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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.

Many young adults and adults who come to treatment are shocked to find out they’ve been living their lives with untreated ADHD. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder affects millions of adults- many of whom are unaware of the struggle they live with on a daily basis. For someone who has ADHD, their mind is running, all the time. Loop thinking, constant distraction, an inability to sit still, difficulty being productive, and a general feeling of never being able to reach one’s potential is challenging to cope with. ADHD is a highly co-occurring disorder with alcoholism and drug addiction. When someone with untreated ADHD experiments recreationally with drugs and alcohol, they find a certain kind of relief. Compared to the ongoing noise and debilitation happening inside their minds, the way they feel under the influence of drugs and alcohol is preferable. Medication ADHD in adults can be treated with medication. Typically, ADHD medications are amphetamines, or, stimulants. Abuse of and addiction to stimulant ADHD medication is common. Some research suggests that people who have taken ADHD medication since a young age were being set up for addiction. Thankfully, there are non-stimulant solutions in medicating and treating ADHD. Treating ADHD takes more than taking a pill. Certain lifestyle changes, habits, and routines have to be set up to create organization and calm. Here are some symptoms of Adult ADHD:

Divorce is something that happens between parents, not a child. However, it is often the child who is most affected. Adult children of divorce live with a special kind of fear: anything can break the love between two people and most of the time you don’t see it coming. Not every divorce is obvious. Without the security of a blatant reason for a parent’s love to end, a child is left with a particular insecurity. What causes two people to stop loving each other? What causes someone to leave? Each step becomes when of fear when a child of divorce grows up and starts engaging in romantic partnerships. Every fight is terrifying. The fear of not knowing what could be wrong, what could cause them to leave, is paralyzing. Some children of divorce grow up to be codependent and needy while others become counter-dependent and avoidant to love.

Avalon By The Sea offers transitional care and planning for each resident. Our certified dual diagnosis treatment center is eligible to treat both mental health conditions and substance use disorder conditions as well. For a private consultation of more information call 1 888-958-7511.

The only thing you have to change is everything it is often said in recovery. Getting sober seems intimidating because many people assume they have to give up and change their whole lives. Ironically that mind state indicates the deeply enmeshed role drugs and alcohol plays in ones life. The power of habit is real and the substances we choose to abuse are but a symptom of deeper habits. Getting sober is primarily a process of changing ones habits from unhealthy and destructive to healthy and productive. Whether or not you give up your entire life is really a choice you have to make.

Step ten of the twelve steps originally outlined by the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous reads, “Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.” Step ten is one of three steps considered to be the maintenance steps. Ten, eleven, and twelve of the twelve steps are the steps incorporated into daily living to ensure ongoing participation in one’s recovery. Taking regular inventory, making amends where necessary, meditating, praying, and being of service to others should all be part of one’s daily life. Each serve a distinct purpose for maintaining serenity and freedom from the bondage of self.

What is the definition of “recovery”? By one definition, recovery means returning to a “normal state”. Normal may not ever be a reality for those who suffer from a mental health disorder. What the normalcy the definition refers to is in health, mind, and strength. Another definition of recovery sees it as “the action or process of regaining possession or control of something stolen or lost”. Addiction, alcoholism, and mental health issues can certainly make us feel as though we’ve lost our sense of normalcy when it comes to our physical health, mental health, and our strength. We lose strength of mind, strength of heart, as well as strength of spirit. We lose our strength in being able to cope with life on life’s terms and do what is required of us to maintain.

Before President Barack Obama transitions out of office in January of 2017, he has a few laws to sign into place during his “sitting duck” interim. One such law will be the bill just approved by the senate regarding mental health. In 2016, various levels of government tried to pass large budgets and bills for mental health, many of them losing steam or not turning out with full promise. This bill however, finally pulled it together. $1 billion dollars in grants will be made available for treatment of opioid and heroin addiction. The bill also improves the opportunity for those in need to receive medically assisted treatment, often referred to as Assisted Outpatient Treatment. The bill was for Connecticut and other states. As the Obama administration comes to a close, local governments are trying to get bills passed and signed into law for mental health.

Recovery, therapy, personal development, leadership, mindfulness- everything that has to do with helping you grow into a more authentic, fulfilled, happy, and healthy individual talks about it. Gratitude. Gratitude is a very popular word. People have gratitude journals, they make gratitude lists, they schedule time in their day to stop and reflect on what they are grateful for. Religious people practice gratitude, secular people practice gratitude, and everyone is just grateful all the time. To really assume everyone is that grateful, all the time would be a vast generalization.

Addiction can take many forms. One of the characteristics of addiction is impulsivity, recklessness, lack of foresight (thinking about consequences), and thrill-seeking. Together, these character traits can cause someone to become a walking, talking experiment. Willing to try anything, an addict in the making is susceptible to try getting intoxicated or high off of obscure substances. Commonly, the information about the “high” is rarely accompanied by information about the side effects. Consequently, many can find themselves getting sick or putting themselves at risk for severe health complications or even death.