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Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is designed to help people who suffer from chronic bouts of depression and unhappiness. Research shows it can also aid people who suffer from chronic pain and mental health disorders. MBSR prevents “downward spirals” of depression, which tend to be very hard to get out of once they start. Employing MBSR practice helps us clearly see the issues in our minds and enter an alternate mode of thinking, shifting gears from behaviors that promote downward spirals.

Have you ever felt so stressed that it makes your stomach hurt or you get a headache? This is because your mind and body are connected in a way that may not be immediately obvious to us. The mind/body connection is the idea that physical stress translates to mental stress and vice versa. Our mind and body are constantly communicating with each other and an issue with one can lead to issues with the other. When we say mind, we aren’t necessarily talking about the brain. Our mind consists of our thought processes, emotions, beliefs, and attitudes.

Phobias can be debilitating for the many people who experience them. The symptoms of phobias go beyond feeling a bit uncomfortable or scared of something. We often hear people talk about being afraid of spiders and heights, which are very common phobias. But sometimes people have more intense phobias that interfere with their quality of life. Agoraphobia and social phobia are two types of phobias that prevent people from completing daily tasks. Fortunately, there are therapies available for the treatment of phobias. Cognitive behavioral therapy is most often used to treat phobias either alone or in combination with other therapies. In treating a phobia, be sure to seek the help of a mental health professional who has specific experience or expertise in the area.

To better understand the concept of psychodrama, let’s start by breaking down the word itself. The word “psycho” derives from the Greek psyche, which means heart, mind, soul, and spirit, while “drama”, which is also derived from Greek, refers to a play, a movie, or a story. Essentially, psychodrama means a drama of the mind and soul. This form of therapy is helpful in recovery because it forces us to take a different perspective on our emotions or actions giving us time to reflect and develop the ability to properly express our emotions or to control our emotions.

Humans are social creatures and we habitually seek out love and approval from others. While feeling loved by others is important, nothing is as important as the love you feel for yourself. Self-love may seem obvious to some. For others, it is a foreign concept. Those of us who suffer from mental health disorders, usually fall into the second group despite the fact that self-acceptance and love are key to our recovery. We can express love to our family, friends, even strangers with ease but showing that same love for ourselves can seem nearly impossible. Cultivating self-love is a process, but we can start that process by changing the way we speak to and about ourselves. Try repeating these three affirmations to help accept and appreciate yourself.

It can be hard for us to maintain our recovery, especially when we don’t get the support we need. Support can come from many sources. Having the support of your family and loved ones is important, but many people feel there is an aspect missing from that circle; empathy. Only those who understand our struggles and behaviors through shared experience can provide true empathy. If you are looking to connect with someone who understands what it feels like to walk your path, Alumni support therapy is an option to consider.

Sometimes finding motivation for what we know we need to do is hard. It can make us even more depressed or anxious about change if we feel we have no motivation for it. Maybe we wonder what is really wrong with us. Is this really just our personality? Probably not. Finding motivation is a challenge for everyone whether it’s a constant challenge or just an occasional thing. We can actually inspire motivation through change, even if that seems backward. There’s a lot of science that goes into the process of changing ourselves psychologically. The stages of change are important to understand when it comes to motivation inspired by change in recovery.

Many philosophers speak of self-discovery, whether they call it that name or refer to it as self-knowledge. It is believed that the best way to heal your mind is through learning about it. The transcendental philosophers believed that self-knowledge was the gateway to true freedom from fear and suffering. Many mental health therapies have adopted this concept. By learning our fears, our triggers, and our emotions, we can better understand how to control them or avoid them. This is often the first step in many recovery therapies.

It’s not news that abusing substances changes your brain in profound ways. Studies have been conducted showing permanent and short-term effects on brain processes and plasticity (the ability of the brain to change and grow). But that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways we can help our brain revert back to its state before the substance abuse started. It’s pretty simple, really, and it starts with one very important aspect of self-care; diet.

The events of recent months have caused many health services to transition to telehealth, or appointment by phone. While speaking to your medical professional on the phone may seem impersonal, it is important to keep your appointments. Your health is very important, even in times of a pandemic, and your commitment to remaining healthy is more important than ever.

Let's face it, 2020 has not been our year. Between the coronavirus, ongoing wildfires, and the deaths of George Floyd and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, it feels like we're living in a poorly-scripted movie. Most of us have reached our wit's end looking for ways to cope with the fallout from these events, but this year has been far worse for some than others. If you struggle with mental health or substance abuse problems, the added stress and uncertainty can take a greater toll and make it even harder to get through the day. Not all hope is lost, however. The silver lining among all of this may be increased access to mental health care. With concerns rising over the impact of social isolation, heightened anxiety, and increased drug or alcohol use during the pandemic, mental health has become a priority and efforts have been made to make treatment more widely available. Most providers now offer both on-site care and telehealth services, increasing treatment options, and accessibility for those with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders.

There are ways we can “re-train” our brains to break habits. Your brain develops habits based on mental or physical needs. If your brain becomes used to satisfying its needs by your use of drugs, it will continually crave them. This is why it is important to create healthy habits. It may seem next to impossible to break habits you may have been repeating for years, but there are a few easy steps you can take on your own. Three Easy Steps to Get Started Replace old habits with new ones. If your habits are caused by stress, practice mindfulness instead. It’s as easy as doing breathing exercises or meditating. While traditional meditation may be hard in the middle of cravings, you don’t necessarily have to close your eyes and sit still to meditate. If you take a walk through a park, do some gardening, or simple tasks around the house, these can all be a meditation if you contemplate while you’re doing it. Ask what you really need at that moment. Do you need to destress, or give in to bad habits?  Self-care can also be a part of breaking habits. If you neglected yourself while using, practicing self-care may help avoid a trigger. Feeling the same way you did while using, whether mentally or physically may cue the habit. Instead of using, take a bubble bath or shower, start an exercise routine, or even give yourself a manicure. Once again, ask yourself what you really need at that moment; comfort or bad habits? You can take small steps in pursuit of breaking habits. Consider that it takes about 66 days of the same behavior to create a habit. It may take at least that long to break one. Gradually cut back on the habit until you are no longer repeating the behavior. Finding new hobbies or other interests during this time can be beneficial. On the days that you are abstaining, find something else to do. You can paint, write, exercise, or practice self-care. You may also choose to rekindle relationships with people who support you. Any healthy action that you can take that will distract you from picking up that substance is an ally in your journey to recovery.