Mental Health

In many cases, it feels as though we simply woke up one day, just to find that we’re suddenly struggling with symptoms of mental illness. We may begin feeling more anxious than normal, more depressed about our lives or more paranoid about seeing friends or family. Before, everything seemed fine – so why are we going through this now? While it may feel as though mental illness simply came “out of the blue”, it had to have started somewhere, right? Let’s take a look at some potential causes for the development of mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, phobias and more. Genetics: The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) explains that if someone in your family has a mental illness, the odds that you will develop one increase. First-degree relatives – such as your parents, siblings and children are the best sources of information, followed by your second-degree relatives, such as your nieces and nephews, half-brothers and sisters, grandparents, aunts/uncles, etc. Environment: Our lifestyle both growing up and as adults can have major impacts on the development of mental illness. Some of these environmental risk factors can include: smoking, sleep deprivation, pollution, exposure to toxins during childhood, extreme weather conditions, hazardous work conditions and more. Other environmental factors could involve people – such as the early loss of a parent, poverty, social stigma, etc. Trauma: Traumatic events can have a significant impact on a person’s livelihood, and sometimes this can lead to the development of a mental illness, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Substance Abuse: In some cases, addiction can bring out symptoms that cause a person to develop a mental illness. When this happens, a person then has two conditions to treat, often called a co-occurring disorder. If you’re ready to get started towards complete health and rejuvenation, speak with a professional from Avalon Malibu today.

When we talk about personality disorders, we mostly refer to borderline personality disorder (BPD), avoidant personality disorder (APD) or narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) – but histrionic personality disorder deserves acknowledgement too, because it affects so many people. This disorder is considered a “Cluster B” personality disorder because it’s considered a highly erratic, dramatic and emotional disorder. If you’ve been diagnosed with this disorder, know that you’re not alone – and that help is available. Those with histrionic personality disorder (HPD) tend to have a distorted image of themselves; their self-esteem is often based on others’ approval, and thus they tend to feel as though they need to “act out” in certain ways to get attention. In 2017, writer Fatima Dereye shared her personal story of HPD via Affinity, a website that publishes content on various topics, such as arts & culture, politics, feminism and more. She stated, “…When I am in a group of friends, I cannot stand being ignored. I will shake, feel anxious and sense that everyone is against me.”

The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance explains that mood disorders are highly treatable – but until a person recognizes their symptoms and seeks help, they may find that their life becomes more and more unmanageable. Symptoms of prolonged sadness, changes in sleeping and eating patterns, irritability, anger, pessimism, loss of energy, inability to concentrate and so much more can already have a significant impact on a person’s daily life – but how can a person manage these symptoms while also recovering from an addiction? A major component of this is being treated for both a mood disorder and a substance use disorder (SUD) at the same time. Mood disorders such as major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder (BPD) and others require specialized attention, but focusing only on a mood disorder over an SUD can make symptoms of the other condition worse. At Avalon Malibu, we treat both at the same time – and by taking a holistic approach to wellness, we’ll explore with you everything that can be done in treatment to optimize your mental, physical and spiritual health. The management of a co-occurring disorder typically involves a number of different aspects of treatment:

When we walk into therapy, we typically don’t know what to expect. All that we know is that we have a lot of issues that we want to work on – because in the past, we’ve used alcohol or other substances to cover up the pain we’ve been experiencing. This pain may have derived from recent events, or could date back all the way to childhood; nonetheless, it weighs heavily on the mind, body and spirit. Therapy is an excellent place to explore our thoughts, emotions and sensations – because it’s a safe place where people can talk out how they’re feeling with a third party who respects them and wants to help them work through these issues. If you’ve recently begun your journey to recovery, know that therapy can be one of the most transformational aspects of your life if you let it- - and the right therapist will be able to serve as a roadmap to take you where you need to be (given that you put in the work, of course).

Warning: This post may contain trigger warnings. If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Your life matters. Celebrities tend to pave the way in our society – they guide the latest trends, speak up on the latest issues and emphasize certain behavioral patterns that become integrated into our culture. Celebrities are incredibly influential – and while we don’t always know the intimate details of their lives, the work they produce can have such an incredibly important influence on us. Mental health has been more widely discussed amongst celebrities, as more and more are coming out about their own personal struggles with mental health issues and how they manage the symptoms they experience. Demi Lovato, for example, has been very open about not only her struggle with bipolar disorder (BPD), but also with her journey through addiction recovery, relapse, sobriety and more. Unfortunately, we’ve lost many amazing celebrities this past year due to mental health concerns and/or drug-related overdoses. We’d like to commemorate some of the precious souls that we lost in 2018:

Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy that was primarily created to help treat borderline personality disorder (BPD). With DBT, the focus is still placed on problematic thought patterns with an aim to develop newer, more beneficial thought patterns – but in addition to this, a person is led to practice acceptance and validation in the changes that take place throughout this process. Many disorders – such as bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders and more – can come with “black and white” thinking, which makes it challenging for a person to accept all of the “gray” areas that come with life. A 2016 study published in the journal Behaviour, Research and Therapy found that DBT does help improve the emotion regulation challenges that many people (such as those with BPD) face. With technology becoming such a prominent feature in health fields, apps are starting to emerge which can further support a person’s recovery both in and out of treatment. A 2018 review highlights this app called Pocket Skills, which essentially helps individuals engage in DBT and practice the skills learned through this in their own environment. Pocket Skills seems to cover a variety of areas that may be beneficial for someone looking to apply what they’ve learned in therapy, such as:

It’s estimated that around 30.8 million adults in the United States have a personality disorder, and avoidant personality disorder (APD) is one that centers around a fear of criticism and rejection. For many people with this disorder, social situations can become terrifying due to the potential of embarrassment in front of others; it’s not uncommon for people with APD to feel as though they don’t fit in. If this is something you’ve struggled with, you can probably relate to the incessant “mind reading” that goes along with this disorder. When this happens, we feel so incredibly confident of what others are thinking about us (most often in a negative light)– and in turn, it causes us to act (and react) in ways that only push us further into depths of the disorder itself. A 2016 article written by authors from Italy associated mindreading with “metacognition” – a term that involves our own personal awareness and understanding of our own thoughts. It’s suggested that for those with APD, metacognition may be impaired because a person is unable to fully grasp how their thought processes are influencing the social anxiety they’re experiencing. In 2018, researchers published a study in the journal Comprehensive Psychiatry that argues that APD is quite similar to social phobia depending on the degree of social anxiety; from their study, however, they found that not only do those with APD tend to have lower metacognitive functioning, but they also tend to experience greater distress in forming relationships with other people. If you tend to project your feelings onto other people, this can make it incredibly difficult for you to engage with others. Unfortunately, many people seek out substances as a way to resolve the stress associated with being out in public – but while this may work temporarily, it doesn’t truly help a person recover.

Even after we’ve gone through detox and rid our body of the toxins that were acquired from active addiction, we have to continue the restorative process of our mind, body and spirit. From the time when our addiction developed, we’ve covered up layers of ourselves that serve great purpose in living a happy, meaningful life; emotions have been pushed down far within us, and we may even find ourselves having difficulty expressing some of our darkest issues. Throughout recovery, we have to pay close attention to our thoughts and emotions, because these are what shape our perceptions – and perception is what guides us in life.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) emphasizes that many people with addiction have a comorbid disorder with mental illness; about half of people who experience a mental illness also experience a substance use disorder (SUD) at some point in their lives and vice versa. Those entering recovery often need support to heal from more than just an addiction – they need a support system, tools and resources to help them navigate the symptoms of mental illness, too. Integrated treatment is so important here for this very reason – addiction isn’t the only aspect of our lives. Physical fitness provides so many benefits to the mind, body and spirit. Physically, exercise can make us stronger, leaner, more flexible, and more in tune to the present moment. For mental illnesses – which often come with symptoms such as anxiety, depression, mood swings, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, low self and more – physical fitness can train the mind to work better. A 2016 study published in the journal World Psychiatry reminds us that physical activity doesn’t have to be a rough, challenging, momentous sprint or marathon for us to receive the benefits; for many, light exercises, such as walking or even exercises by sitting, can be beneficial – especially if someone in recovery has physical limitations that prevent them from a wide range of movement. In 2014, researchers published a study in the journal Disability and Rehabilitation that sought to explore the effects of physical exercise on those with mild to moderate depression. The study’s results found that exercise therapy can assist those in recovery with coping mechanisms, improved body image, enhanced quality of life and increased independence in older adults. When mental illness is present, it can be difficult to get started in physical activity – but having a set schedule within treatment for addiction recovery makes it that much easier to ensure that a person is supported in their fitness goals.

When we talk about anxiety as a society, we often focus on the debilitating components of it – the fact that our heart starts pounding, we becoming incredibly fearful of a certain event in the future, we start sweating, our mind starts racing and more; while these symptoms can be incredibly troubling, the reality is that there are many of us with high-functioning anxiety. High-functioning anxiety is much less noticeable to other people and may even be overlooked by ourselves if we’re able to carry out daily responsibilities. Dr. Carla Marie Manly, a clinical psychologist, told Bustle, “A person who experiences functional anxiety remains able to move through daily activities without the burden of constant, severe anxiety.”

“I thought I was going crazy, I thought I was dying and had no one I could talk to that understood. It got so bad that at one point I started a new job and had difficulty driving to work. I couldn’t get there without having a panic attack.” As the person above shared their story with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), panic disorder can disrupt everyday life. What comes with panic disorder, however, is feeling nervous about having panic attacks in public places – and with little attention focused on how debilitating this disorder can be, it’s often overlooked. A 2016 review published by researchers from the Indiana University School of Medicine highlighted a major symptom of panic disorder – hyperventilation – and how breathlessness, chest pain, weakness, fatigue, dizziness, wheeziness and more becomes overlooked as individuals experiencing these symptoms tend to believe that they’re the only ones going through this. In addition to this, the signs of panic disorder can be shown in many other disorders; Very Well Mind, a website that publishes information on disorders, self-improvement and psychology, reminds us of some overlooked facts of panic disorder:

A common issue amongst many of us is how to express ourselves when we’re feeling angry, sad, anxious, etc. In the past, our society has set expectations for how we’re supposed to deal with painful emotions – with an unfortunate outcome being suppression. We hold it in, expecting the pain to fade away – but when it doesn’t, we find ourselves searching outside for solutions, and that’s oftentimes when addiction works its way into our lives. Recovery is a time for us to release the pent-up emotions that we’ve hid for so long, and expressive arts therapy can be a transformative way to reach these suppressed emotions that we may no longer know how to get to. Expressive therapy is defined as, “…the use of art, music, dance/movement, drama, poetry/creative writing, play, and sand tray within the context of psychotherapy, counseling, rehabilitation or health care.  Addiction recovery is about uncovering what we’ve held back for so many years, and expressive arts therapies allow us to dive deeper into the issues that we may not be able to put into words. Just how successful has expressive arts therapy been for those in addiction recovery? A 2014 study published in the Journal of Addictions Nursing assessed 299 treatment centers and found that 36.8% of them offered expressive arts therapies; the ones that did, however, worked very well alongside 12-Step programs and reached some of the unique needs of those in recovery. Other studies have shown that expressive art therapies can help those in recovery make connections between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, which helps create an alignment within individuals’ recovery process. As a 2017 study published in the journal Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly states, there are several areas of recovery that expressive therapies can reach: