Mental Health

Note: If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Your life matters. Suicide prevention starts with recognizing the symptoms and taking them very seriously. Too many times, we see the warning signs but overlook them – thinking that somebody else is helping our loved one, that we are inaccurate about our assumptions, or that we can’t make that much of a difference in our loved one’s life. If you suspect that your loved one is having suicidal thoughts, it’s time to speak up. Act now. Provide support. Share the love. Doing this could save your loved one’s life. First, you may want to let your loved one know that you’ve noticed signs that something is wrong or that they’ve been acting differently; then, you will want to ask your loved one questions to understand what they are going through a little better. This may include asking questions such as:

Note: If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Your life matters. Depression is a serious mental illness that affects nearly 350 million worldwide, and 16 million people in the United States specifically, according to Healthline. Many people don’t get treated for depression, causing them to experience extended pain and suffering such as insomnia, anxiety, anger, hopelessness, isolation, and more. If you’ve been struggling with depression, treatment is possible, and you are not alone. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), and holistic activities such as meditation, mindfulness, yoga and more have all been incorporated in many reputable treatment programs to help individuals restore their mind, body, and spirit. Hypnosis has often been misunderstood, as movies and media portray hypnosis as “not having control” and “succumbing to the will of another person”. While this portrayal is often in reference to magic, hypnosis for mental illness and addiction recovery treatment is quite difference. In sum, hypnosis is a powerful, therapeutic technique that can assist a person in reaching a state of consciousness in which they can focus their mind on a particular thought or feeling, or rather to uncover thoughts or feelings that may have been suppressed over the years. As emphasized by the American Psychological Association (APA), hypnosis is safe, and you have complete control – meaning that you can “awaken” or “snap out of it” any time that you so choose. Gestalt therapy is a form of therapy that focuses on an individual’s insight and responsibility to the present moment; gestalt therapists utilize various creative strategies to enhance clients’ freedom, awareness, and self-expression. A 2017 study conducted by researchers from Mexico sought to explore whether or not hypnosis and gestalt therapy were beneficial to those experiencing depression; one group was tested strictly with hypnotherapy, another group strictly with gestalt therapy, and yet a last group to serve as a comparison group. Results from the study showed that both hypnotherapy and gestalt therapy yielded significant improvement to those with depression – meaning that either or both could be an excellent option for treatment. If you haven’t already, speak with a professional from a reputable treatment center today. Depression is treatable – just like other mental illnesses and addictions. Don’t wait any longer to seek the help you need.

A common attack thrown at an individual in today’s society typically involves “you’re so narcissistic”. This unfortunate and misguided stereotype fails to address narcissism for what it really is – U.S. News states that 1 in 16 Americans experience narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) at some point in their lives, but in fact we all have narcissism. How is this? Despite common beliefs, narcissism is a spectrum – and only if a person is on the severe side do they meet the criteria for NPD. NPD is characterized by an excessive need for admiration, a disregard for others’ feelings, an inability to handle criticism, and an overall sense of self-entitlement. The symptoms experienced with this disorder are more intense than typical narcissism, however. At healthy levels, narcissism helps us maintain a good appearance, perform well a job interviews, land a date with a potential love interest and more – we all need to have some form of self-interest and self-confidence to be able to portray the best version of ourselves in front of others, especially when the outcome could involve something that we desire for ourselves. Unhealthy levels of narcissism, however, are what lean more towards the NPD side – which can greatly affect aspects of daily life, such as school, work, family, and social relationships. A 2015 study published in the Psychological Bulletin sought to explore gender differences regarding NPD; researchers analyzed 355 studies, with 470,846 participants in sum. The researchers identified gender differences of NPD in three principal areas: Exploitative/Entitlement – manipulation; has no problems “stepping” on others in order to get what they want Leadership/Authority – motivation, desire, and belief that one holds a position of power; individuals with this type of NPD enjoy having authority over others. Grandiose/Exhibitionism – vanity, self-absorption, and the desire to be the center of attention If you have been diagnosed with NPD, treatment is an option and often includes cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a form of treatment that helps individuals understand their disorder and their thinking patterns and how this influences their actions. If you have been diagnosed with a mental disorder, it’s important that you seek help from a reputable treatment center.

There are many factors involved in mood disorders, so it’s important to speak with a licensed healthcare professional in order to receive an accurate diagnosis. However, recent studies are showing that if we are experiencing disruptive sleep-wake cycles, this could be indicative of major mood disorders such as bipolar disorder (BD) or depression. Consider your current sleeping habits. Do you find yourself resting peacefully all throughout the night? Would you even consider yourself to go into a deep sleep? Or is it on the opposite end of the spectrum – you feel constantly awake and toss and turn all throughout the night. Your sleeping habits could be signs of a serious medical condition, including a mood disorder. A 2015 study published in the journal The Psychiatric Clinics of North America emphasized that residual sleep disturbance is common for those with mood disorders, particularly depression, BD, and others. A 2018 study conducted by researchers in the UK and published in The Lancet Psychiatry journal sought to explore subjective well-being, cognitive function, and mood disorder associations with disrupted sleep cycles. Individuals aged 37-73 years old participated in the study, wearing an accelerometer on their wrist for 7 days to analyze their activity levels and circadian rhythmicity (the body’s internal clock) of rest as well. A total of 91,105 participants were involved in the study, and researchers found that the lower the amplitude of circadian rhythm, the greater the risk of having lifetime major depressive disorder, lifetime bipolar disorder, mood instability, neuroticism, lower health satisfaction, and slower reaction times. Needless to say, your sleeping patterns say a lot about you. According to the National Sleep Foundation, your circadian rhythm is your body’s internal clock that works on 24-hours; people typically experience dips in their rhythm (fatigue) around 2-4 a.m. (when they’re already asleep) and around 1-3 p.m. (shortly after lunch). If you’ve experienced events that could keep you from sleeping throughout the night and staying away during the day, you could off-set your circadian rhythm. If you’ve ruled out sleep disorders from a reputable sleep research center, you may want to speak with a professional from a reputable treatment center about being diagnosed for a mental illness or substance use disorder (SUD).

If you’ve been diagnosed with any type of anxiety disorder, you’re likely very familiar with symptoms such as restlessness, being easily exhausted, difficulty concentrating, irritability, muscle tension, sleeping problems, and more. Anxiety can cause a lot of distress, even interfering with aspects of daily life – such as with school, work, family, or social relationships. If your anxiety disorder has gone untreated for an extended period of time, you may have learned to somehow “cope” with your disorder; when left untreated, many individuals turn to substance use or self-harm, thinking that doing either of these will help dampen or get rid of unwanted symptoms. Unfortunately, the symptoms don’t go away without the right conditions, which often include support and treatment.

One of the key phrases in recovery is that “each day is a new day”. Just as the sun sets and rises each day, you can rest assured that you will have yet another opportunity to tackle this thing called life. Addiction and mental illness recovery is comprised of the countless hours, practice, and self-care that individuals put in to make them who they are today; much of this starts with simply waking up in the morning. If you’ve recently started your day, make the decision to do something a little different. Try some writing therapy by selecting a prompt to get your creative juices flowing and your energy going. The American Psychological Association (APA) emphasizes that individuals who engage in therapeutic writing experience a variety of benefits, including improved immune system functioning, reduced stress, better control over diseases, reduced anxiety, and more. To get your day started off on a good note, pick one of the following writing prompts and get to work:

Seeing or hearing things can be quite distressing. If you’ve recently been told that some of the things you are claiming to hear or see aren’t really there, it’s natural to feel confused and even panicked. You may be thinking to yourself, “What’s real and what isn’t?” The good news is that you aren’t alone – there are a few different mental illnesses and conditions that involve hallucinations and delusions, both of which can be treated. In order to get a better understanding of what you’re experiencing, let’s identify the differences between delusions and hallucinations:

There’s no doubt that television shows, movies, music and more have an influence on societal views. For those who don’t know or aren’t aware of people around them who have mental illnesses, these media sources may seem like primary examples – providing them with direct information about a wide range of addictions, health conditions, and mental illnesses. While these media sources may seem reliable, the unfortunate reality is that they often aren’t; in fact, they often perpetuate negative stereotypes. Bipolar disorder (BPD) is a classic example of a disorder that gets distorted in movies; the following movies depict the disorder in the wrong way:

Schizophrenia involves a breakdown between a person’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, which can lead to faulty perceptions, inappropriate actions, withdrawal from reality and an overall sense of mental fragmentation. Many people with schizophrenia are misunderstood because of the way they think and act – in fact, loss of touch with reality, disorganized speech or behavior, and difficulty with concentration and memory are just a few symptoms of schizophrenia. If you’ve been diagnosed with the disorder, you may understand that you experience more difficulty with social relationships than others. This can be particularly distressing at first, but understanding the ways in which schizophrenia affect social cognition may help you in gaining better knowledge of tools that you can use to help lessen the severity of some of these symptoms. A 2017 study published in the journal Mental Illness sought to explore emotion perception, theory of mind (ability to understand another person’s knowledge, beliefs, emotions, and intentions and using that to navigate social interactions) and social knowledge in individuals with schizophrenia. Researchers from the study analyzed 36 people diagnosed with schizophrenia and in an outpatient treatment program and compared them to 36 people of comparable age and education but with no mental illness diagnosis. Several neurocognitive tests were conducted, and the researchers found that schizophrenia patients displayed significant impairments in all three areas studied. Due to these social cognition impairments, it’s important for individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia to seek treatment from a reputable treatment center; treatment may involve medication, therapy, as well as social skills training which could greatly improve a person’s interpersonal interactions. Schizophrenia is often misunderstood, which can also make it difficult to form and maintain friendships. With the right treatment however, you can begin taking steps towards building a support network and life that is conducive to your recovery. If you haven’t already, speak with a professional from a reputable treatment center to learn more about programs that could assist you on your journey to recovery. It’s never too late to seek the help you need.

Stigmas have the propensity to hurt many people – those with mental illness and addiction are often stereotyped as being “crazy”, “manipulative”, “lazy”, and more. Whether perpetuated by depictions in the media or general misunderstandings, the fact is that stigmas hold people back rather than propel them to move forward and make decisions towards living happier, healthier lives. Much of what those with mental illness and addiction want is support – people who love them, support them, believe in them and want to them to succeed. Sometimes these individuals don’t provide these things to themselves, making support one of the most crucial factors to recovery. As stated by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), stigmas cause individuals to feel shame about something that is out of their control. The best way that we can combat this is by changing the way we talk about mental illness and addiction altogether. A 2015 study published in the journal Social Science and Medicine emphasized that portraying those with mental illness and addiction as people who have successfully recovered after seeking treatment could be an excellent strategy to combat harsh depictions; when it comes to this population, Americans tend to focus more on the “problem person” than the “treated, recovered person”. If we emphasized that effective treatment is available, and that recovery is possible, consider how many more people would open up and be willing to seek help for their experiences. Previous research has shown that many individuals withhold from seeking help because they fear that nobody will truly care to help them – this depressing reality is often an effect of years of self-stigmatization, discrimination, bullying, and more. If you are a friend or family member of a loved one with mental illness or addiction, actively make the decision to promote their recovery. Rather than shame them, give them guidance and tools on seeking the help they need. Be there to support them through the process. Not only could this support motivate them to seek treatment – it could save their life. If you haven’t already, speak with a professional from a reputable treatment center today. Recovery is possible, and it’s never too late.

When you think of relapse, what images transpire in your mind? Most people think of a person with some sort of addiction, reverting back –at least for a brief period of time – to the very substance they are trying to recover from. While this is certainly one type of relapse, mental illness involves relapses as well. Though not discussed as often, mental illness relapses are just as important to know about and to attempt to prevent. As with addiction relapses, however, relapse is natural and should not be considered a “failure” or a “weakness”. Rather, relapse gives us a chance to learn and grow, showing us what may need to be changed in our treatment program or what needs to be emphasized more.

Whether you consider yourself the next Adele or you prefer to belt out tunes in the shower, music therapy is a wonderful way to relieve some stress. Previous studies have shown that music therapy – such as lyrical analysis, instrumental playing, music writing, and more – can reduce anxiety, improve healing, improve self-expression and communication, reduce depression, and much more. Symptoms of a mental illness can be very distressing at times, affecting nearly aspect of life. By partaking in music therapy, you’re widening the horizons to learn more about yourself and boost your creativity while also working through difficult emotions that may be hard to face on the surface. A doctoral study completed in 2016 sought to explore the role of group singing in recovery; adults aged 18 to 72 years old participated in a 10-week community group singing program, with the researcher then assessing individual outcomes before, during, and after the program. Results from the study showed that participants found group singing to be beneficial to their recovery in a number of ways: