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Have you ever wondered why your memory doesn’t work like it used to, or why you have greater difficulty concentrating and paying attention? Have you or your friends and family noticed that you have difficulty organizing your thoughts, or finding the right words to express yourself to others? Do you struggle to maintain a stable mood? A Neuropsychological Evaluation (NPE) can help answer these questions and provide you with a detailed assessment of the inner workings of your brain - including strengths and weaknesses, which in turn will assist in  developing a more effective treatment plan for your specific problems. And the best part? Avalon is now proud to offer this comprehensive evaluation to each one of our mental health clients - making us one of a very select few treatment facilities in the country to provide such a service as a part of their intake process.

If you've ever had an anxiety attack, you were probably certain that death was imminent. Anxiety attacks are all too common for people who suffer from a panic disorder, which causes debilitating fear and anxiety that manifests through these attacks, which can be frequent and may not have a discernible cause. Around six million adults in America suffer from panic disorder, which, according to the National Institutes of Health, affects women twice as often as men. Anxiety attacks typically begin to occur in late adolescence or early adulthood, and although not everyone who experiences these attacks has panic disorder, anxiety attacks can nevertheless vastly reduce your quality of life.

Almost everybody has a fear or two. For most individuals, these fears are relatively minor. However, when a fear begins to interfere with everyday life and causes severe anxiety, it's called a phobia. If you suspect that you're suffering from a phobia, you're not alone. An estimated 19 million Americans have some type of phobia, with twice as many women affected as men. Fortunately, treatment for phobias is extremely effective, and you can successfully manage your fears with the help of a mental health professional.

Water is the source of life, and incorporating aqua therapy into an addiction recovery program can bolster the function of both mind and body to promote healing and restore balance. Aqua therapy is comprised of various types of exercise that are performed in the water, and it's widely used for physical rehabilitation and for emotional healing, particularly in an addiction recovery setting.

It's not easy to go through addiction treatment, but some of recovery's biggest challenges occur after you leave the rehab center. Everyday life is filled with stresses and pressures, but a strong network of friends and loved ones can help make the transition easier. The issue of friendships can be tricky when you're in recovery. You may be apprehensive about reconnecting with old friends, and you may not be sure how to cultivate new friendships. It takes a bit of work to re-establish old relationships and develop new ones, but the rewards of healthy friendships justify the effort.

Xanax addiction is rapidly approaching epidemic proportions in the United States. One of the challenges in battling this epidemic is the inability to effectively identify the signs and symptoms that are commonly associated with it. Without being able to recognize the symptoms of Xanax addiction, it is impossible for loved ones to take action and intervene. Because Xanax is used as a common short-term treatment for anxiety disorders, it is easily accessible, presenting a high potential for addiction.

Over the years there has been a wealth of data compiled concerning the consumption of alcohol by women during pregnancy. For decades, the general consensus has been that it is best for pregnant women to abstain from alcohol consumption; however, the emergence of new studies places the question surrounding alcohol consumption and pregnancy back at the forefront of medical discussions. Although some studies have surfaced that suggest that moderate consumption of alcohol by pregnant women does not increase the risk of neurodevelopmental issues in the fetus, the predominance of evidence to the contrary is clear in the expression of the need for pregnant women to abstain from alcohol consumption. While Americans appear to be more conservative when it comes to drinking during pregnancy, alcohol consumption during pregnancy is far more pervasive in Europe. There seems to be a common perception in Europe that “moderate” drinking during pregnancy is okay.

Borderline Personality Disorder, or BPD, is a mental illness that causes emotional instability, mood swings, and self-destructive behaviors. People with BPD have difficulties maintaining healthy relationships, and they have high rates of substance abuse and mental illness, including anxiety and eating disorders, depression, self-harm, and suicidal tendencies. If you have a loved one who suffers from Borderline Personality Disorder, understanding this condition and how it relates to other disorders like depression or substance abuse can help guide your search for effective treatment options as well as help you cope with the symptoms your loved one may exhibit.

With the 2016 presidential campaign currently in full swing, there is no shortage of topics on which these candidates are squaring off. With drug addiction being such a prevalent issue in the U.S., many people are interested in knowing where these candidates stand as far as addiction treatment is concerned. Currently, it is estimated that as many as 23 million Americans are struggling with addiction and drug abuse. What is even more alarming is the fact that only 11 percent of these individuals will actually receive professional treatment. There is a common notion that one of the primary causes for such a low percentage of people who suffer from addiction actually receiving treatment is the criminalization of drug addiction, which creates a negative connotation that inhibits people who are struggling with addictions from seeking health. Following are some of the thoughts and stances of the leading 2016 presidential candidates as revealed in the Washington Post.

Mixing drugs is a common activity among people who suffer from addiction. When tolerance for a drug increases, it becomes harder and harder to achieve the desired effects; adding another substance to the mix becomes a way to get the sought-after high. With this knowledge in mind, it's no surprise that nearly half of addiction-treatment clients have been found to suffer an addiction to more than one substance . Experimenting with drug cocktails can cause serious health effects, and some combinations can even be deadly. Let's take a closer look at certain drug combinations and discuss the risks of these mixtures.

Introversion and social anxiety are commonly considered to be roughly the same thing, and those who understand neither may simply call it "shyness." But introversion and social anxiety are not the same thing, although they may co-exist. Introversion is largely a personality trait, while social anxiety is a mental health issue. Both introverts and extroverts can suffer from social anxiety.

In late 2014, California voters adopted Proposition 47, a landmark bill that impacted the sentencing of drug-related offenses. This new legislation reclassified drug possession and several other non-violent offenses from felonies to misdemeanors. It's been estimated that Proposition 47 could reduce the sentencing for over a million offenders, the majority of whom were arrested on non-violent drug charges. The adoption of this bill has been met with controversy: is it a way to treat casual offenders with more compassion and reduce prison crowding, or is it a "get out of jail free" card that allows repeat offenders to game the system? Let's take a closer look at the details of this sentencing reform and talk about its consequences on the legal system in California.