Mental Health

Watching someone who has problems controlling either their impulsive or compulsive behaviors can be troubling, but it’s first necessary to be able to name and identify the behavior for a person to ultimately get the appropriate help they need. Both of these behaviors are significant since they can take a huge toll on a person’s mental health and require attention if not kept in check. Understanding the difference between impulsive and compulsive behavior is crucial since these behaviors often occur in addiction or other co-occurring disorders.

The stories we tell ourselves about who we are and what we can or cannot do determines our reality. The problem is, so many of these stories are rooted in beliefs learned from childhood when we lacked the proper understanding of life or may have been someone else’s beliefs pressed onto us. The core beliefs we have about ourselves need to be reexamined every once in a while to be sure that they are serving us well. Often limiting beliefs may have led to addiction in the first place, so when it comes to breaking an addiction, it is crucial to first break any limiting beliefs surrounding it. The way you “break” a self-limiting belief is to reframe it in an empowering way.  One of the basic self-limiting beliefs in substance abuse is that you can’t imagine life without your drug(s) of choice and that life would be too boring without it. For instance, if you are having trouble believing you can quit drinking alcohol, begin to reframe this belief by first realizing that there is a layer of social conditioning in believing you need to drink to have fun. It is merely your perception that alcohol leads to a good time, but is that necessarily the reality when you always end up crying alone after a long night of drinking? Instead of letting alcohol hold all of the power, the real power is in choosing to quit which will free you from your addiction and dependency on having alcohol in your life and to having a good time. Choose to focus on the true freedom that life without addiction brings and see that you are an active participant in choosing what you want and are in control of your life. To help identify some of the self-limiting beliefs that may be fueling your addiction, try following these steps.

When you’re suffering from crippling anxiety it can feel nearly impossible to spare any excess energy on worrying about what you should or shouldn’t eat. Choosing food that is good for your body and brain, however, is one of the easiest things you can do to support your mental health. By making a few simple changes to your overall diet, you can experience improved anxiety symptoms.

The dangers and risks of pregnant women abusing drugs and/or alcohol are well understood and documented. Over 1,000 women in the United States since the 1970s have even been arrested exclusively for substance use while pregnant. There is no better time to get sober than a looming pregnancy, but even after being clean, women are haunted by their substance abuse history. Some recovering addicts have deep concerns about the viability of their bodies to give birth to a healthy baby because of their past. Fortunately, after sustained sobriety, you can have a beautiful and healthy pregnancy like anyone else.

Mental health and emotional health are getting a lot of attention as of late in light of the COVID pandemic. They both play a significant role in your overall well-being and influence your thoughts and actions. Together, mental and emotional health act to help us process and properly respond to all of the different stresses in life. It is especially important to tend to your mental and emotional health since untreated mental or emotional problems may lead to substance abuse. While the terms mental and emotional health are often used interchangeably, they each carry a distinct meaning.

Your mental health is no doubt tied to the level of function and health of your brain. With Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) a person sustains an injury to their brain typically due to a traumatic blow to the head. TBIs commonly occur due to car accidents, falls, or something heavy hitting a person’s head. Depending on the severity of the trauma and which parts of the brain were damaged, it can have varying effects on a person’s behavioral and emotional health. There are many common mental health symptoms that TBI sufferers commonly share like mood swings, anxiety, and depression.

You may recognize addictive tendencies in other areas of your life after you’ve come to terms with having a drug and/or alcohol addiction. Because of the similar feelings and chemical reactions these habits produce in the body, they create some of the same feelings as with substance abuse. Recognizing and shifting these addictive behaviors is important to help bring a better sense of overall balance and good health into your life.

Loneliness is a difficult emotion to experience in recovery but is often a natural part of the recovery process. Drinking and/or using may have even been triggered by loneliness in the first place as a way to seek comfort from feeling rejected, alone, or unwanted. Fortunately, there are concrete ways to prevent feelings of loneliness during recovery.

With the stroke of the clock on every midnight of New Year’s Eve, an exciting mix of unrealized possibilities and hopes rushes in for the new year ahead. The energy surrounding this coming year feels unquestionably different than in past New Year’s. With lockdowns and a pandemic still part of our everyday reality, 2021 at first glance looks like a year with seemingly grim circumstances to enter into. A small shift in perspective can reveal that this year holds unique opportunities.

The path of recovery can be incredibly bewildering and yet undeniably fulfilling. Our process is always changing, showing us what we need to see to grow. It also propels us into the crux of what it means to become truly alive. To be alive is often a beautiful and yet a heart-breaking experience as it means we are awake and aware of everything that life throws at us; all of the beauty, pain, reasons we wake up, and all of the reasons we sometimes cry ourselves to sleep. While being awake in life is a gift and worth it, this does not mean that it will not come without its share of challenges. Sometimes shame, guilt, confusion, anger, and doubt can control life quality before seeking help and recovery. Such thoughts can linger, creating self-deprecating belief systems, and it can become confusing to practice humility and grace on the road to recovery. Watching a loved one struggle to find balance can be difficult, too. However, there are effective ways to help support a loved one and keep them walking the recovery path.

It is important and necessary that we seek help and guidance on any healing path. Whether it be from a physician, therapist, addiction counselor, or mentor, having guidance and support throughout our process is undeniably essential. Self-reflection is also necessary, as only we can truly know and understand ourselves and what our needs are. There are many ways to take care of ourselves and provide our body, mind, and spirit with what we need. Creative outlets are just one way to connect with oneself to self-soothe, reflect, and express.

One of the hardest things about getting sober initially is re-establishing all of our relationships with activities we once loved. Perhaps you had a weekly routine of going to the pub with your friends, or watching football games and drinking beer with your family or going out for a drink after work. Our lives are not only changing because we have stopped consuming substances our bodies and minds have relied on, our whole routine and past-times that once gave us pleasure have to be completely revamped. It can be a scary and lonely time, but you are not alone.