Healthy Living

Problematically, causal negative talk about body image during normal conversation doesn’t stay at the conversation. Instead, it follows us and impacts us on a deep level. According to Refinery29, “these comments don't just affect the person making the complaint — studies suggest that so-called "fat talk" is associated with increased body dissatisfaction,” and, they continue to explain, “these types of disparaging remarks from peers "can reinforce those [media] messages to the point that we internalize them." Negative remarks about body image, even when it isn’t about our own, exacerbates a point that society and mainstream media goes out of their way to make all the time. Bodies are flawed and worth being discussed all the time. Additionally, we ought to feel bad about the fact that none of us have “perfect” bodies and likely never will. Here are some of the ways Refinery29 cites to dissect negative body talk to protect yourself and a loved one:

Living with mental illness can be a challenge. There is hope. Learning to live with mental illness and a family who supports you is a work in progress with beautiful rewards.

2016 was the rise of clean eating and widespread veganism. Out of the dust of limiting a diet to only healthy super foods came Orthorexia, a new eating disorder that focuses on an obsessive need to eat only healthy foods. Predictions for the health trends, however unhealthy they may be, for 2017 is “Flexitarianism”. New Trends According to The Independent, Whole Foods is citing flexitarianism as the new trend. It’s an easier approach to maintaining a happy, healthy, balanced diet while also making eco-choices. Veganism and vegetarianism might be desireable for someone’s ecological agenda but does not agree with their biological agenda (though many vegans might argue). Instead of trying to diet in extremes, flexitarianism will help people maintain a mostly vegetarian diet while still allowing for, and encouraging, eating meat. Eating flexibly is by no means new or revolutionary. However, in a diet-identified world, it helps to have a name. Going meat free a few times a week or a few meals per day is encouraged for many reasons. Eating more fruits and vegetables in addition to protein heavy substances is good for health. Meat is necessary for many people as a source of iron, protein, and other essential nutrients. However, meat production is terrible for the environment. Many see reducing their intake of meat as a balanced political statement. Quite literally, they can have their meat and eat it too. How To Eat Flexitarian Getting savvy with vegan and vegetarian cooking is easy to do today with so many blogs, Youtube channels, and Instagram accounts dedicated to healthy eating. With a doctor, decide how many times per day or per week your unique body is in need of meat and animal based protein. Plan your meals around when to have meat and when not to have meat. Don’t worry, eating plant based for some meals will not mean only eating salads. Stews, soups, and plenty of other foods can be created from plant based ingredients. Avalon By The Sea supports healthy, balanced eating by providing residents with a personalized nutrition plan and regular sessions with a dietician. Our in house chef prepares locally sourced organic meals each day. For information on our treatment programs, call 1 888-958-7511.

Journal Sometimes we don’t understand why we are sad. There is a difference between feeling sad and being diagnosable depressed. The everyday kind of sadness that comes on out of nowhere really come from somewhere we just have to discover it. One of the best ways to do that is through journaling. Set a minimum of fifteen minutes aside to just start writing down your thoughts. You’ll be amazed how quickly your emotions start pouring out and that you are able to gain clarity at what you are feeling. Journaling isn’t guaranteed to make your sadness go away, but it might take some of the pressure off as you lamentingly try to figure out why you feel so sad. Be Of Service To Another Sadness can cause us a bit of a pity party. Sitting in self-pity neither helps our sadness nor does any good to anyone else. Helping out a friend in a small or big way does. Instead of focusing on ourselves and our woes, we can put our attention to someone else. Taking the microscope off of our episode of sadness actually reduces it. Additionally, doing good for others is always a trick way to do something good for yourself. You’ll realize there’s more to life than just your experience in it, even when that experience is sad. Organize Your space Cleaning your room, organizing your house, or moving furniture around the living room probably sounds like the last thing you would want to do when you are feeling sad. Sadness can feel like standing in the middle of an afternoon rain shower where the drops follow you everywhere you go. Cleaning is a way to shake off the dampness and create something fresh. The critical and creative thinking will overpower your emotional state and help you see that nothing has to stay the same, including your emotional state. Make Your Body Move Laying around in bed with the covers pulled up around you like a winter parka probably sounds like a great idea when you’re feeling sad and blue. Moping only makes sadness worse, even though for many “taking it easy” is the answer to emotional distress. Most of the time, such actions only feed the sadness. Try going for a walk, doing some yoga, or having a dance jam in your room. It might be hard to move at first, but once you get your blood pumping you’ll find you’re having fun and the sadness will just disappear. Emotional Regulation is a huge part of recovery. Avalon By The Sea offers a diverse program which educates, heals, and informs each client with the tools they need to live happy and successful lives. For a private consultation and more information on our programs, call 1 888-958-7511.

Recovery is full of special sayings and cliches. They are small statements which serve as reminders to the bigger purpose of recovery. There is a reason for your pain. Pain has a purpose. Don’t give up. One day at a time. Keep it simple. Easy does it. Have willingness, honesty, and open-mindedness. Suit up and show up. The list goes on.

Seasonal affective disorder or depression is a real mental health condition which strikes thousands of people each time the weather changes from summer to winter. Throughout the course of fall, symptoms worsen until they become a general depression. Here are some tips for preparing to transition out of seasonal affective disorder and prepare for next year.

Mindfulness is often confused with emptiness. Mindfulness is a practice rooted in buddhism which simply asks the practitioner to grow in their awareness of their surroundings. Noticing, paying attention, and becoming aware are all mindful practice that help separate one from their thoughts and grow in autonomy over what they are thinking. Zen is a particular form of Buddhist practice which seeks to help the follower create emptiness in their minds, detaching entirely from any emotional state. Mindfulness does not asks practitioners to do this. Instead, it simply suggest taking an honest look at what is feeling. Most people are unable to identify their feelings. Though they know they are feeling something, they are often lacking in the awareness, as well as the emotional articulation, to specifically identify what they are feeling. Consequently, mindfulness is not the absence of emotion, but the heightened awareness of it. For mindfulness, all emotions are equal.

Need some new hobbies this year to occupy your time and invigorate your self-care repertoire? According to recent research this a host of crafty and culinary hobbies that will help boost your creativity and your mental health. In a social media world where perfectionist Instagram and Pinterest photos fuel the Do-It-Yourself drive, crafting and baking, in addition to other hobbies, bring people a lot of joy. That healthy joy is improving their mental health, as the research reveals. 658 students were surveyed for the study and found that the next day after crafting or creating in some way students had more energy, felt happier, and had a greater sense of calm the next day. Of the crafts and hobbies, these are some of the other activities included by the researchers in the study:

Change is uncomfortable. Often change is out of our control. We don’t know what change will bring, how change will affect us and whether that effect will be good or bad. For some of us, change was a constant in our lives. We barely had the chance to find any grounding beneath our feet. Growing up in an environment that is unstable, unpredictable, volatile, and insecure, change can be tremendously triggering. Often that change included abuse. Traumatized from what was out of our control when it came to family members, spouses, or loved ones, we have a difficult time coping with change. Life is constantly changing. You are constantly changing. The world is always moving, shifting, and growing. So are you. Change is inevitable and change is constant. You cope with more change than you realize. It is specific change which triggers specific traumas from your life which are difficult to cope with. Learning how to identify and embrace these changes is an important part of recovery. Often, people abuse drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism. Intoxication was a preferred state to feeling completely out of control of change. Today, you get to live a different life. Gratitude Gratitude for change makes the change more bearable. Rather than fight what is happening, gratitude helps with embracing it. Judging, labeling, and creating fear out of change makes it more difficult to accept. Gratitude, however, creates a balance. Gratitude is the way to recognize that everything in life has a purpose and a lesson. We can learn from everything that happens to us, whether it is out of our control or not. Mostly, gratitude helps us to be thankful for the things that matter. Our lives, our sobriety, our health, our wellness- these are the most important things. When we become obsessed with things other than what is important, we tend to forget how important they are and how lucky we are to have them. Gratitude puts us back on track and loosen up our need for control. Avalon By The Sea knows that you have a beautiful life waiting for you. You can recover from what you’re going through and live a different life. Let us show you how. We offer residential treatment programs and intensive outpatient as well as day care programs. For more information, call 888-958-7511.

The theory arguing for two kinds of narcissism has been around for decades but is not often discussed. As it often occurs with mental illness, it is easier to generalize a mental health disorder than fully understand the depth of it. Creating a trope out of a mental illness simplifies and compartmentalizes it, but it does not inform in the most effective way it could. Narcissism is used often as ridicule and warning for those who might be working for, in a relationship with, or is the child of, a narcissist. Narcissistic personality disorder is a diagnosable mental health disorder in which people suffer greatly from the way they relate to themselves and the world. Often, the narcissistic behavior is their way of coping with tremendous insecurity and pain, often due to trauma from their childhoods, including being raised by narcissistic parents.  Narcissism is often characterized by its worst parts: entitlement, manipulation, exploitation, and a lack of consideration for others. The ego driven personality disorder needs to be understood and empathized with no matter how deep the extent of their negative actions go. Narcissistic personality disorder is often co-occurring with substance use disorders, especially alcoholism and cocaine addiction. Grandiose Narcissism

Many young adults and adults who come to treatment are shocked to find out they’ve been living their lives with untreated ADHD. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder affects millions of adults- many of whom are unaware of the struggle they live with on a daily basis. For someone who has ADHD, their mind is running, all the time. Loop thinking, constant distraction, an inability to sit still, difficulty being productive, and a general feeling of never being able to reach one’s potential is challenging to cope with. ADHD is a highly co-occurring disorder with alcoholism and drug addiction. When someone with untreated ADHD experiments recreationally with drugs and alcohol, they find a certain kind of relief. Compared to the ongoing noise and debilitation happening inside their minds, the way they feel under the influence of drugs and alcohol is preferable. Medication ADHD in adults can be treated with medication. Typically, ADHD medications are amphetamines, or, stimulants. Abuse of and addiction to stimulant ADHD medication is common. Some research suggests that people who have taken ADHD medication since a young age were being set up for addiction. Thankfully, there are non-stimulant solutions in medicating and treating ADHD. Treating ADHD takes more than taking a pill. Certain lifestyle changes, habits, and routines have to be set up to create organization and calm. Here are some symptoms of Adult ADHD:

Divorce is something that happens between parents, not a child. However, it is often the child who is most affected. Adult children of divorce live with a special kind of fear: anything can break the love between two people and most of the time you don’t see it coming. Not every divorce is obvious. Without the security of a blatant reason for a parent’s love to end, a child is left with a particular insecurity. What causes two people to stop loving each other? What causes someone to leave? Each step becomes when of fear when a child of divorce grows up and starts engaging in romantic partnerships. Every fight is terrifying. The fear of not knowing what could be wrong, what could cause them to leave, is paralyzing. Some children of divorce grow up to be codependent and needy while others become counter-dependent and avoidant to love.