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According to the American Psychiatric Association our personalities are the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors we have that are what make us different from others. Personalities are shaped over time by a variety of factors from both environment and experiences. Also according to the APA, a personality disorder occurs when a person’s thoughts, behaviors and interactions with others deviates from cultural norms and causes distress or problems with functioning, and lasts over time. There are many types of personality disorders and doctors have organized them into different groups, or cluster, to help with diagnosis and identification. The good news is that most personality disorders can be treated.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), an estimated 1.5 million Americans aged 12 or older were using cocaine in 2014. Annual surveys suggest that cocaine use has been quite stable since 2009 – with nearly 505,224 emergency room visits involving cocaine in 2011 and similar numbers to date, recovery is one major topic of discussion. By understanding the various treatment options available, more information can be shared with loved ones ready to recover. Furthermore, we can seek help for ourselves by knowing what options are available to us. Cocaine dependency has been treated with several medications, which have shown to reduce harm in withdrawal and detoxification, counter the effects of overdose, and more. However, treatment should always be more than medication, as addiction directly effects the mind, body, and spirit. Psychosocial treatment involves a variety of components: structured counseling, motivational enhancement, case management and coordination, psychotherapy, and relapse prevention may all be involved. Those with cocaine dependency may have needs different from other substance users, making customized treatment very important. A study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry found that individual drug counseling plus group drug counseling were very effective for those with cocaine addiction. What can you expect with each of these? Individual drug counseling: a mental health clinician will work with you one-on-one to uncover, explore, and conquer issues with discussion, observation, analysis, and intervention. With this, you can develop a professional relationship with someone whom you will speak with regularly. Group drug counseling: with others in recovery, you will obtain information on addiction and how it effects the brain as well as coping strategies and topic discussions. Relapse prevention, interpersonal communication and social relationships, and other areas of interest will likely be explored. When addiction is involved, recovery should focus on every aspect of life because addiction affects every aspect. Holistic recovery places emphasis on rebalancing and restoring a person’s mind, body, and spirit. If you’ve been struggling with cocaine addiction, speak with a professional from a reputable treatment center today to learn more about treatment options to best fit your needs.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy (also known as talk therapy) that helps clients replace old, unproductive and negative thought patterns into newer, more productive ones. Much of CBT is based on the idea that our thoughts either hinder or support us living in the present moment and our success in the future – if we’re constantly feeding our minds with self-doubt and negative talk, we will likely carry this negativity into our present moments. Many studies have shown that CBT is greatly effective in helping treat a variety of conditions, including: post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety, depression, and more. If you’ve recently started CBT with your therapist, that’s great! You will likely gain invaluable skills that you can put directly towards your mental health, which will trickle into many other areas of your life in the most beautiful of ways. CBT is more hands-on, which means you may have some “homework” or take-home exercises to complete. Since CBT focuses on changing your thinking patterns, it will be quite an adjustment. Here are 3 challenges you can expect to work through while embracing this transformative, therapeutic technique:

With marijuana becoming legalized in various parts of the United States for medical and/or recreational purposes, it’s important to know what you’re consuming. According to a 2017 poll conducted by the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, 52% of Americans aged 18 or older have tried marijuana, and 44% of these individuals who have tried it, currently use it. As explained by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), around 30% of those who use marijuana also have marijuana use disorder; in 2015, approximately 4 million people met the diagnostic criteria for this. A mind-altering, chemical compound, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) can treat pain, muscle spasms, nausea and more – but can also lead to dependency and addiction if not monitored closely. One of the biggest concerns regarding recreational marijuana is the fact that it’s unregulated – meaning different strains could have varying levels of potency. In fact, researchers are still looking into potency to see if it’s related to commonly-noted side effects as well as emergency-room visits. Put simply, THC is responsible for the psychological effects experienced when marijuana is consumed. The brain naturally has cannabinoid receptors, which are associated with memory, pleasure, thinking, coordination, and time reception – when marijuana is consumed, THC attaches to these cannabinoid receptors, which affects all of the functions previously listed. One cannabinoid from the marijuana plant, CBD, has been shown to block the high associated with THC – which is also coming into research discussions for medical and therapeutic purposes. THC ultimately stimulates cells in the brain that release the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is responsible for feelings of pleasure. When an excessive of dopamine is release, the brain’s hippocampus (which is responsible for storing memories) remembers this “good” feeling and what caused it – which is what keeps people coming back for more of the drug. Despite common belief, psychological and physical dependency is possible with marijuana because of THC. If you feel that you may have marijuana use disorder, speak with a professional from a reputable treatment center today to learn more about treatment programs. Recovery is possible.

With so much that goes on in life, it’s easy to feel entrenched in this never-ending cycle of stress and anxiety. We find ourselves running down a path, reaching towards happiness, but sometimes it’s nowhere in sight. Something unexpected occurs, as life always brings this, and an overwhelming feeling encapsulates every ounce of energy that lives within us. If this is currently where you find yourself, you likely feel as though you can’t escape the madness. It may feel like everything is spinning, but there is a way to find balance in this chaos. It all starts by taking a deep breath. Meditation has been around for over 5,000 years and has provided people with a sense of peace and calmness despite whatever was going on in their mind or in their external world. Americans have picked up on this transformative practice over the years, as there are now 18 million adults in the U.S. alone that benefit from this healing approach, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine. Forbes Magazine highlights the many benefits of meditation, including: its ability to help preserve the aging of the brain, its reduction of activity in rumination and “me” thinking, its ability to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, its ability to shift our perceptions, and more. If you’re ready to find healing and enlightenment through this restorative journey, take into consideration the following meditation techniques:

If you have a loved one who is struggling with substance abuse, you may feel frustrated, angry, or downright hopeless. “How could they have gone this far?” you may ask yourself. Many friends and family members of loved ones with addiction feel the same way – it’s hard for someone looking in to truly understand all of the factors that play in addiction. First and foremost, it’s important that you and your family members attend family therapy so that you can develop important tools for recovery and family dynamic; addiction affects everyone, and you deserve help as well.

With mobile apps and gaming becoming the center of focus for many adolescents and teenagers today, it’s become challenging for parents to monitor their child’s usage on technology. “They’re just kids – they’ll grow out of it”, is likely a common thought process many parents go through and, while it may seem this way, the reality is that your child’s physical health is directly connected to their mental health – both of which are very important to their long-term health and happiness in life. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HSS), only 1 in 3 children are physically active each day – and more than 80% of adolescents do not do enough aerobic activity to meet the physical activity requirements for their age bracket. As a parent, one of the best things you can do is encourage outside activity with your children, preferably by engaging in sports and recreational activities with them. According to Dr. Nandini Mani, Hospitalist and Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School, exercise has been shown to boost mood in adults, and could potentially help abate symptoms of depression experienced by teens. Ultimately, there are many great reasons why exercise should be implemented in your teen’s daily routine, as outlined by U.S. News:

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of psychological treatment used to help treat conditions such as depression, anxiety disorders, substance use disorders (SUDs), marital problems, eating disorders, and much more. The American Psychological Association (APA) emphasizes 3 core principles that CBT relies on:

“At first I didn’t understand what was going on…sometimes I did not want to be around people, or do anything.  I experienced ups and downs - sometimes depression would grab a hold of me, other times I was simply anxious about anything and everything.” This is an excerpt from a personal story posted by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA). If you have been diagnosed with depression, you can likely relate to feelings of emptiness, hopelessness, fatigue or insomnia, and perpetual negativity that seems to plague your thoughts. Depression takes hold of about 300 million people around the world, and 16.2 million adults within the United States alone. When it comes to recovery, it often depends on the individual and what works best for them. For some, the medications alone provide a major relief. For others, a combination of medication and psychotherapy gives them a sense of clarity while they work through deep-rooted issues, and yet for others, the journey to finding the right treatment “fit” still ensues. Neurofeedback therapy is one component of mental illness and addiction recovery that is becoming more widely used. This form of therapy in particular shows real-time brain activity so that you can see what’s going on – ultimately, you learn tools for self-regulating by watching and adjusting your own brain functioning. Previous research has shown neurofeedback therapy as a positive influence on those with depression. For instance, a 2014 review published in the journal Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience emphasizes the flexibility and noninvasiveness of neurofeedback therapy, making these positive components for those wanting something quite painless. Lynda Thompson, PhD and director of a neurofeedback institute in Canada, told the American Psychological Association (APA) that neurofeedback therapy works like a video game – where children and adults can move through the game only if they are calm and focused. She stated, “The method rewards the healthier brainwave patterns.” For those with depression, neurofeedback therapy could be a great component to add to a treatment regime, as it can help train a person to self-regulate their own brain waves and behavioral strategies as they learn what works best for them. If you haven’t already, speak with a professional from a reputable treatment center to learn more about this option. With technology advancing the realm of mental illness and addiction recovery, more and more options are becoming available. Recovery is possible.

The following quote was found on The Mighty, “You wake up every morning to fight the same demons that left you so tired the night before, and that, my love, is bravery.” Yes, it’s true that recovery is quite subjective – if you can recall personal accounts from celebrities, friends, family, or others who are recovering from a mental illness or addiction, you will find that each story is different. Each person may be at a different “level” in life – for some, recovery means simply waking up each day and taking it one minute at a time. For others, recovery is centered around being sober. Sure, there are “criteria” that several research studies have conducted with mentions of social network, life purpose, community engagement, stability and more – but what truly matters is how you perceive your own recovery – and it could even entail a plethora of things. In 2015, a few researchers from California sought to explore this very concept – when individuals say they are “in recovery”, what do they mean? Overall, five typologies were identified: 12-Step Traditionalist: strongly focused on abstinence, supportive of spirituality elements, strong belief in being honest with oneself, handling negative feelings without using, and more.

Note: If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Your life matters. American fashion designer Kate Spade’s death by suicide shocked the world and sparked a major discussion on seeking help, providing support, and recognizing the warning signs of mental illness and suicidal ideation. Her husband, Andy Spade, told CNN News that she was seeking help for anxiety and depression; he was completely shocked by this news, as he stated that he spoke with her the night before and she sounded happy. Kate Spade’s death was another traumatic incident that proves depression and suicidal ideation can affect anyone – no matter your race, origin, class, success, education, and more. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), nearly 45,000 lives were lost in 2016 alone; suicide has been listed as one of the top leading causes of death in the United States, making this a huge cause for concern. People Magazine claims that David Spade, Kate Spade’s brother-in-law, has recently decided to honor her by donating $100,000 to help those struggling with mental illness. He stated, “More people suffer from mental health issues than we realize but no one should ever feel ashamed to reach out for support.” If you have a mental illness and it’s drastically affected your ability to live your life, seek help immediately. Treatment is available, and may include medication as well as therapy to give you the tools you need to better manage your symptoms. If you are a loved one of someone with a mental illness, recognize the warning sides of suicidal ideation:

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) has been shown to affect nearly 4 million people in the United States alone; estimates show that 75% of individuals diagnosed with BPD are women, making women a key population of interest when it comes to this particular mental illness. People with BPD often experience varying mood swings, unstable self-image, feelings of worthlessness or insecurity, impaired social relationships, and more. Typically beginning during adolescence or early adulthood, symptoms of BPD can cause significant challenges in daily life. Recent research has been aimed at discovering more closely the emergency of BPD, and the latest findings reveal an unexpected area for women: the menstrual cycle. A 2018 study published in the journal Psychological Medicine and conducted by researchers from Chicago involved the analysis of 15 healthy, unmedicated females diagnosed with BPD over a period of 35 days; researchers recorded their symptoms to see if any patterns were revealed. What the researchers found was that symptoms of BPD were heightened the week before and during a female’s menstrual cycle – which can have significant effects on suicidal ideation. Assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Illinois at Chicago Tory Eisenlohr-Moul stated, “…People with borderline personality disorder are at a high risk of suicide, so anything that can help patients and clinicians reliably predict changes in their symptoms is very useful.” Researchers hypothesize that women with BPD are more sensitive to hormonal changes, which could provide reasoning as to why a woman with BPD would experience more severe symptoms leading up to a during her menstrual cycle. However, this new finding could provide a lot of support to healthcare teams seeking to reach out to adolescents, young adults, and women with BPD for preventative measures. Eisenlohr-Moul also stated, “When [estrogen and progesterone] drop so precipitously around menses, it’s not surprising that some women with trouble regulating mood and emotions have an even harder time.” If you’ve been diagnosed with BPD, treatment is available, and recovery is possible. Speak with a professional from a reputable treatment center today to learn more about treatment options.