Mental Health

Immediately after experiencing a traumatic event, there are signs and symptoms which clearly indicate that the brain has gone into trauma. Overtime, the symptoms of trauma can change and become less obvious. Instead they transform and change into coping mechanisms, means of survival, and ways of living. Traumatic events will be experienced by most people in their lifetimes but only a few people will ever develop any kind of symptom of living with trauma. Symptoms of trauma do not always indicate post traumatic stress disorder, which is a severe mental health disorder. Unfortunately, many people cannot recognize the simply symptoms of trauma which lead someone to live in emotional pain and distress. Trauma does not have to be PTSD to be severe and debilitating. If you believe you or a loved one might be living with the pain of untreated trauma, look for these signs. Recovery from trauma is possible. You can be healed. Emotional Signs Of Trauma Coping with trauma can take an emotional toll. Mood disorders like anxiety and depression frequently accompany trauma. Emotions can be experienced in an extreme way because they are heightened and difficult to regulate. Anger, depression, aggression, rage, denial, or emotional shut down might be the only way for someone living with trauma to express themselves. You will notice that they are emotionally different than normal. For example, someone who is usually upbeat and positive will become very quiet, mellow, or even melancholy. Conversely, someone who is typically more reserved might become outwardly spoken, highly opinionated, and act out. Physical Signs Of Trauma Trauma can be experienced through physical symptoms in addition to emotional symptoms. A change in diet, lack of exercise, or difficulty sleeping can all contribute to changes in physical health. Experiencing severe muscle stress can also be an issue. Racing heartbeat, seeming jumpy and defensive, being tense, tight, and on edge, can all be symptoms of trauma. Treating Trauma Without proper therapy, trauma can take a lifetime to heal, if it ever heals at all. When trauma turns into other issues like substance use disorder, eating disorders, process addictions, or disruptive mental health disorders, it needs residential treatment. Overtime, the mind, body, and spirit can heal from the effects of trauma. Avalon By The Sea offers residential treatment programs for trauma as a primary issue. Our serene estate on the beautiful coastline of California is the perfect home for healing mind, body, and spirit. For a confidential assessment and more information on our programs, call 888-958-7511.

One of the key characteristics of narcissism is not taking responsibility for him or herself. Usually demonstrated through an inflated ego, the way someone with narcissism goes about this can differ. They might make a mistake and simply refuse to accept responsibility for it. When told they have done something wrong, they might chronically blame other people, almost like an immature child. In more subtle ways, they will convince others that the fault really does belong elsewhere. Being the loved one in a relationship with someone living with narcissistic personality disorder can mean losing sight of what responsibility truly belongs to you or not. Psych Central highlights a few examples. Here, we explain the reality of each unrealistic responsibility.

Learning to live with mental health disorders like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder really does mean learning to live with the mental health disorder. ADHD requires a specific way of living which helps manage energy, create organization, and still manage some relaxation. ADHD Needs To Be Organized Getting everything settled in an organized way is important in order to have a clear mind with ADHD. Organization and being settled go back in forth. In order to be settled, someone with ADHD needs to be organized. However, in order to get organized, often someone with ADHD needs to be settled. Creating to do list, using color codes for organizations, and prioritizing activities is helpful in both organization and creating a feeling of being settled, which helps clear an ADHD mind. ADHD Needs To Do Its Own Thing Everyone handles their ADHD in their own way. Those who have ADHD handle themselves differently than other people. ADHD comes with an abundant amount of energy which can’t easily be stopped. Exercising, running, dancing, and any other kind of physical movement can actually lead to the relaxation and focus ADHD needs. For others, constantly moving and doing something might not equate to relaxation. However you manage ADHD, just do it! You know what you need to work with ADHD and create relaxation for yourself, as well as organization and clarity of mind. ADHD Needs Extra Time Most schools offer accommodation for students with ADHD by offering them private testing environments with an extended amount of time to finish the test. Often, those with ADHD need just a little more time to get things done. When you’re planning your day, make room for extra time and plan on getting distracted. You’re learning to live with ADHD and work with it not against it. Distractions happen, accidents happen, mistakes happen. Forgetfulness is common with ADHD because the mind is moving so fast. ADHD Needs Patience Remember that you’re dealing with ADHD- erratic, unpredictable, and spontaneous. Some days will be easier than others! Have patience for yourself, especially when others around you seem to lost track of their patience for you. Use the tools above and each day will be a productive success. ADHD is one of the most commonly co-occurring mental health disorders with addiction and alcoholism. Often, it has gone undiagnosed and has become unmanageable. Avalon By The Sea excels in dual diagnosis treatment, providing quality residential care for mental health and substance use disorders. For a confidential assessment and more information on our programs, call us today at 1 888-958-7511.

“Make up is self-confidence applied directly to your face,” one internet meme reads. Famous talk show host, tv show host, and supermodel Tyra Banks once said, “I love the confidence that makeup gives me.” Makeup mogul Bobbi Brown once said that he believes “all women are pretty without makeup and can be pretty powerful with the right makeup.” Many argue that makeup isn’t authentic. Many others argue that makeup can help someone be on the outside who they authentically feel they are on the inside, especially when they can’t show it on their own. Makeup can be a unique tool during recovery from a number of mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, and even substance use disorder. Feeling confident, looking a certain way, doesn’t mask authenticity but rather empowers someone in recovery to embody their authentic selves. Teen Vogue reports that there is a science behind putting your best face forward when you are feeling less than “pretty” inside and out. Mental health disorders like depression and anxiety include the obnoxious symptom of ruminating thoughts, getting caught in analysis, having anxious thoughts, feelings of pessimism or hopelessness, and more. Called “pitfall patterns”, according to the article, these thought processes “are linked to neurological processes in the brain that have been associated with depression and anxiety, and certain actions-- even those as seemingly simple as a skincare or makeup routine-- can help to uproot them.” Beauty routines like applying makeup during the day “can bestow some pretty powerful cognitive benefits on the brain,” the article writes. The act of putting on makeup, or engaging in any other beauty routine, interrupts the neurological process of negativity with something both positive, productive, and pleasurable. As a result, the process can’t continue and the negativity is stopped in its track. Beauty routines help the brain learn new ways to cope and makes new associations with pleasure. When depression and anxiety, or any other mental health disorder, is co-occurring with substance abuse, this can be an especially helpful tool. “Beauty has the potential to be so much more than just a hobby or a part of daily appearance management,” the article elaborates, “it’s a ritualized form of self-care, a much-needed avenue of routine and control, a means of creating the identity they wish to project, and a space for mindfulness and reflection.” Treating anxiety and depression as primary diagnosis or co-occurring with substance use disorders needs to be approached holistically. The residential treatment programs at Avalon By The Sea are designed to heal mind, body, and spirit. From our serene estate on the iconic coast of Malibu, California, we provide life changing and life healing treatment. For a confidential assessment and more information on our programs, call 1 888-958-7511.

Borderline personality disorder is difficult to understand for those who live with it and those who are in relationships with people who have it. It seems there is no identifying the source of the relentless emotional pain which comes with borderline. Psychology Today reports on new research which has identified some of the sources of the emotional pain those with borderline experience on a daily basis.

Your time in treatment is all about you. Part of working on you involves making friends and creating connection with those around you.

Bipolar disorder can become an unruly part of life when it goes untreated. After a loved one finally enters treatment for bipolar disorder, you can start to take care of yourself while continuing to take care of them in a new way.

Living with anxiety disorder in a peaceful and manageable way is possible with treatment and a commitment to recovery. If you’re living with anxiety, you might identify with some of these common struggles.

Obsession with idealized perceptions of perfectionism and body image are not taboo in today’s world. For decades, there has been an emphasis through the media on looking “perfect”. The age of digital alteration has made some of these goals and standards unattainable in reality. In the delusions of eating disorders, which alter the way people see themselves and perceive they are being seen by others, these “goals” really are attainable. Since someone with an eating disorder is convinced that they can achieve the perfect look, the perfect size, the perfect weight, and the perfect acceptance, they go to great lengths to achieve it. Should they fall short in any way, it results in deep emotional pain, self-punishment, and other repercussions. This is not a lifestyle choice. Nobody chooses the daily pain of having to loathe one’s appearance to the point of binging and purging and going to extreme lengths to maintain control over body image. Eating disorders like bulimia nervosa are diagnosable mental illnesses. Answering the question, “Is Bulimia Considered A Mental Illness?” LCSW and eating disorder specialist Gretta Gleissner responds for Huffington Post. Mental illness is defined as “a condition that affects a person’s thinking, feeling, or mood. Such conditions may affect someone’s ability to relate to others and function each day,” according to The National Alliance on Mental Illness. Gleissner explains, “Because the symptoms and causes of bulimia are rooted in genetic and environmental factors which can affect a person’s mental, emotional, and physical state, bulimia is considered a mental illness.”  Should bulimia nervosa go untreated, it can become “an extremely debilitating disorder”. The National Eating Disorder Association writes that bulimia nervosa “is a serious, potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterized by a cycle of bingeing and compensatory behaviors such as self-induced vomiting designed to undo or compensate for the effects of binge eating.” Symptoms can include:

There are ten distinct personality disorders which fall into three categories. Each personality disorder and category of personality disorders comes with a specific set of symptoms. Though the symptoms are specified, they can have general commonalities with each other, from one category to the next. Cluster A Personality Disorders Cluster A personality disorders are described as “odd”, “bizarre” or “eccentric” personality disorders. Included are:

Believe it or not, the changes do come. One day at a time, you’re transforming in ways you might not even notice until months down the line. The time and effort is worth it. Here are some of the things you’re going to notice the longer you stay sober and do the work. Taking Care Of Yourself: Mind, body, and spirit, you have learned to tend to yourself in the ways that you need. You’ve learned every form of self-care you need, from getting enough sleep to cooking healthy and nutritious meals, or at least making sure you’re fed. Hygiene is a normal part of your life and you even do your own laundry, however begrudgingly. Doing Things For Yourself: You know how to make appointments and keep them, leave with enough time to arrive on time, and be fully present. You can grocery shop, you’ve learned how to budget to a degree, and you’re able to meet your basic needs on your own. You Take Responsibility: When you’re wrong, you promptly admit it. You don’t blame everyone else anymore. In fact, you understand that looking for your part in any situation is an important practice for your recovery. Routines Are Routine Now: You are able to create routines and stick to them. When a routine needs adjusting, you are able to do so without falling apart. You’ve learned how to structure your life in a healthy and balanced way to support you, your recovery, and having fun. You Appreciate The Work: Almost everyone in early recovery has moments of entitlement, lacking in gratitude, and waiting for everything to change. You learned that you had to put in the work in order to get results. Now, you’ve found the willingness to apply yourself to what you want in all areas of your life. You’re A Constant Work In Progress: One area at a time, you continue to tackle your recovery from all angles. Need to take a look at your anger? You’re in. Having some codependency issues in a new relationship? You’re willing to take a look. Need to confront some disordered eating behaviors? You’re going to try new things. After witnessing the miraculous changes which have come to you through recovery, you know that it’s all about progress, not perfection. You’re Okay With You: Your relationship with yourself may not be perfect, but it is certainly different than it used to be. You are comfortable in your own skin, you can stand looking at yourself in a mirror, and you no longer feel like the room walks around you after you walk into a room. You’re even beginning to like yourself. For many in early recovery, self-hatred or self-loathing is common. You’re learning to love yourself and be okay with the amazing, courageous you that you are. We know what incredible changes are waiting for you on the other side of addiction. If you or a loved one are ready to see changes come to fruition through residential treatment, Avalon Malibu is ready to welcome you to our trusted programs for mental health and substance abuse recovery. For a confidential assessment and more information on our programs, call 1 888-958-7511.

Psychosis and psychopathy, or being psychotic, often get confused. Mostly, this is because of a harmful image portrayed by the media regarding psychosis and psychopathy. Psychosis is a set of symptoms which can spread across various mental health disorders, which are labeled as psychotic disorders. Antipsychotic medications, for example, are often prescribed to people who have such conditions. Psychopathy is another distinct mental illness in which one is completely detached from moral reality. The two are different and understanding the difference is critical to ending misconception, advocating against false presentations in the media, and helping a loved one who might be struggling with a severe mental illness