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Will life get better after treatment? The answer is unequivocally yes. Life gets better the minute you make the decision to get sober, seek treatment, or confront the presence of a mental illness in your life. From that moment forward life continues to get better on an exponential scale. There is, however, one catch: it takes work. Though the first step in solving any problem is admitting you have one, and the second step is realizing that you need help in solving it- this is not the full solution. Each day in recovery, there is work to be done. Popularly, people in recovery say “it works if you work it”. Part of that work includes recognizing that there will be obstacles and it will take some additional work to get over them. Mistakenly, people think that the work done in treatment is all the work that needs to be done. Life continues to happen as life does, whether we are sober, in recovery, or not. Coming across obstacles, or creating them ourselves, is a natural part of life. Our recovery and success is not defined by the lack of obstacles in our lives but the way in which we approach and overcome them.

Borderline Personality Disorder is an overlooked mental health condition which can cause pain in relationships and everyday life for those who have it. 14 million Americans are reported to suffer from borderline personality disorder. Millions more are also likely to suffer. Due to shame, stigma, and a widespread lack of knowledge regarding borderline personality disorder, many will never receive a diagnosis or treatment. People with borderline personality disorder suffer from labels, judgments, and more. The highly volatile and rapidly changing nature of the disorder makes it hard to diagnose and even more challenging to treat. For therapists, psychiatrists, and psychological professionals alike, borderline personality disorder is one of the most difficult mental illnesses to treat. Even telling someone who demonstrates the symptoms of borderline personality disorder that they have borderline personality disorder poses a problems for professionals.

2016 was the rise of clean eating and widespread veganism. Out of the dust of limiting a diet to only healthy super foods came Orthorexia, a new eating disorder that focuses on an obsessive need to eat only healthy foods. Predictions for the health trends, however unhealthy they may be, for 2017 is “Flexitarianism”. New Trends According to The Independent, Whole Foods is citing flexitarianism as the new trend. It’s an easier approach to maintaining a happy, healthy, balanced diet while also making eco-choices. Veganism and vegetarianism might be desireable for someone’s ecological agenda but does not agree with their biological agenda (though many vegans might argue). Instead of trying to diet in extremes, flexitarianism will help people maintain a mostly vegetarian diet while still allowing for, and encouraging, eating meat. Eating flexibly is by no means new or revolutionary. However, in a diet-identified world, it helps to have a name. Going meat free a few times a week or a few meals per day is encouraged for many reasons. Eating more fruits and vegetables in addition to protein heavy substances is good for health. Meat is necessary for many people as a source of iron, protein, and other essential nutrients. However, meat production is terrible for the environment. Many see reducing their intake of meat as a balanced political statement. Quite literally, they can have their meat and eat it too. How To Eat Flexitarian Getting savvy with vegan and vegetarian cooking is easy to do today with so many blogs, Youtube channels, and Instagram accounts dedicated to healthy eating. With a doctor, decide how many times per day or per week your unique body is in need of meat and animal based protein. Plan your meals around when to have meat and when not to have meat. Don’t worry, eating plant based for some meals will not mean only eating salads. Stews, soups, and plenty of other foods can be created from plant based ingredients. Avalon By The Sea supports healthy, balanced eating by providing residents with a personalized nutrition plan and regular sessions with a dietician. Our in house chef prepares locally sourced organic meals each day. For information on our treatment programs, call 1 888-958-7511.

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: