves feeling interconnected with others and broadening our horizons,” Mindful poetically describes. Awe is “...like a camera lens zooming out to reveal a more complex and inclusive picture. From this vantage point, everyday concerns tend to feel less overwhelming- as we get smaller, so do they.” Typically, we feel awe when we experience something greater than ourselves. We feel wonder, and a little bit of fear. Mountains, lakes, rivers, vast horizons, and nature tend to induce a feeling of awe. The miracle of birth, watching children grow, seeing healing in others, witnessing a proposal on a random afternoon- when we see life happen in all of its fullness, we are filled with awe. For this reason, the process of recovery is awe-inducing in itself. Being part of a life-saving transformation which takes the broken spirits of those who have been coping with life through the abusive use of drugs and alcohol is nothing less than a wonder. How is it that chronic addicts and alcoholics can stop drinking and using? How is it that people who have felt afflicted with great emotional pain their entire lives can find a profoundly realistic sense of peace and serenity? It is, indeed, a wonder. Creating Awe In Recovery A combination of gratitude and mindfulness are two of the most practical tools which could be applied to creating awe in recovery. Being mindful helps you to be aware of and notice the world around you. The more attention you pay, the more you will see. Finding and developing gratitude for that world helps you realize just how much awe there is to be had for everything from the satisfying taste of your favorite breakfast food to the gentle way a leaf falls from a tree in autumn. Drugs and alcohol create a small, specific world. Recovery opens your world up and invites you be be amazed. Recovery is possible. Avalon Malibu invites you to call for a confidential assessment and for more information on how our transformative healing treatment programs can help you find the wonder in life again. 1 888-958-7511.

A new research study from the University of Exeter reveals that bird watching, in addition to other outdoor activities, can reduce feelings of depression and anxiety. Over 270 people were surveyed for the study. “People who live in neighborhoods with birds, shrubs, and trees are less likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, and stress,” Good News Network explains. There are benefits for mental health wellbeing if you are able to see birds and natural things outside of your home. Staring out the window at the lovely world isn’t enough, though it is a good start. The study found that “those who spent less time out of doors than usual in the previous week were more likely to report they were anxious or depressed.” Isolation is a common side effect of both depression and anxiety. People who are living with depression don’t want to have to put forth the energy to interact with people, explain why they’re acting so different, or have to talk about any emotions. Those living with anxiety experience a similar sentiment. Their antisocial tendencies are caused by feeling too overwhelmed and anxious by the idea of being around any number of people, in a social setting, or feeling like they have to perform. Homes can become comfortable and safe. Most people feel that is what a home should be- a place of security and shelter. However, staying home all the time can be debilitating and worsen the symptoms of mental health disorders. This study is not the first to suggest that being near nature and being able to see nature is helpful to lessening the symptoms of mental illness. It does confirm that getting outside, leaving the comforts of home, and immersing oneself into the beauty of nature is critically important and beneficial. Ways To Enjoy The Neighborhood Not everyone can live next door to a park. You can look online to find your county or state’s parks and recreation website to locate all the parks nearby. You might even find just a street corner with a bit of grass and a few planted trees. The research proves that spending time even in that small space, especially if there are birds, will be helpful to mental health. Avalon Malibu is located on a beautiful estate overlooking the iconic California coastline. Surrounded by lush gardens, hovering trees and beautiful flowers, our residential treatment homes are encompassed by the healing power of nature. If you or a loved one are looking for treatment for a mental health or substance use disorder, call us today for a confidential assessment at 1 888-958-7511.

30 million Americans use sleep medication. That’s a lot of people who have a hard time falling asleep. During treatment for recovery from a mental health or substance use disorder, sleep can be challenging. Living with new thoughts and feelings, dealing with physical symptoms of withdrawal, and general restlessness can all cause a difficulty falling asleep. Maladaptive behaviors before bedtime and throughout the day can make sleeping more difficult as well- like that 5 pm coffee. Here are some best tips for getting to sleep without the use of a heavy sleeping medication. It’s important to note that using sleep medication during treatment is common and often encouraged. For many people, the medication quickly becomes unnecessary and causes more drowsiness the next day than it does quality sleep.

Winter is finally ending meaning springtime is right around the corner. With water starting to warm up and the ice melting away you have access to all new water activities that you didn’t before. What does water have to do with mental health recovery? Everything! For starters, the brain sits in a puddle of a water lie substance and is mostly made up of water itself. Our bodies are mostly water as well and so is the planet. Water connects us to everything that is life. Without water, we cannot survive and neither would most of the planet. Being connected to water is deeply healing. For example, the pH levels in the ocean match your internal pH levels, which can make similar feelings of being in the womb, causing you to feel calm and relaxed. Water helps us feel buoyant, relieving a lot of aches and pains. Water also makes us feel happier. Neuroscience research is diving deeper into water- literally- to get a better understanding of just how healing water is. Everyone likes to be near water, whether they know it or not. Even people with extreme phobias of water can overcome them because water is a wondrous thing. Go Kayaking Ocean kayaking can be extreme in the wrong conditions. On a flat day or in an ocean bay, it can be enjoyable. Find a nearby lagoon, lake, or channel where you can kayak. You’ll propel yourself along and focus on your breath while paying attention to the beauty all around you. Learn How To Surf There’s a reason people get “surf stoke”- surfing is fun! Springtime is a good time to start learning how to surf. Rent a wetsuit a board before heading out to the white water. Practice popping up and learning how to time the waves. Many lifetime surfers find the practice to be very zen and spiritual. Pick Up A Boogey Board If paddling out to the lineup and catching monster wages isn’t your thing, stick to the white water with a boogie board. Body surfing is always fun and is a great way to feel the rush of the power of the ocean without risking yourself getting too hurt. Take A Fishing Trip Going out on a boat across miles of open sea can be a transformational experience. Try taking an offshore fishing trip where you might see dolphins and whales along the way. Try Paddle Boarding Stand Up Paddle boarding is like a hybrid of surfing and kayaking. You can even do yoga on a stand up paddle board. Enjoy the power of the board with the power of your paddling as you cruise along, taking in the beautiful ocean around you. Create A Beach Collage If getting into the water doesn’t sound like your thing, you can still enjoy the bounties the water has to offer. Taking therapeutic walks on the beach can help your back, help your mindfulness practices, and keep you right next to the ocean. Along the way, you can find sticks, beach glass, and shells to collect. Make a beach collage with some sand so you can have a piece of the shore with you at home. Avalon By The Sea boasts its location in its name. Our stunning estate sits atop the iconic cliffside coast of southern california’s famous beach town of Malibu. During the warmer season we engage our clients in therapeutic water activities and beach activities making the most of our beautiful environment. For a confidential assessment and more information on our residential treatment programs for mental health and addiction, call 888-958-7511.

Nutritional psychiatry is the term used to describe a new movement being taken on by mental health practitioners prescribing diet changes to their patients. Antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and other prescription medications, in addition to therapy and self-care have been a common prescription for many years. Doctors are always recommending a good balance of diet and exercise, as exercise has been relentlessly proven to decrease symptoms of mental health disorders like depression. With nutritional psychiatry, doctors are emphasizing the diet part of the program. Increasing research has found that there is an important connection between the stomach and the brain. For those in recovery, this is no more obvious than the experience of HALT- the way one’s mood can take a quick, steep turn south when someone gets too hungry. The science behind the connection goes deeper than being hungry or not. Gut bacteria is being proven to have an influence on mood, inflammation, and more. Different foods create different gut bacteria. Holding true to the theory, different foods can create different moods. Nutritional psychiatry argues that following a gut-bacteria and mood-specific diet could be helpful in treating depression. Creating a mood-enhancing specific diet could radically alter the holistic approach of mind, body, and spirit, when it comes to treating depression. According to The Big Think, “95% of your body’s serotonin is made in your gastrointestinal tract.” Serotonin is a critical neurotransmitter helpful in regulating and stabilizing mood. Often, depression is described as a chemical imbalance of serotonin and dopamine.

Sex is a physical act as much as it is an act of emotion, psyche, and spiritual connection. Engaging in physical, sexual intimacy is a physical closeness that makes many people uncomfortable. Low self-esteem, insecurity, vulnerability, and even trauma regarding sexual intimacy is not reserved for those who might struggle with a mental illness. However, it can be a particularly complicated area for those living with and recovering from eating disorders. Eating disorders are usually talked about with a focus on food, control, perfectionism, weight, and body image. These factors can contribute to difficulty in sexual intimacy. Because sex is so physically close, if someone is at odds with their physical appearance, sex can be triggering. Furthermore, if that physical appearance is still toxically connected to how one perceives themselves (i.e. “today I feel fat, so today I have low self-esteem”), it can cause a deep level of discomfort. The effects of eating disorder on one’s sex life can range from preventing intimacy due to insecurity. Eating disorder behaviors like restriction, starvation, and purging, can deplete the body’s natural energy as well as throw off normal hormonal balance. Finding a desire for sexual interaction can be challenging when there is hardly a desire to eat. The Double Edge Sword Of Eating Disorder Recovery And Sex Recovery from eating disorders is usually successful as a patient starts to normalize their weight, working through underlying issues contributing to the eating disorder, and learn to be more body positive. Working on raising levels of confidence and body acceptance leads to tremendous shifts in perception and sexual desire. Unfortunately, there is still the old programming regarding weight, body image, and being wanted. As sexual desire increases with weight gain, there could be a newfound insecurity in the body. Though the individual has learned to accept and embrace themselves, they are still aware of the shame, stigma, and stereotype which gets applied to the physical form and what is defined as sexually desirable. True Self-Intimacy Before getting intimate with others, recovery demands that we become most intimate with ourselves, in mind, body, and spirit. Eating disorders separate us from ourselves. Through recovery, we learn how to be close with ourselves, our bodies, and our minds, creating a holistic whole self once more. Avalon By The Sea provides primary mental health care for men and women needing to recover from eating disorders. Call us today for a confidential assessment and more information on our residential treatment programs at 1 888-958-7511.

ADHD is commonly mistaken for depression and vice versa. One of the unknown sides of depression is the ability to create cognitive difficulties. Popularly known symptoms of depression include symptoms of being sad, tired, lazy, and without hope.However, all that emotional strain and imbalance in the brain can cause a difficulty in concentrating, focus, making decisions, and just thinking clearly. According to Science Daily, the American Chemical Society is studying rats to find out just how intensely the brain is cognitively affected by depression. Even with treatment for depression, as common symptoms pass and become more manageable, the cognitive symptoms can remain for quite sometime. Having to deal with lack of focus, forgetfulness, and an inability to make decisions is challenging. The pressing extreme emotions of depression can be challenging enough to live with and manage as feelings of sadness can take over. However, not being able to think clearly, remember, or make decisions is even more impairing. Relationships, jobs, schooling, and care taking can be compromised by this. The research suggests that certain proteins are more available in rats without depression than those who do have depression. In simple cognitive tests, rats without depression performed better than the rats who had the depression. Implications from this study could contribute toward advancing treatments for depression to include targeted treatments for cognitive functioning. Supporting Your Mental Health While Living With A Mental Health Disorder There are some practices which can be helpful in sharpening your focus, clearing your mind, and giving your brain more power when you're living with depression. Mindfulness meditation is scientifically proven to change the brain in positive ways and enlarge the prefrontal cortex which is where cognitive functions live. Exercise produces endorphins and is helpful to gaining mental clarity and energy. Depression is also helped by a healthy balanced diet which includes amino acids and omega-3 fatty acids from foods like eggs and avocado. Some studies suggest that the right diet could eliminate negative symptoms of depression entirely. Avalon By The Sea is one of California’s only mental health facilities providing primary care for depression. Our program is centered on mind, body, and spirit, to help facilitate healing holistically and clinically. For a confidential assessment, call 1 888-958-7511.