Mental Health

What would you do if you were convinced you couldn’t feel any pain? You were so numb and anesthetized to any kind of sensation that you felt completely shut down from your ability to feel and experience. You might think you would try to cause some kind of pain to make sure you can still feel it. Perhaps you would poke your skin with a paperclip to experiment. Such is the philosophy in people who self-harm. Feeling so much that they become numb, self-harm is a way to feel their pain. Conversely, if they feel so much that they can’t bear to process their emotions, self-harm can be a way to release the pain in a tangible way. Additionally, self-harming, when it becomes an obsessive and compulsive practice, can be a distraction from the source of the pain, as well as the pain itself. Isolating Worsens, Inside And Out Self-harm usually isn’t done in a group. One isolates themselves when they participate in self-harm. Feeling alone in their pain, their struggles, and even in their self-harm, their emotional pain is worsened by the deep isolation they are feeling inside themselves. To exacerbate circumstances further, one will tend to create social isolation for themselves, extending the loneliness to outside as well. Self-Harm Is Not A Form Of Attention Seeking Self-harm is a cry for help. Someone who participates in self-harm is trying to help themselves the best they have figured out a way to do. Self-harm and suicide are often criticized as being a form of attention seeking more than a sign that someone is in need of serious treatment for their mental health. Self-Harm Faces Stigma And Shame Many people who self-harm are afraid to reach out and ask for help because they fear the same shame and stigma which faces many other mental health disorders. “Why would you” “How could you” and other questions legitimize someone’s emotional experience, shame them for copying the way that they can, and ignore the cry for help. Instead, loved ones need to understand that self-harm is a sign of deep emotional pain which is demanding to be healed. Learning to cope with challenging emotions without relying upon harmful behaviors takes time and careful treatment. At Avalon Malibu we treat each client with the utmost respect and individualized care program. For a confidential assessment and more information on our healing programs, call 1 888-958-7511.

You’re always connected to someone you love. This is as much a literal fact in the brain as it is a philosophical fact for getting through a breakup. No, you’ll never forget someone you fell in love with and developed a deep connection with. You’ll be connected for the rest of your life. That is, at least, according to the connections of your neural pathways. Relationships are habitual. They are attachments we develop and associate with pleasure, reward, and security. When we spend an exorbitant amount of intimate time with someone for years or months on end as we do in relationships, we create a lot of patterns in the brain. Those patterns are not easily forgotten, no matter how badly we wish they could be. According to Discover Magazine, “Experts say the neurological attachment that happens between young lovers is not unlike the attachment a  baby forms with its mother. Hormones like vasopressin and oxytocin are key in helping create a sense of closeness in relationships and play a starring role in both scenarios.” Having significant intimate experiences with that person makes the connection even more strong. “Such preferential encoding in the brain is one reason why stories of people reconnecting with a high school or college flame are commonplace.” Old flames can cause haywire in circuitry for those in recovery from addiction. Coupling the neuroscience of a relationship with the neuroscience of addiction creates a tenfold of ‘preferential encoding’ in the brain. Most people new to recovery who aren’t in a relationship are advised to stay out of one for at least their first year. For those who are in a relationship unhealthy and toxic to their recovery, they are encouraged to walk away. It isn’t because of the threat, the distraction, or the drama. When one partner tries to get sober and the other partner continues using, there is a constant reminder of those neural pathways which highlight the connection between partner and using drugs. Too often people in recovery relapse because of rekindling an old flame with an ex who is still using. It takes little wooing to light up the circuitry in the brain which says this person is a good idea and using drugs with them is an even better one. Recovery is about learning to live, one day at a time. Learning to have a healthy relationship with yourself will ensure your ability to have healthy relationships in the future. Avalon Malibu happily provides relationship counseling and therapy to those who are committed and wish to work on both relationships during their time of treatment. In recovery, everyone has an opportunity to heal. For a confidential assessment and more information on our programs, call 1 888-958-7511.

Lying is an unfortunate part of addiction and alcoholism, which perpetuates the shameful stigmatizations. Addicts and alcoholics are not pathological liars by nature, they are not compulsive liars, and they don’t lie for fun. Lying happens in addiction and alcoholism due to the way the brain makes using drugs and alcohol a matter of life or death. Going to any lengths to protect the ability for the brain to create it’s desperately needed dopamine in order to function, it can cause a little lying. Additionally, areas of the brain which help with judgment and morality are severely impaired by substance abuse. However, pathological lying can be a pre-existing character trait which could stir reckless behaviors like substance abuse. One of the primary ways someone who pathologically lies manipulates the truth to control people is through triangulation. Psych Central defines triangulation as “any behavior that misleads, confuses, or damages the relationship between the communicator and more than one other person. In other words, triangulation is a tactic someone may use to control, manipulate, misinform, or deceive. The interaction typically includes two or more people.” Common tactics include: Responsive Listening: Actively listening is a healthy way to make sure you understand someone. In comparison, responsive listening is a way to make sure someone can control a conversation. They only pay attention to information they can use to control, make a point, or assert their authority. If you find yourself saying “Did they even listen to me?” The answer is probably not. Manipulating Emotions: Playing with, creating, and making use of someone’s emotions is a common tactic for lying. Having a keen understanding of how people act when they are in certain emotional states is how a pathological liar can enforce their version of the truth. Hypochondriasis: Feeling ill, feeling sick, or suddenly being in pain is a way someone can invite sympathy and vulnerability in others. Rehearsal: In order to control a situation and make sure their version of reality is consistent, a pathological liar might spend time rehearsing what they are going to say. You might find yourself questioning the authenticity of what they say when they say it, because it was almost performed too well.Residential treatment identifies the underlying causes of substance use disorders and mental health conditions. Pathological lying can be identified and treated in the right facility. Avalon Malibu is one of California’s only residential facilities to provide primary mental health care. For a confidential assessment and more information on our programs, call 1 888-958-7511.

The ideology that addicts are criminals and need to be punished for their crime is thankfully fading away. Increasingly, the much more accurate ideology that people who struggle with addiction are living with an untreated mental health disorder is taking hold. It is true that many people who fall into the grips of addiction and alcoholism do become criminals. Most drugs to which addicts are addicted are illegal. In today’s world, someone can “get off” for possessing a small amount of crystal meth, but can face incarceration for being caught with too much marijuana. Consumers, dealers, importers, manufacturers, or just general risk-takers who get involved in crime, it is possible for an addict to also be a criminal. Being addicted to drugs and alcohol is not a crime. It also isn’t a moral failing, a defect of character, or a lack of willingness to live life according to social norms. For whatever reason a person becomes addicted to drugs and alcohol, once they become chemically dependent upon substances, the matter is out of their control. Serious neurobiological processes become “hijacked” according to some theories, or become disordered, according to others. Addicts and alcoholics are people who have lost their way in their ability to make decisions, judge outcomes, and live by consequence. Numerous brain imaging studies have found that areas of the brain which specifically regulate such areas are compromised by the chronic inundation of drugs and alcohol addiction tends to provide. Still, most of society continues to view addiction as a crime which logically should be “treated” with incarceration. Without proper assessment and treatment, many addicts never get a chance to fully recover. Prison systems are riddled with drugs and can lead to trauma which worsens one’s addictive behaviors when, or if, they are ever released. Prisons are not alternatives to mental health treatment centers. In fact, most prisons are ill-equipped and underfunded to cope with the amount of mental health problems which need to be treated in their inmates. Thankfully, drug courts continue to have positive reinforcement, providing an alternative sentencing  for addicts and alcoholics who are convicted of crimes. Most drug court systems see great success in recovery and reformation. Treatment for mental health issues and co-occurring substance use disorders is available and can create lifelong changes which lead to a lifetime of recovery. Avalon Malibu is offers residential care designed to promote healing and transformation in mind, body, and spirit. For a confidential assessment and more information, call us today at 1 888-958-7511.

Most people are dissatisfied with the way they look and feel that this is a serious consideration for how they feel about themselves, what they deserve in life, and how they conduct themselves. Where exactly do body image issues come from? Pressure From The Media “The media” always gets a big dish of the blame when it comes to body image issues. “Media” can include: social media, movies, magazines, tv shows, and even music. Any kind of mainstream messaging can create a body image issue. For example, it only recently came to light in the last few years that magazine covers and models in advertisements underwent digital alteration. People can photoshop themselves on their phones now before posting to social media. Pressure From Other People Other people like parents, romantic partners, friends, bullies, or family members get their inspiration to criticize someone’s body from somewhere. Most often, they are insecure in the way they look themselves and take that out on other people. As a result, they create the same fears and beliefs in others. Studies have found that mothers who criticize their bodies in the mirror in front of their daughters contribute greatly to their daughters developing body image issues of their own. Low Self-Esteem Low self-esteem can be natural for someone who generally feels insecure, shy, or anxious. It can also be caused by just about anything. Bullying, trauma, abuse, mental health conditions, or any kind of event or influence can cause a focus on the body. People are not born with an insecurity about their body. They have to learn that there is a way a body “should” look and that their body doesn’t look that way. Insecurity can cause body image issues. In order to avoid feeling insecure, to manifest insecurity, or to create a hyperfocus on it, a person can become obsessed with their body image and live in negativity about it. Eating Disorders Body image is a primary focus in eating disorders. Perfectionism is a leading problem which is isolated in how one looks. Deep fears about eating, weight gain, being judged by others, reaching a certain size or number on the scale are all tied to body image issues. Body dysmorphic disorder is a specific body image issue in which someone is unable to see past their perceived physical flaws. Convinced their flaws define them, they have difficulty socializing and being around other people. When body image issues become obsessive, they can interfere with your ability to live your life. You can learn to love yourself again and heal the pain of negative body image. Avalon Malibu offers residential treatment programs from our beautiful estate along the California Coast, specializing in mental health treatment to heal mind, body, and spirit. For a confidential assessment and more information, call 1 888-958-7511.

Eating disorders are misunderstood to be extreme displays of a blatant refusal not to eat, obvious purging, and obvious bingeing. With eating disorders, there is always more than meets the eye.

According to ADAA, the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, two thirds of people who live with an eating disorder also live with an anxiety disorder. Considering the statistic that 30% of the adult population lives with an anxiety disorder, that is a significant consideration. A majority of people living with one is likely to also live with the other. Eating disorders and anxiety disorders on their own can be challenging to live with. Combined, the disorder or anxiety and the anxiety of an eating disorder could be crippling to one’s quality of life. Women’s Health Magazine reports that “recent research suggests that a predisposition to anxiety may be related to abnormal activity of serotonin, a chemical in the brain responsible for regulating mood, and that people who develop eating disorders tend to have this abnormal serotonin activity, too,” since the link between anxiety and eating disorders still isn’t clear. Screening for eating disorders in those diagnosed with anxiety and vice versa could be a life-saving intervention. Properly assessing and treating dual diagnosis issues is essential to full recovery. Without treating anxiety in someone with a primary eating disorder, for example, they might continue to live with the symptoms of anxiety. As the article cites, “...people who recover from eating disorders may still have the high anxiety and driven mentality and start channeling that into new ‘obsessions,’ such as school or work,” emphasizing that ultimately, “recovery means...that behavior isn’t compulsive or driven by an attempt to avoid feeling anxious.” Such behaviors could include a relapse into a different kind of eating disorder, experimenting with drugs and alcohol, workaholism, or more. Recovery from eating disorders and anxiety disorders is possible with the right clinical treatment which holistically approaches both disorders individually and as they are co-occurring. Important to the clinical therapeutic healing is learning how to make impactful lifestyle changes from balancing diet and exercise to creating a meaningful social circle. Living with co-occurring anxiety and eating disorders can lead to isolation. The anxiety of coping with eating disorder symptoms and vice versa can lead someone to many avoidant behaviors which minimizes their social life. Integrative treatment which transforms all areas of life is essential to lifelong recovery. Avalon Malibu provides trusted treatments for co-occurring eating disorders and anxiety disorders. Our beautiful estate on the iconic cliffside of the Malibu coast is the home to our renown mental health treatment facility, one of California’s only primary care centers. For a confidential assessment and more information, call 1 888-958-7511.

Ketamine is a problem in some parts of the world. Korea, China, and Japan are all having issues with young people abusing or becoming addicted to ketamine. Used as a club drug, the psychoactive dissociate can create a derealized hallucinogenic state. Users feel this puts them in a sort of trance with the music as they detach from themselves. Called the “k-hole” the effects of ketamine are highly sought after, similar to the way club goers in America look to MDMA and ecstasy.

People who live with chronic pain, chronic back pain, and lower back pain, don’t like hearing they are addicted to their pain. Many holistic healers who follow the philosophy of Eastern traditions believe that is true. Bring this up with pain management doctors and receive a stirred response. Pain is pain, many will argue, which needs to be treated as pain. Treating pain in chronic pain patients has been an especially sensitive topic of conversation in the midst of the opioid epidemic spreading throughout America. Most pain management uses opioid prescription painkillers, which are highly addictive. Other doctors feel that pain is not an isolated physical event. According to more holistic perspectives, pain can be caused by emotions, stress, events in the past, and environment. By treating the body, mind, and soul holistically, pain can be managed in a more effective way. Curiously, patients like to hold onto their pain. One would think differently. It happens in a way similar to how an alcoholic both has to and chooses to hold onto their alcoholism. Despite immense suffering and negative consequences, there is some payoff to their pain. Part of the pain lives in the chemical dependency of the brain. Yet, some of that chemical dependency in the brain, which centers on pleasure and reward, is caused by an emotional as well as spiritual need to avoid pain. Emotional pain and spiritual pain can cause as much pain as real physical pain. Brain imaging studies have found that the brain reacts to emotional and social pain in an almost identical fashion to physical pain. For pain management patients, that’s a considerable finding. PsychiatryAdvisor.com reported on a progressive talk given at a recent pain management conference touching on the subject. “Studies have shown that pain management programs rooted in [the biopsychosocial] approach...led to reduced pain, increased activity, and improved daily functioning in patients with chronic pain.” Biopsychosocial programs often include cognitive behavioral therapy, physical exercise, and medication management. The article also lists the use of other treatment modalities including:

ADHD, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, operates at a fast pace. Many have found that their ADHD is not as much a deficit as it is a gift. They can process faster, think faster, conceptualize faster, are more creative, can connect the dots, and implement differently than other people. The brains of those with ADHD seem to move so fast that sometimes the individual doesn’t feel they can keep up. Getting distracted, being unorganized, and feeling impulsive to act on every energetic whim can get in the way of being productive and successful. People with ADHD aren’t out of control. Instead, a better way to view it is that they have more to control than most people. Inexhaustible energy and ideas is a gift, not a detriment. Learning to balance the energy and creativity of ADHD with organization and manageability tools can create success. Health.com asserts that ADHD is not a behavioral disorder but a brain disorder. Though there are disordered behaviors and a brain that thinks too fast, the way that the brain differs between people with ADHD and “normal” brains is significant. “Brain scans revealed that five brain regions in those with ADHD were smaller than in those without ADHD,” the article explains. “The greatest differences were seen in children,” it adds. Typically, the article describes, “ADHD is characterized by inattention, overactivity, and impulsivity that can interfere with learning and relationships.” Criticisms Of ADHD Research like the brain scans reported by Health.com is significant in differentiating fact from fiction about ADHD. There was a spike in the diagnosis of and prescribing of medications to treat ADHD in recent years. The disorder as a whole, including the scientific and psychiatric community, faced much criticism. Overdiagnosing, getting kids hooked on stimulant medication, and more were assigned to the idea that “difficult” or “challenging” hyperactive behaviors were simply being labeled as ADHD. Treating ADHD Early intervention for ADHD can mean teaching a child how to cope with compulsive feelings. ADHD and many of the stimulant medications used to treat ADHD are considered precursors to substance abuse. Substance use disorders and ADHD have a high frequency of co-occurring. Treating co-occurring ADHD and substance use disorders in adulthood is possible with expert clinical treatment and healing holistic modalities. Avalon Malibu is a leading mental health treatment facility, providing transformational treatment. For a confidential assessment and more information, call 1 888-958-7511.

Process addictions are difficult to understand and undergo great scrutiny as they are frequently weighed for validity. Sex addiction, for example, is a process addiction, which recently lost its viability as a diagnosable disorder. Process addictions describe compulsive disorders which involve a specific process, like exercise, gambling, and sex addiction. What causes such controversy with process addictions is the way they compare to chemical addictions. Chemical addictions like drug addiction and alcoholism have a specific source: drugs and alcohol. It is more difficult to examine and understand an addiction disorder which does not include the ingestion of substances. Yet, process addictions and chemical addictions act in a similar way. Dopamine, the neurotransmitter in the brain which produces signals of pleasure and reward, is produced in both. For example, when a gambling addict goes to place a bet, they experience a surge in the production of dopamine, despite not having ingested any mind altering chemicals. Additionally, those with process addictions do experience a similar rewarding of the brain, yet not to the extreme of chemical addictions. For example, both sex and gambling addiction experiences a dependency upon their processes to stimulate any pleasure. Likewise to chemical addictions, both processes also create a reward system based on that pleasure. Interestingly, process addictions actually create a tolerance in a similar way to chemical addictions. What starts as a friendly wager on a football game between friends could end up meaning wagers of cars, high risk bets, compulsive gambling, and even lead to illegal bets. Sex addiction also faces a tolerance, needing more extreme forms of sexual pleasure to produce the same kind of thrill. Even compulsions like shopping addiction or exercise addiction are challenged when a tolerance is set. Since their reward system has become obsessed with as well as dependent upon their process, they have to engage in more to achieve the same effect. Unfortunately, process addictions are treated differently than chemical addictions primarily because there is a severe lack in research on them. Most studies done on chemical addiction involve the use of animals like mice and rats in a laboratory. Mice and rats can’t exactly be trained to go to a casino and hit the slot machines or max out a credit card with a shopping problem. For those who struggle with process addictions, their issues are anything but illegitimate. Many treatment centers continue to provide treatment for process addictions because they too tend to have underlying issues and co-occurring mental health disorders. Avalon Malibu is committed to providing quality mental health treatment to those with primary issues needing the loving care and clinical compassion of rehabilitation. For a confidential assessment and more information on our primary mental health residential treatment programs, call 1 888-958-7511.

OCD is a commonly misunderstood and misrepresented personality disorder. Here, we investigate some of what you might not know about OCD. The Manifestations Of OCD Go Beyond Cleanliness OCD is unfortunately portrayed through the media as being an obsession of cleaning, organization, sanitation, and more. Tics, habits, and quirks prevent someone with OCD from sitting comfortably in a restaurant where a picture is crooked on the wall or if the setting place was laid off-center. However, the way OCD can manifest goes far beyond such extreme cases. OCD, like many other personality disorders, can be high functioning. Meaning, that there are more internal symptoms to struggle against than repetitive compulsive behaviors. Ruminating thoughts, obsessions, and urges to act on them (compulsivity) can be a constant in their brains. Through treatment and behavioral therapy, many people with OCD learn how to cope with their difficult thoughts and create new patterns of choosing behaviors. Using “OCD” As A Descriptive Term Is Hurtful To Those Who Live With It Living with an unmanageable obsession and compulsion problem can lead to minutes upon hours of your life being spent in compulsive behaviors or ruminating thoughts. That is not a description, but a diagnosis. Using OCD as a description instead of a diagnosis is hurtful to those who truly live with the very real diagnosis of obsessive compulsive disorder. It’s possible you're ruminating thoughts about your laundry getting done led you to do it so perfectly you didn’t have to worry about it anymore. Likely, you were able to let that go until your next load was due and it didn’t cause you distress. For someone with OCD, not doing the laundry perfectly, according to their ruminating thoughts, might lead to a catastrophic or traumatizing event OCD Is Equally A Mind, Body, Spirit Disorder As Anything Else There is debate about whether obsessive compulsive disorder is a nature or nurture diagnosis. Meaning, whether or not obsessive compulsive disorder is something people are born with or develop out of defense, typically against trauma. Researchers have found both to be true. Many people with OCD have a fragile spirit, an imbalanced mind, and carry the stress of their tension within their body. Healing from and living with OCD means taking holistic care of the self in every area. Treating OCD is possible as is a lifetime of recovery with a manageable lifestyle. OCD can lead to harmful compulsive behaviors like substance abuse or self harm. If you think you might be struggling with OCD, call Avalon Malibu today. As one of California’s only certified primary mental health treatment facility, we offer trusted programs with results you can count on to change your life. For a confidential assessment, call 1 888-958-7511.