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Art possesses the ability to inspire people and encourage them to think about things from a different perspective. Art also transcends across many different platforms and has become essential in sustaining recovery in that it promotes inner growth, self-expression, self-confidence, and overall better mental health. Research shows that art provokes thought, inspiration, and creativity because it stimulates and strengthens areas of the brain, helping to increase overall brain function, which promotes better focus, memory, and motor skills. In your recovery and mental health, art is an essential step because it helps people communicate thoughts, ideas, or fears in a way that verbal communication sometimes cannot. Art also cultivates resilience, insight, and advances social skills. Here are five ways in which art can improve your mental health.

Eating disorders are a type of mental illness that includes disordered patterns of eating. They are extremely common with over 30 million people in the United States having an eating disorder. Eating disorders are a serious mental illness with more people dying every year from an eating disorder than any other mental illness. Several types of eating disorders exist, but the most prevalent include:

The year 2020 was a total rollercoaster. But we made it through, and are looking ahead to what comes next in 2021. Now that the holidays are over and the ball has dropped in Times Square, your thoughts may be turning to New Year’s resolutions and how you can make positive changes that are good for you going forward. Whether you want to be more present or reconnect with friends and family, each step you take toward the version of yourself that you want to be can be looked at as a part of your recovery. Recovery is most often defined as the process of restoring your body and mind to an optimal state of health. This includes rediscovering pieces of yourself that may have gotten lost along the way. As we say goodbye to 2020, we’ve outlined SAMHSA’s (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) 10 Guiding Principles of Recovery to help you on your quest for healing and self-discovery in the new year so that you can make meaningful progress toward your goals with a clear focus and vision.

Taking the brave first steps towards recovery for an alcoholic by quitting the bottle is a daunting and impressive feat by any means. However, true recovery for an alcoholic is much more than just not drinking every day. The journey to find long term healing in recovery goes beyond this and requires addressing the emotional issues that lead to addiction in the first place. When a person does not take this extra step to address their emotional baggage, an issue known as “dry drunk syndrome” may emerge.

Watching someone who has problems controlling either their impulsive or compulsive behaviors can be troubling, but it’s first necessary to be able to name and identify the behavior for a person to ultimately get the appropriate help they need. Both of these behaviors are significant since they can take a huge toll on a person’s mental health and require attention if not kept in check. Understanding the difference between impulsive and compulsive behavior is crucial since these behaviors often occur in addiction or other co-occurring disorders.

The stories we tell ourselves about who we are and what we can or cannot do determines our reality. The problem is, so many of these stories are rooted in beliefs learned from childhood when we lacked the proper understanding of life or may have been someone else’s beliefs pressed onto us. The core beliefs we have about ourselves need to be reexamined every once in a while to be sure that they are serving us well. Often limiting beliefs may have led to addiction in the first place, so when it comes to breaking an addiction, it is crucial to first break any limiting beliefs surrounding it. The way you “break” a self-limiting belief is to reframe it in an empowering way.  One of the basic self-limiting beliefs in substance abuse is that you can’t imagine life without your drug(s) of choice and that life would be too boring without it. For instance, if you are having trouble believing you can quit drinking alcohol, begin to reframe this belief by first realizing that there is a layer of social conditioning in believing you need to drink to have fun. It is merely your perception that alcohol leads to a good time, but is that necessarily the reality when you always end up crying alone after a long night of drinking? Instead of letting alcohol hold all of the power, the real power is in choosing to quit which will free you from your addiction and dependency on having alcohol in your life and to having a good time. Choose to focus on the true freedom that life without addiction brings and see that you are an active participant in choosing what you want and are in control of your life. To help identify some of the self-limiting beliefs that may be fueling your addiction, try following these steps.

Today, everyone’s nervous systems are constantly assaulted by chronic stress so many live under. Add on top a substance abuse problem, and our nervous systems need some serious TLC. To understand how substance abuse affects our nervous systems, first, it is helpful to understand some of the basics of the nervous system. The nervous system is the vast network of nerves and cells that control the communication between the brain, spinal cord, and the rest of the body. The brain and spinal cord make up the central nervous system. All the nerves throughout the body outside of the brain and spinal cord make up the peripheral nervous system. Nerve cells within the central nervous system are referred to as “neurons” and the “neurotransmitters” are the chemical messengers that the brain uses to communicate between neurons and the rest of the body. The brain is like the control center of your body, and it is constantly sending electric signals to regulate your body’s systems and communicate with your body to determine how you feel.

The goal and responsibility of treatment are to help you overcome your addiction and attain the tools to sustain a productive and meaningful life of sobriety. You should not view treatment as your only responsibility to overcome and rid yourself of your addiction, disease, or disorder. Remember, recovery is a lifelong process. For some, realizing the amount of work that goes into staying sober is intimidating and can deter them from seeking help.  While treatment cannot cure your addiction, it offers you a look at the person and life you could be living while sober, and this can stand to inspire and motivate you. It also connects you with people with whom you can form meaningful relationships to help keep you on the path to recovery. Still, you might worry about your responsibilities after treatment. So, let's take a look at what happens after treatment ends and how you can best prepare yourself with an aftercare plan to handle everyday life challenges in the real world.

When you’re suffering from crippling anxiety it can feel nearly impossible to spare any excess energy on worrying about what you should or shouldn’t eat. Choosing food that is good for your body and brain, however, is one of the easiest things you can do to support your mental health. By making a few simple changes to your overall diet, you can experience improved anxiety symptoms.

Massages are commonly thought of as a way to unwind and treat yourself to some peaceful, restorative self-care time. In recovery, therapeutic massages are used for so much more than just relaxing and act as an intricate part of the recovery process. There are many different types of massage that may benefit you in your early days of recovery like shiatsu, reflexology, acupressure, and Thai massage. Each type of massage serves the body differently, but all of them accomplish the beneficial effects detailed below.

The dangers and risks of pregnant women abusing drugs and/or alcohol are well understood and documented. Over 1,000 women in the United States since the 1970s have even been arrested exclusively for substance use while pregnant. There is no better time to get sober than a looming pregnancy, but even after being clean, women are haunted by their substance abuse history. Some recovering addicts have deep concerns about the viability of their bodies to give birth to a healthy baby because of their past. Fortunately, after sustained sobriety, you can have a beautiful and healthy pregnancy like anyone else.

Mental health and emotional health are getting a lot of attention as of late in light of the COVID pandemic. They both play a significant role in your overall well-being and influence your thoughts and actions. Together, mental and emotional health act to help us process and properly respond to all of the different stresses in life. It is especially important to tend to your mental and emotional health since untreated mental or emotional problems may lead to substance abuse. While the terms mental and emotional health are often used interchangeably, they each carry a distinct meaning.