Therapy

According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD), interventions are a safe, often effective way to confront a loved one with an addiction. Often people with an addiction are in denial, and an intervention allows the person to receive a structured opportunity for them to accept and to make changes before their situation gets worse. Interventions are often staged by friends and family, but coworkers may be involved at times as well. An addiction specialist often serves to intervene and help moderate the conversation. There are several benefits and challenges that come with interventions: The Good

Researchers are always continuing to explore new findings that could change the way we treat, understand, and discuss mental disorders. A UCLA-led study published this year in the journal Science found that autism, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder share some physical, molecular characteristics – this is a huge step forward as we learn more about the brain tissue and what details it can provide us. After analyzing the RNA in 700 brain tissue samples from the brains of deceased subjects who had autism, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder or alcohol abuse disorder, researchers compared them to find some key differences and similarities. Senior author Daniel Geschwind, distinguished professor in neurology, psychiatry and human genetics and director of the UCLA Center for Autism Research and Treatment stated for the university’s newspaper, “We show that these molecular changes in the brain are connected to underlying genetic causes, but we don’t yet understand the mechanisms by which these genetic factors would lead to these changes…this new work shows the consequences, we now have to understand the mechanisms by which this comes about, so as to develop the ability to change these outcomes”. Scientists have been familiar with the fact that genes play a crucial role in the susceptibility of someone developing a mental disorder, but this new study has provided yet another puzzle piece to fill the gaps. By identifying which genes are more or less active in the brains of individuals with various mental health conditions, we can learn more about genetic variations and causations. Overall, it seems that targeted molecular therapy is the next step – researchers are continuing to explore what may be a huge factor in these mental disorders and what we can do to prevent them from developing and/or how we can continue to better treat them. If you have a mental disorder that is significantly affecting your quality of life, seek out a treatment center today. In doing this, you can attend therapies and develop tools to help reduce distressing symptoms and ways to better manage your disorder. Help is available, and recovery is possible.

Movies and television shows have the propensity to shape societal views and sway overall attitudes on subjects. For example, researchers from the University of Michigan analyzed 625 college students, with 392 of them being female, to determine if movies and television shows had an impact on their love lives. Participants were asked to watch romantic films such as “500 Days of Summer” and “Crazy Stupid Love”, as well as sit-coms such as “How I Met Your Mother” and “Big Bang Theory”. Afterwards, the researchers found that more exposure to romantic movies led to beliefs that love will “find it’s way” and endure all obstacles. Individuals who watched more sit-coms did not find as much weight in these concepts. Since movies and television shows do, in a sense, have an impact on the way we view ourselves, others, and life overall, their affects on the mental health and addiction recovery world are huge. Individuals with schizophrenia face harsh stereotypes due to misunderstandings of the disorder and inaccurate representations shown through media. One example of this misrepresentation is the movie “The Voices”, a dark comedy starring Ryan Reynolds. Criticized by mental health campaigners, this movie is about a serial killer who was instructed to kill through the voices in his head, more specifically through his pet cat. The movie shows Jerry (Reynolds), a character who has been seeing his therapist but hasn’t been taking the medication she’s prescribed to him for his schizophrenia. Jerry begins believing his pet cat, Mr. Whiskers, who tells him that he should be risky and kill people while his dog, Bosco, tells him otherwise. Jerry feels pressured by his cat to take the lives of people one by one, and the movie shows his perspective compared to everyone else around him. While some people could say that the movie raises an important perspective regarding those with mental illness and people who have been incarcerated because of it, the movie overall perpetuates a negative stigma that people with schizophrenia are very dangerous. Despite common beliefs that individuals with schizophrenia are dangerous to others, most people with this disorder are more likely to harm themselves instead. The more we can educate ourselves and others on this disorder, the more we can reduce negative stereotypes surrounding it and promote more love and support.

Manipulation is a dangerous ploy, and when used by parents, can significantly disrupt a child’s mental health and stability as they get older. If you grew up with a manipulative parent, you’ve likely struggled with a variety of mental and social issues. Psychological Today states that when it comes to parenting, manipulation can take many shapes whether you’re a child or adult:

If you have an eating disorder, you’re not alone. According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, at least 30 million people have an eating disorder in the United States. Eating disorders impact the way a person thinks and feels about their body and food. Common traits of individuals with this disorder are having a low self-esteem, perfectionism, overachiever, anxiety, need for control, difficulty expressing emotions, need for acceptance, and depression. Many loved ones have difficulty understanding what it’s like to have an eating disorder but educating themselves on the struggles many people face can open doors for more love and support. The following are common obstacles people with an eating disorder face:

Personality disorders affect the way a person thinks, acts, perceives events, and interacts with others. NBC News states that 1 in 5 Americans has a personality disorder; this may include narcissistic, borderline, bipolar disorder, dependent or avoidant personality disorder, and more. One disorder that isn’t talked about as often is paranoia personality disorder (PPD) – if you’re experiencing these symptoms and they are significantly distressing you and causing you difficulty in your day to day life, you may want to seek the help of a health care professional. Known for being grounded in excessive distrust and paranoia, this disorder causes people to rarely confide in others and misinterpret harmless events as malicious. For example, a person with this disorder may interpret the actions of someone else as being threatening or demeaning, when there is really no reason to think this. Psychology Today notes that people with PPD do not lost their sense of touch with reality, but they often deny their own negative feelings towards others. A person with PPD’s worst fear is being exploited or betrayed, even if a person has proven time and time again that they are trustworthy. Self-sufficiency is often crucial for those with PPD, as they do not want to rely on someone else in fear they might betray them. The following are some examples of scenarios that may involve a person with PPD:

Anger is a powerful emotion, and, when used inappropriately, it can damage relationships in significant ways. Whether you are currently single or in a relationship, understanding the impact that anger can have on you and others may give you insight to educating yourself on effective coping strategies and ways to express anger. When it comes to your love life, Psych Central claims that even mundane instances that occur throughout the day can lead up to resentment, which further harbors anger. Here are the following steps that you should try to follow when feeling angry:

Many of us have become familiar with the causes of mental disorders – genetics, environmental factors, traumatic events, substance abuse problems and individual tendencies are a few of the most common ways to develop a mental disorder. Time Magazine has recently uncovered a rather unexpected, but understandable, concern for developing psychosis: mountain climbing. If you love adventure and plan to go hiking this spring, be weary of just how high you go. At an altitude of 27,000 feet, Jeremy Windsor was climbing Mt. Everest in 2008, and he began to experience some strange things. As stated on Time Magazine’s website, a man named Jimmy was providing Jeremy with words of encouragement and would then disappear amongst the snow. Also known as “third-man factor”, these hallucinations are found in high-altitude Alpine settings, and can quickly become dangerous if it causes a trekker to go off-route or engage in risky behaviors due to the hallucinations. Research is unclear exactly what leads to the development of psychosis during these higher altitudes; some believe it’s faith or religious-based, some believe it’s caused by biochemical reactions, yet others believe it to be “misfiring brain activity”. The discussion surrounding “third-man factor” hasn’t just been in relation to high altitudes, however. Stories exhibiting this have been shown in contexts such as war or terrorist attacks – this hallucination has been said to provide added comfort, guidance, and strength to a person in times of significant stress or life-threatening circumstances, according to the National Public Radio. Schizophrenia is often associated with delusions and hallucinations, but with “third-man factor”, the hallucinations disappear once the person has reached a lower altitude. Additionally, the psychosis experienced with mountain hiking and other extreme events have proven to aid, or provide support, to the person undergoing extreme stress – individuals with schizophrenia may become paranoid or may hallucinate that induce more stress and anxiety. Seek medical attention immediately if you are experiencing hallucinations in your daily life and you have not been diagnosed. For mental disorders such as schizophrenia, there are medications that can help you better manage daily life.

According to the Schizophrenia and Related Disorders Alliance of America, approximately 3.5 million people in the United States are diagnosed with schizophrenia, and it is one of the leading causes of disability. Individuals with schizophrenia often experience delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, disorganized behavior, and negative symptoms such as feeling detached from oneself, general discontentment, anger, anxiety, and more. Most people recognize schizophrenia as a disorder that causes delusions and hallucinations, but there is much more that many don’t know.

Making the decision to attend a treatment center is the best decision you could have made. You already know that you want optimal care and a supportive healthcare team to help you achieve your goals. With so many treatment facilities available, it can seem daunting to select the right fit. Depending on whether you have decided to partake in an intensive outpatient program, inpatient program or a residential treatment program, there may be several factors you want to consider. The following is a universal list of questions and concerns that you can utilize to ensure your treatment facility is the best fit for you:

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a tool most often used to help people change their negative thought patterns and develop newer, healthier mind scripts. CBT has been proven to be an extremely effective way of training emotion regulation skills. A 2013 meta-analysis conducted by researchers from Boston University found that CBT has been most used to treat substance use disorder, schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders, depression and dysthymia, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, somatoform disorders, eating disorders, insomnia, personality disorders, anger and aggression, criminal behaviors, general stress, and so much more.  If you are currently in therapy and are learning about cognitive behavioral therapy, or you are researching this on your own, there are some necessities of CBT that can be challenging but are worth it, and you need to be prepared for these to be most successful:

Group therapy may seem very daunting – meeting new people, sharing personal information, and the overall new experience of group therapy may provoke anxiety. While these reasons are understandable, group therapy can provide several benefits. The most crucial step you can take before you begin group therapy is to adjust your perception, change your mindset that group therapy will be beneficial to you because this will set you up for a more positive experience. Associate Editor Margarita Tartakovsky of Psych Central has noted several ways that group therapy can uplift us in recovery: