Treatment

Integrating 12 step meetings and philosophies into treatment is controversial due to the spiritual nature of the program. Many people find benefit to learning the practical applications of the 12 step theory and attending meetings during their time in residential treatment. Socializing With People In Recovery A challenge in early recovery is creating a new social group based on people who are sober and pursuing transformative change in their lives. There is a common philosophy in recovery: not drinking and using isn’t enough. On a daily basis, staying sober might be all you have. Yet, to stay sober long term, you need to look at deeper changes. 12 step meetings are full of people who are committed to that and people who are not. Going to meetings to meet new people is an important practice in learning to find and develop relationships with people who hold the same values that you do. Hearing Inspiring Stories A phenomena that most people can agree with about meetings is the day they don’t want to go to a meeting, they hear something they truly needed to hear. During 12 step meetings, people share about their “experience, strength, and hope”. They use portions of The Big Book Of Alcoholics Anonymous or other AA approved texts to support their personal inspiration. Early recovery during the treatment phase can include many days with bland outlook. Having a “why” and something to believe in for recovery is absolutely essential for continuing to make it through. People have overcome tremendous trauma, challenges, and unthinkable depths in their addictions, only to come to sobriety and live a full, happy life in recovery. Hearing these stories during the earliest days is invaluable. “The Defense Against The First Drink” Working the 12 steps along what is called “a suggested program of recovery” is meant to give someone in recovery the tools they need to act as a “defense” against the “first drink”. According to AA philosophy, the addict or alcoholic has an “allergy” to their substances of choice. Once someone has just one they cannot help themselves but to have more. It isn’t the fifth or sixth and twelfth drink which poses the problem, but the first drink which starts the entire chain of events. AA was one of the first programs to include relapse prevention skills about reaching out, examining one’s feelings, doing a quick personal check, and getting spiritually in line. Opportunities To Be Of Service Due to the anonymous nature of AA, there are no paid positions for all of the meetings. Meetings are run on donations and volunteer positions called “commitments” which can include being a secretary, a greeting person, sweeping the floor, making coffee, giving tokens, bringing literature, or acting as a treasurer, among others. Being of service is a great way to keep yourself busy once you’re in sober living transitioning through lower levels of care. You’ll be committed to going to meetings, having responsibility, and being accountable for it. At Avalon Malibu, we believe the 12 step philosophy and function of 12 step meetings can greatly add to the transformative process of recovery. Our beautiful estate houses our two residential treatment facilities for primary mental health and primary substance use disorders. For a confidential assessment and more information on our trusted 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.

Each month there is a new breakthrough in psychopharmacology for the treatment of mental health disorders. Alcoholism and addiction, substance use disorders, are constantly being tried against various medications. America loves medications, for good reasons. For many people with many different conditions, medication works. Resolving treatment to a simple pill is a convenient answer which can be mass produced and help millions of people. Most treatment professionals agree, however, that a medication is only one part of a recovery program. Therapy, diet and nutrition, as well as lifestyle changes are essential for recovering from any kind of mental health condition. Creating a balance lifestyle of mind, body, and spirit is essential for creating the meaning and changes in life which will support ongoing recovery. Eating disorder recovery finds this to be especially true. However, for eating disorders, there is rarely talk of a medication. Recent headlines have indicated brain stimulation might help with bulimia and anorexia nervosa. In recent years, there has been talk of surgeries to help with binge eating disorder, as well as the suggestion of stimulant medications like Vyvanse, used for treating ADHD, to suppress the appetite. Yet, medications and eating disorders don’t seem to be associated. Refinery29 explains that understanding of how eating disorders work in the brain is still scarce. Only recently did some researchers find that eating disorders might live in the area of the brain where habits are formed. Additionally, eating disorders are difficult to study. The article writes that “it can be difficult to tell whether the differences in brain activity that you see in ED patients versus a healthy control group are truly due to the disorder or are actually due to malnourishment.” Another complicated contributor to the ambiguity of eating disorder treatment is that many patients don’t want to give up their behaviors out of fear. When people seek treatment they have either decided they want to live a different way, have been forced into treatment by family, or recognize their mortality should their behaviors continue. Eating disorders can create an unhealthy fear of gaining weight. One of the most influential factors which drive people away from treatment is the fear of gaining weight and not being able to participate in disordered behaviors any longer. Medications can cause weight gain, which could pose an immediate red flag to patients. Therapy and treatment, with a gentle guidance to lifestyle changes and thinking processes do help with eating disorder treatments. Studies are finding that once someone goes to treatment for an eating disorder, their recovery sustains long term. Avalon Malibu offers a residential treatment program for eating disorders which includes nourishment for the soul, the body, and healing for the mind. For a confidential assessment, call us today at 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.

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.

Trauma happens in two primary ways. First, it can happen as a blatant and intended act against another person. When someone is abused in any way, they are experiencing interpersonal trauma. Second, trauma can happen indirectly, by way of an accident, giving the namesake to accidental trauma. Though interpersonal trauma is rarely of personal consequence, i.e. being someone’s fault or inviting the trauma to happen, accidental trauma is almost never someone’s fault. The differences do not end there. According to Insight, “The core difference between intentional interpersonal trauma and something like an accident is that the person's beliefs about themselves and about other people and about the world can be shattered [with the former],” the article explains. How the trauma incident plays out is significant. Trauma can completely disrupt one’s beliefs not only about themselves but about other people. For example, there are shifts which can resemble:

Ruminating thoughts, feelings of impending doom, and pessimistic negativity are all hallmarks of depression. Learning how to live with and change negative thinking in depression is a primary ingredient in a recipe of successful recovery. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most relied upon therapies for treating mental health conditions. Highlighting the relationship between thought and behavior, CBT helps clients identify their beliefs which fuel their behavior. Taking an objective look at them, ongoing CBT assists in being able to decide if these are thoughts a client wants to continue having and behaviors they want to continue acting on. Continuing therapy utilizing CBT tools allows clients to make proactive changes in their thinking and consequent behaviors. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Dialectical behavioral therapy was designed to treat more complex personality and mood disorders, like borderline personality disorder. While cognitive behavioral therapy is helpful and applicable to many different mental health conditions, it seemed to fall short for more intense emotions. Chronic major depression can include very low emotional states which include heightened sensitivity and a very intense form of pessimism. DBT is a system for coping with emotional moments when they arise, working to identify feeling-states rather than belief-states before taking action. Metacognitive Therapy According to Health.com, metacognitive therapy, or, MBCT, is similar to cognitive behavioral therapy, without the analysis. Rather than dissect certain thought patterns and beliefs, MCT leads clients to practical applications for “reducing the negative thought processes and take control over them.” For one study, 20 patients with depression went through 10 weeks of MCT therapy sessions, once each week. 80% of the patients scaled a full recovery from depression symptoms. Mindfulness Mindfulness based stress reduction is a system of tools which utilize mindfulness practices in order to alleviate emotional stress. Awareness, noticing, and paying attention are the primary functions of mindfulness which encourage autonomy in the emotional process. Without having to pause and engage in practices, mindfulness is an integrated lifestyle in which someone can simply notice how they are feeling and become aware of their behaviors. Importantly, mindfulness emphasizes an attitude of non-judgment. Healing from depression and learning to live with depression symptoms is possible for you in your life. If you are struggling with depression, Avalon Malibu welcomes you to our residential treatment program. One of California’s only certified mental health facilities for primary mental health conditions, we treat your depression directly and help you heal mind, body, and spirit. For a confidential assessment, call us today at 1 888-958-7511.

Going to treatment helps when the mental health disorder you are living with becomes too much. However, just walking through the doors of a treatment center is not a magical cure all. The coming days will take a lot of hard work, honesty, open-mindedness, willingness, and strength. Every single component of a treatment program like the residential programs at Avalon Malibu is designed to help you gain the strength you need to continue enduring. You are being put through a daily design for healing your wounds, which will help you grow stronger. Staying so mentally strong when you feel as though you are constantly on the brink of falling apart is a challenge. Remember, you are learning to take things one day at a time. A lot can happen in a day. You will have moments of weakness. You will also have moments of great strength. Here are a few ways to keep yourself mentally strong as you work on your mental health and wellbeing. Stay Present In Treatment And Stay Focused On The Future After Treatment It might sound contradictory, especially when you are learning mindfulness based stress reduction techniques telling you to let go of the future and focus on the present. Having goals for the future can be exceptionally helpful in mental health treatment. You are working towards creating a better, healthier, more well-balanced life. If you keep dreading about the future and imagining it as a continuation of your current struggle, there won’t be any reason to keep going. To stay mentally strong, you have to have inspiration, a goal, or some kind of meaning to work toward. Don’t Be Bashful Of What You Accomplish Getting out of bed and putting on clothes every day is a pretty big accomplishment when you feel the weight of your mental illness pulling down on you. Going through the motions of a daily treatment program is full of tiny victories. Feel good about your accomplishments without judging them or labeling them “because you’re in treatment”. Treat Yourself With Kindness Nobody throws a punch like you do, in your own mind. You can beat yourself pretty well if you really want to. Treatment is a time to stop doing that. Practice self-kindness by being a little more gentle and understanding with yourself. As you take other actions to gain mental strength, this will be one of the more important ones. Nothing will wear you down faster than constantly being a bully to yourself. Avalon Malibu is one of California’s only treatment facilities providing residential treatment for clients with a primary mental health condition. If you or a loved one are in need of higher care and are ready to find healing, call us today for a confidential assessment at 1 888-958-7511.

Self-condemnation is a powerful tool. We have leverage on ourselves our entire lives when we believe we’ve done something worth punishment. No matter our victories, accomplishments, or joyus, we will always have that lingering sense of guilt there. Reminding us of worser times, we cna’t allow ourselves to be present, to develop in our self-worth, or be happy. Convicted for life, punishable by guilt, never to be redeemed. Coping with extreme feelings of guilt and shame is not something that we do particularly well as individuals with substance use disorders and mental health conditions. Often, the reason we develop such issues is out of a need to cope with such heavy guilt. Guilt that becomes dysfunctional and invades other areas of our lives is considered toxic. Toxic guilt is nothing more than how it sounds. Living with toxic guilt and shame feels like living with an active virus. Anything will set it off and cause it to spread. We feel toxic guilt and shame in our minds, our hearts, our souls, and even our bodies. Carrying around the weight of the entire world’s punishment by not forgiving ourselves and moving on becomes exhausting. Though we might grow calloused under the pressure and get used to the consistency of self loating, it isn’t sustainable. How To Forgive Yourself Possibly, you deserve the blame. You did something wrong, something unforgiveably wrong, and there’s no denying that. In the height of our mental illnesses and addictions, we can make some very prone decisions. Some people live with the nowledge of taking another person’s life when they were in a drunk driving accident. Others have hurt and abused the ones they love. Forgiveness is not about changing the past or condoning what has happened. Instead, forgiveness is about accepting the fact that it happened and making a commitment to do better in the future. You must start by accepting what has happened because there’s no going back and changing it. Recognize that like all people, you’re humans, and humans, thankfully, are not perfect. As such, imperfect people should be expected to make perfect mistakes. Next, you must be able to let go of that punishment and realize that you are now seeking treatment, are in treatment, or are working a program of recovery. Actively, you are creating change in your life to ensure you never have to act that way again. Avalon By The Sea is here to help you make that journey toward self-forgiveness and healing. Our residential treatment facility is one of the few certified to treat primary mental health conditions. For a confidential assessment and more information on our programs of treatment, call 1 888-958-7511.

Eating disorders are complex and complicated mental health issues which can become life threatening without treatment. Supporting a loved one who has an issue with one of life’s necessities, food, can be challenging. Help Them Stop Talking About Weight Since weight and body image has been such a hyper-focus for so long, it might feel like a natural area of conversation to bring up when your loved one is in treatment and recovery for an eating disorder. Learning not to focus on weight and body image is something they are working very hard at. Even if they had reached dangerously low weights through anorexia nervosa and you want to comment they are looking healthier as they gain some weight- try to avoid these comments in the beginning. On the other hand, if someone had gained a dangerously high weight through an eating disorder like binge eating disorder, try not to comment on how thin they are looking. Underneath the surface of obsession regarding weight and body image are serious psychological issues they are working hard to sort out. For now, encourage them to keep working so hard in treatment. Leave The Guidance To The Therapists Getting a call from a loved one in treatment is a special yet also a frightening moment. You want to support them and help them in every way you can. Making sure those ways you chose are healthy is important. Remember, that though you are a parent, a spouse, or a dear friend, you are not a licensed professional certified in treating eating disorders. What you can do is:

Obsessive compulsive disorders is one of the lesser understood mental health disorders and dual diagnosis with substance use disorder.