Mental Health

Many young adults and adults who come to treatment are shocked to find out they’ve been living their lives with untreated ADHD. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder affects millions of adults- many of whom are unaware of the struggle they live with on a daily basis. For someone who has ADHD, their mind is running, all the time. Loop thinking, constant distraction, an inability to sit still, difficulty being productive, and a general feeling of never being able to reach one’s potential is challenging to cope with. ADHD is a highly co-occurring disorder with alcoholism and drug addiction. When someone with untreated ADHD experiments recreationally with drugs and alcohol, they find a certain kind of relief. Compared to the ongoing noise and debilitation happening inside their minds, the way they feel under the influence of drugs and alcohol is preferable. Medication ADHD in adults can be treated with medication. Typically, ADHD medications are amphetamines, or, stimulants. Abuse of and addiction to stimulant ADHD medication is common. Some research suggests that people who have taken ADHD medication since a young age were being set up for addiction. Thankfully, there are non-stimulant solutions in medicating and treating ADHD. Treating ADHD takes more than taking a pill. Certain lifestyle changes, habits, and routines have to be set up to create organization and calm. Here are some symptoms of Adult ADHD:

Before President Barack Obama transitions out of office in January of 2017, he has a few laws to sign into place during his “sitting duck” interim. One such law will be the bill just approved by the senate regarding mental health. In 2016, various levels of government tried to pass large budgets and bills for mental health, many of them losing steam or not turning out with full promise. This bill however, finally pulled it together. $1 billion dollars in grants will be made available for treatment of opioid and heroin addiction. The bill also improves the opportunity for those in need to receive medically assisted treatment, often referred to as Assisted Outpatient Treatment. The bill was for Connecticut and other states. As the Obama administration comes to a close, local governments are trying to get bills passed and signed into law for mental health.

Recovery, therapy, personal development, leadership, mindfulness- everything that has to do with helping you grow into a more authentic, fulfilled, happy, and healthy individual talks about it. Gratitude. Gratitude is a very popular word. People have gratitude journals, they make gratitude lists, they schedule time in their day to stop and reflect on what they are grateful for. Religious people practice gratitude, secular people practice gratitude, and everyone is just grateful all the time. To really assume everyone is that grateful, all the time would be a vast generalization.

Holidays tend to involve a lot of eating. For those in recovery from an eating disorder, the holidays can be especially difficult. Here are some tips and suggestions to make the holiday season manageable while recovering from an eating disorder.

Author Tennessee Williams in his iconic work, The Glass Menagerie, eloquently and simply stated that “Time is the longest distance between two places.” Much of philosophical inquiry and scientific research of various disciplines has sought to define, manipulate, or even stop time. At once time is permanent and time is elusive. Time can be incredibly long and intolerable to endure or time can fly by without a chance of keeping up. A currency of life, time determines so much of what we do and how we do it. We are often told not to take time for granted and to make the most out of every moment.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, otherwise known as the “DSM” is in its fifth edition. The most recent edition of the DSM still does include a diagnosis for sex addiction or hypersexuality specifically. Hypersexuality is a common symptom of other mental disorders including bipolar, anxiety, and post traumatic stress disorder. Sex is not an external chemical substance that can cause substance abuse or chemical dependency. However, sex and sexual activity does produce chemicals in the brain which are the same as those produced by external chemicals. Dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin are all associated with sexual activity. In a manner similar to substance use and addiction, sex can produce a large amount of dopamine and cause cravings for more, as well as build a tolerance.

Change is harder for some to cope with than others. There are some changes in the world which seem completely out of our control. When change happens beyond our permission or control, we can find ourselves getting anxious, depressed, or even angry. Have you ever noticed a change in mood when the seasons change from summer to fall or winter to spring? Inexplicably you have a hard time going with the flow of seasons in life. Seasonal Affective Disorder is a mood disorder that impacts up to twenty percent of the population each year.

Psychological, psychiatric, and substance use disorders can make us feel like we’ve been shut off from the world. In fact, many of us have put a lot of effort into making sure nobody can get in. From trauma and abuse in our past, we learned early on that letting people, places, and things in usually led to hurt, pain, more abuse, and disappointment. To keep ourselves safe we made the sacrifice of shutting down entirely. Recovery teaches us that we don’t have to hide anymore. Over time we can learn to open ourselves up to many wondrous things in the world, embracing all that life has to offer. We are given a way to live life fully.

Postpartum depression affects 11-20% of women who give birth each year according to the Centers for Disease Control. Averaging on 15%, approximately 600,000 women get postpartum depression in the United States each year.

Therapy is defined as the “treatment intended to relieve or heal a disorder”. Despite the definition, a disorder is not required for therapy. Many people have issues, problems, or difficulties they need to sort out. Working with a psychological professional is helpful for getting a deeper understanding of oneself and how they relate to those around them. Treatment for drug and alcohol therapy goes hand in hand with therapy. Almost every treatment program around the world employs the use of therapy in various forms. Traditional talk therapy, which can incorporate different practices of therapy, is most common.

Teenagers are sensitive and malleable. What is experienced during the teenage years leaves a lasting impact. According to Colorado State University, “teens exposed to frequent and hostile interactions between their parents often experience anxiety, depression and difficulties with managing other stresses in their lives.” Anxiety, depression, and poor coping mechanisms is what leads many teens to recreationally experiment with drugs and alcohol in their youth. Seeking an escape and way to make sense of and control and nonsensical and uncontrollable world, teens find refuge in abusing substances and participating in other harmful behaviors.

Once we start saying “yes” to life, we can accidentally take on too many responsibilities. We feel more capable than we have in a long time and are happy to be of service to others. Having a hard time saying no usually stems from some deeper unforeseen issues. For most, a fear of rejection keeps them saying “yes” to more than they can handle. For others, it might be a matter of codependency, or wrapping their identity up in what another person thinks of them. Those with a martyr complex will feel they have to sacrifice themselves and take on more responsibilities. Suggestions For Harnessing The Power Of “No”