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In the last five years, overdose on opioid drugs has increased 33%, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Though the general increase is 33%, some states, like New Hampshire, have seen increases of 191%. Other high ranking states included Connecticut, Ohio, North Dakota, Massachusetts, and Maine. Opioid drugs include prescription painkillers, heroin, and synthetic opioids. Namely, drugs like Oxycontin, Heroin, and Fentanyl. 2016 saw some of the worst influx of opioid drug abuse with people overdosing on other synthetic opioids like Carfentanil, which is an animal tranquilizer. 2016 also saw a tragic number of opioid overdose deaths. NY Daily News reports that more than 52,000 people died from drug overdoses last year in America. Almost two-thirds of those people overdosed on prescription opioid painkillers or illegal opioid drugs like heroin. For the synthetic opioid drugs like Fentanyl, which saw a rise in popularity in 2016, the overdose death count rose 73%. That’s about 9,580 deaths due to synthetic opioids alone. Prescription opioid drugs had the highest overdose death rate, yet with the smallest increase overall. Popular opioid prescription painkillers like Oxycontin and Vicodin took the lives of 17,536 people. Though the increase is only 4%, the ongoing cost of opioid prescriptions continues to be detrimental. For emphasis, the website reports, compared to the 52,000 lives lost from opioid overdose, 37,757 died in car crashes and 36,252 died from gun related deaths. Combined, that is just over 20,000 people more than those who died from drug overdose-- less than either one category. The Rise Of Synthetic Opioids Most concerning is the steep increase of overdose deaths due to synthetic opioids. Synthetic opioids were created for chronic pain patients or traumatic surgery patients who did not tolerate regular morphine based opioids. In need of an opioid pain reliever, synthetics were made. However, many of the synthetic opioids released this year were never intended to release. Pharmaceutical companies found them to be dangerously strong and never proceeded to develop the substances. Foreign markets, primarily China, got hold of these chemical substances and started producing them. Synthetic drugs are cheaper and can act as fillers for other drugs- like actual heroin. Powerful, potent, and cheap, synthetics took over the market and took lives. Avalon By The Sea is committed to providing quality rehabilitation treatment to those suffering from opioid addiction. Though the challenge is daunting, recovery is possible. Our residential treatment programs focus on healing mind, body, and spirit, for total transformation for a better life. For a private consultation or more information on how we can help you or a loved one with opioid use disorder, call 1 888-958-7511.

Journal Sometimes we don’t understand why we are sad. There is a difference between feeling sad and being diagnosable depressed. The everyday kind of sadness that comes on out of nowhere really come from somewhere we just have to discover it. One of the best ways to do that is through journaling. Set a minimum of fifteen minutes aside to just start writing down your thoughts. You’ll be amazed how quickly your emotions start pouring out and that you are able to gain clarity at what you are feeling. Journaling isn’t guaranteed to make your sadness go away, but it might take some of the pressure off as you lamentingly try to figure out why you feel so sad. Be Of Service To Another Sadness can cause us a bit of a pity party. Sitting in self-pity neither helps our sadness nor does any good to anyone else. Helping out a friend in a small or big way does. Instead of focusing on ourselves and our woes, we can put our attention to someone else. Taking the microscope off of our episode of sadness actually reduces it. Additionally, doing good for others is always a trick way to do something good for yourself. You’ll realize there’s more to life than just your experience in it, even when that experience is sad. Organize Your space Cleaning your room, organizing your house, or moving furniture around the living room probably sounds like the last thing you would want to do when you are feeling sad. Sadness can feel like standing in the middle of an afternoon rain shower where the drops follow you everywhere you go. Cleaning is a way to shake off the dampness and create something fresh. The critical and creative thinking will overpower your emotional state and help you see that nothing has to stay the same, including your emotional state. Make Your Body Move Laying around in bed with the covers pulled up around you like a winter parka probably sounds like a great idea when you’re feeling sad and blue. Moping only makes sadness worse, even though for many “taking it easy” is the answer to emotional distress. Most of the time, such actions only feed the sadness. Try going for a walk, doing some yoga, or having a dance jam in your room. It might be hard to move at first, but once you get your blood pumping you’ll find you’re having fun and the sadness will just disappear. Emotional Regulation is a huge part of recovery. Avalon By The Sea offers a diverse program which educates, heals, and informs each client with the tools they need to live happy and successful lives. For a private consultation and more information on our programs, call 1 888-958-7511.

Recovery is full of special sayings and cliches. They are small statements which serve as reminders to the bigger purpose of recovery. There is a reason for your pain. Pain has a purpose. Don’t give up. One day at a time. Keep it simple. Easy does it. Have willingness, honesty, and open-mindedness. Suit up and show up. The list goes on.

Seasonal affective disorder or depression is a real mental health condition which strikes thousands of people each time the weather changes from summer to winter. Throughout the course of fall, symptoms worsen until they become a general depression. Here are some tips for preparing to transition out of seasonal affective disorder and prepare for next year.

Mindfulness is often confused with emptiness. Mindfulness is a practice rooted in buddhism which simply asks the practitioner to grow in their awareness of their surroundings. Noticing, paying attention, and becoming aware are all mindful practice that help separate one from their thoughts and grow in autonomy over what they are thinking. Zen is a particular form of Buddhist practice which seeks to help the follower create emptiness in their minds, detaching entirely from any emotional state. Mindfulness does not asks practitioners to do this. Instead, it simply suggest taking an honest look at what is feeling. Most people are unable to identify their feelings. Though they know they are feeling something, they are often lacking in the awareness, as well as the emotional articulation, to specifically identify what they are feeling. Consequently, mindfulness is not the absence of emotion, but the heightened awareness of it. For mindfulness, all emotions are equal.

Anxiety is a preoccupation with thoughts. When anxiety takes over in our minds, it floods our forethoughts with an unending and consistent stream of worry. Our worries can be relevant or irrelevant, but are most likely improbable. What separates anxious worry from normal worry is how likely it is. Anxious thinking tends to be catastrophic thinking, meaning it is obsessed with the worst case scenario and what that would mean. At the core, anxiety is a misfire of an ancient human response to danger. On a neurobiological scaled, when anxiety takes off, the brain goes into a fear response mode. Instead of confronting and reducing gear, however, anxiety creates more fear, then becomes afraid of that fear and so forth. Rather than read the thought process as a means of survival, the anxious mind picks up on each new thought as a brand new threat.

“We cannot be silent about another threat to the emotional health of people. In addition to biological factors, psychological and environmental factors contribute to mental illness,” wrote a man by the name of Jeffrey Freedman in a letter to the editor to The New York Times. Freedman is a former president of the New York County branch of the American Psychiatric Association.

Spotting a mood disorder is usually done through subtle changes. If you are concerned a loved one might be suffering from the onset of a mood disorder, look for these commonly occurring symptoms.

Need some new hobbies this year to occupy your time and invigorate your self-care repertoire? According to recent research this a host of crafty and culinary hobbies that will help boost your creativity and your mental health. In a social media world where perfectionist Instagram and Pinterest photos fuel the Do-It-Yourself drive, crafting and baking, in addition to other hobbies, bring people a lot of joy. That healthy joy is improving their mental health, as the research reveals. 658 students were surveyed for the study and found that the next day after crafting or creating in some way students had more energy, felt happier, and had a greater sense of calm the next day. Of the crafts and hobbies, these are some of the other activities included by the researchers in the study:

Change is uncomfortable. Often change is out of our control. We don’t know what change will bring, how change will affect us and whether that effect will be good or bad. For some of us, change was a constant in our lives. We barely had the chance to find any grounding beneath our feet. Growing up in an environment that is unstable, unpredictable, volatile, and insecure, change can be tremendously triggering. Often that change included abuse. Traumatized from what was out of our control when it came to family members, spouses, or loved ones, we have a difficult time coping with change. Life is constantly changing. You are constantly changing. The world is always moving, shifting, and growing. So are you. Change is inevitable and change is constant. You cope with more change than you realize. It is specific change which triggers specific traumas from your life which are difficult to cope with. Learning how to identify and embrace these changes is an important part of recovery. Often, people abuse drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism. Intoxication was a preferred state to feeling completely out of control of change. Today, you get to live a different life. Gratitude Gratitude for change makes the change more bearable. Rather than fight what is happening, gratitude helps with embracing it. Judging, labeling, and creating fear out of change makes it more difficult to accept. Gratitude, however, creates a balance. Gratitude is the way to recognize that everything in life has a purpose and a lesson. We can learn from everything that happens to us, whether it is out of our control or not. Mostly, gratitude helps us to be thankful for the things that matter. Our lives, our sobriety, our health, our wellness- these are the most important things. When we become obsessed with things other than what is important, we tend to forget how important they are and how lucky we are to have them. Gratitude puts us back on track and loosen up our need for control. Avalon By The Sea knows that you have a beautiful life waiting for you. You can recover from what you’re going through and live a different life. Let us show you how. We offer residential treatment programs and intensive outpatient as well as day care programs. For more information, call 888-958-7511.

The theory arguing for two kinds of narcissism has been around for decades but is not often discussed. As it often occurs with mental illness, it is easier to generalize a mental health disorder than fully understand the depth of it. Creating a trope out of a mental illness simplifies and compartmentalizes it, but it does not inform in the most effective way it could. Narcissism is used often as ridicule and warning for those who might be working for, in a relationship with, or is the child of, a narcissist. Narcissistic personality disorder is a diagnosable mental health disorder in which people suffer greatly from the way they relate to themselves and the world. Often, the narcissistic behavior is their way of coping with tremendous insecurity and pain, often due to trauma from their childhoods, including being raised by narcissistic parents.  Narcissism is often characterized by its worst parts: entitlement, manipulation, exploitation, and a lack of consideration for others. The ego driven personality disorder needs to be understood and empathized with no matter how deep the extent of their negative actions go. Narcissistic personality disorder is often co-occurring with substance use disorders, especially alcoholism and cocaine addiction. Grandiose Narcissism

Mental health has become a topic in Hollywood. Many celebrities are speaking up about mental health conditions they work with every day and are speaking out about the importance of mental health treatment. With a public platform, they are fighting the shame and stigma of mental health by opening up about their daily struggles and advocating for people to understand, they are not alone. Here are 10 celebrities who are putting mental health on the Hollywood walk of fame. Demi Lovato The former Disney star and chart-breaking recording artist, as well as actress, has been one of the most outspoken about mental health. Lovato openly discusses her experiences with drug abuse, eating disorders, and ongoing struggles with bipolar disorder. J.K. Rowling The woman who has more money than the Queen of England and is the mastermind between the world changing franchise Harry Potter suffers from depression. Rowling openly discusses how depression has inspired her writing throughout the years, even when it has posed a challenge. Lena Dunham Boasting an Emmy award for her original HBO hit series Girls, Dunham mirrored much of herself in her main character Hannah. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, anxiety, and depression are topics Dunham talks about in her personal life and through her screenplays. John Green Writing the love stories taking over tween hearts everywhere, the Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns author struggles with anxiety and holds open forums with his fans to discuss how he lives with it. Russell Brand Brand is most well known for candidly speaking out about his past addiction to heroin, drugs, and alcohol. The comedian and actor has also spoken out about his struggle with male body image and eating disorders, including bulimia. Jennifer Lawrence Boasting a Golden Globe award, Screen Actors Guild Award, and her Academy Award earned for portraying a character with severe Bipolar I disorder, the Hunger Games star has been open about her struggles with anxiety. She advocates for people to face their fears and live to their fullest potential. Hayden Panettiere Child star turned main star on the hit series Nashville, Hayden Panettiere has been in the spotlight for her struggles with Postpartum Depression. Rather than hide and deny her struggles, Panettiere has become somewhat of a spokesperson for the depression she suffers from, letting women know that it’s okay to seek treatment. Avalon By The Sea is a private mental health treatment center providing California’s premiere mental health treatment as a primary diagnosis. If you are struggling with a mental health disorder and are ready to seek treatment, call 1 (888) 958-7511 today for a private consultation and more information on our residential treatment programs.