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October is Full of Community and Support

Happy Latinx Heritage Month from everyone at Nicasa Behavioral Health Services!

Our largest care population across all services is Latinx individuals and families. We recognize how large of a milestone this is not only for us as a service provider, but for our community. SAMSHA reported in 2021, approximately 22% of Latinx Americans reported having concerns with their mental health. Together we work together to show we can put an end to stigma through bilingual and bicultural counselors, encouraging our bilingual peers to engage in community outreach events, offering resource documents in Spanish, and removing barriers that have historically prevented these individuals from receiving care. Celebrations of heritage are important because they highlight the beauty in our differences, the strength these identities hold, and how much better of a world we have today because of them.

Nicasa works diligently to provide culturally competent behavioral health and social services so we can meet the growing needs of everyone who calls Lake County home. We’d like to show our appreciation for our bilingual and bicultural team members that encourage individuals in our care, provide community outreach, and help us realize our mission of being a premier mental health and substance provider. Wauconda’s Annual Latin Heritage Festival on September 14th, 2024 was the perfect event to kick off Latinx Heritage Month!

 

October is Depression Screening & Awareness Month

Depression is a mental health condition that is the most treatable, but is one of the most heavily overlooked and stigmatized conditions. Often individuals will minimize or mask their symptoms away from their loved ones until they become overwhelming, or too much to bare away. Depression, if left untreated, can cause additional mental stress, physical illness to your body, and suicide.

Nicasa Behavioral Health Services encourages everyone to speak up about mental illness. Talk to your family and friends about depression and other mental health concerns. Below is a flyer that describes some of the symptoms of depression, and how to be a better mental health ally to those in need.

If you, or a loved one, is interested in participating in National Depression Screening & Awareness Month, visit https://screening.mhanational.org. These screens are available 24/7/36 and are free, quick, and confidential. Discreetly email the results to your inbox, so that you can reference them when you speak with a mental health service provider.

Substance Use Prevention Month & Red Ribbon Week

Our Prevention Team is getting prepared for Red Ribbon Week! They will have activities and events planned from October 23rd to October 31st to raise awareness about the importance of living drug free. In conjunction with our partnering community coalitions, Choose Your Path and their Youth Advisory Board in Wauconda and the Mundelein STAND-Up Task Force in Mundelein, we will be hosting a Wear Red Day on Wednesday October, 30th.

Share on social media or email development@nicasa.org photos of you, your family and friends, and colleagues wearing red in support of Red Ribbon Week. You can also share stories about how substance use prevention has impacted you, why it’s important, ways to support yourself through healthy choices, and how you helped support others to live drug free.

Nicasa Behavioral Health Services is committed to improving the lives of the individuals we serve, and finding new ways to be the premier behavioral health provider our community deserves.

Nicasa offers mental health and substance use services for all of Lake County and to anyone who needs help. Our clinical team provides evidence-based services to those seeking treatment. Nicasa offers a variety of services from group therapy, individual sessions, peer support services, residential recovery halfway housing, youth services, problem gambling counseling, and more to meet our community’s challenges head on.

International Overdose Awareness Day

August 31st is International Overdose Awareness Day. Nicasa Behavioral Health Services sees that this is not something only one entity can take on alone. Behavioral health and social service concerns do not occur in a vacuum. The effects of substance use, and overdose have boarder ripple effects. These individuals may not know, but they are never isolated nor alone in this, and their lives are cherished, remembered often by their friends, families, loved ones, classmates, colleagues, and those they impacted in their communities. Together we can end drug overdoses, but we need everyone to do their part.

Drug overdose is not a uniquely American phenomena, but it is one of the leading causes of death for our nation. In 2023, an estimated 107,543 individuals lost their lives to a drug overdose. In Lake County, IL 132 overdose deaths were reported in 2023 with approximately 71% involving fentanyl.

That is an estimated 3,871,548 years of life lost to substance overdose. Those are years of love, laughter, life, and hope lost in a few moments time. Opioid overdose deaths are preventable. We remember those individuals who have been taken by overdose and offer support to friends, families, and loved ones of those who have been lost.

We also honor those who have survived and offer help during any part of their healing journey.

We are committed to our part in the fight to end overdoses. Nicasa is dedicated to spreading awareness by offering facts, resources, and support, as well as providing treatment and recovery services to those who have been both directly and indirectly impacted by overdoses.

Not All Overdoses Look the Same

Many people are informed of what an overdose can look like through movies and television shows. While some depictions are more accurate than others, there are many different symptoms of an overdose depending on the type of substance a person consumed. As opioid misuse has reached a level of being categorized as an epidemic, many people believe the only overdoses that take a life are from opioids, but there are many other substances from which people can experience dangerous outcomes as well. American Addiction Centers provides a quick guide of overdose symptoms for different substances.

Four common categories of substance use are:

  • Alcohol
  • Opioids, including heroin, fentanyl, and certain prescription pain relievers and other illicit substances
  • Benzodiazepines, including diazepam (Valium), alprazolam (Xanax), clonazepam (Klonopin), other prescription medications and illicit substances
  • Stimulants, including methamphetamine, cocaine, and certain prescription medications

Some signs and symptoms of an alcohol overdose or poisoning include:

  • Marked mental confusion or stupor.
  • Difficulty staying conscious (or being completely unconscious).
  • Lack of responsiveness or unable to be woken up by others.
  • Seizures.
  • Vomiting.
  • Gurgling sound when breathing (could potentially be suffocating on vomit).
  • Slow or irregular breathing.
  • Heart rate that slows or stops.
  • Very low body temperature.
  • Pale or blue-tinged, clammy skin.

Some signs and symptoms of an opioid overdose are:

  • Loss of consciousness.
  • Markedly constricted or pinpoint pupils.
  • Breathing difficulties (slowed, labored, and/or irregular breathing).
  • Respiratory arrest (completely stopped breathing).
  • Choking, gurgling, or snoring sounds.
  • Blue or purple lips or fingertips.
  • Being unresponsive to loud noises, shaking, or painful stimuli.

Some signs and symptoms of a benzodiazepine overdose are:

  • Profoundly impaired mental status.
  • Confusion.
  • Slurred speech.
  • Slowed, labored breathing.
  • Coma.

Some signs and symptoms of a stimulant overdose are:

  • Dangerously increased body temperature.
  • Hyperventilation or rapid breathing.
  • Rapid or irregular heartbeat.
  • Very high blood pressure.
  • Cardiovascular events (e.g., stroke, heart attack, circulatory compromise).
  • Panic.
  • Hallucinations.
  • Paranoia and psychosis.
  • Aggressive behavior.
  • Seizures and convulsions.

Response Time Is Important

Regardless of the substance, time is the most critical part of overdose recovery.

If you find a person unresponsive or in distress: CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY.

There are laws, often referred to as Good Samaritan laws, in Illinois and other states that protect you from actions you take in good faith to assist a person in need. Be cooperative with the 911 operator as they will send appropriate emergency service responders to you quickly. They will also give you supportive measures to help the person until first responders arrive.

If you have Narcan or Naloxone products available, you can provide them as the package instructions indicate.

Narcan, or Naloxone, Is Inactive Unless You Are Experiencing an Opioid Overdose

While Narcan can reverse an opioid overdose, you can still give it to some who is experiencing other kinds of overdoses without fear of further hurting them. More often illicit substances contain opioid products in them. Unfortunately, many individuals are often unaware of this prior to use, or misunderstand their tolerance.

If accidentally administered to someone who is not experiencing an overdose, there is no harm either. Narcan and Naloxone only attach to opioid receptors and block the body from absorbing any more opioids into the system, so there is no medical harm that happens when given to someone who is sober.

Additional Resources

Nicasa offers FREE Narcan and test strips for both fentanyl and xylazine. These products are crucial for reducing harm involved with substance use and overdose reversal. Stop by any of Nicasa’s outpatient offices to receive free training on these products.

Nicasa is proud to be able to provide this valuable, life saving tool to members of our community and assist Lake County first responders with training and access. Nicasa can also provide training and additional resources for those looking to educate their community and workplace. Please contact our Deflection Coordinator, Andrea Usry, at ausry@nicasa.org for more information or to schedule a training.

If you, or a loved one, is experiencing concerns with substance use and/or other challenges, please contact Nicasa Behavioral Health Services at 847-546-6450 or email info@nicasa.org.

Mental Wellness in 2024 – 24 Tips to Turn Into Habits

January isn’t only for setting New Years Resolutions, but it is also Mental Wellness Month. This focus helps people prioritize their mental health while exploring new ways to increase their overall wellness. Mental Wellness is more than just the absence of mental illness or mental concerns. It is about promoting healthy strategies to increase your sense of wellbeing and prevention. It is also about shifting from stigmatizing people for their challenges with mental health and restoring a sense of shared humanity with others. Mental wellness works to promote awareness, prevention, and changing attitudes about prioritizing mental concerns, like we do with physical concerns, while extending compassion towards people.

Nicasa Behavioral Health Services has 24 tips to help promote wellness throughout 2024. While working on the practice of mental wellness, we encourage everyone to pick tips that work well for their lifestyle. Start off slowly with intention and you can build upon your progress throughout the year. When starting a new habit, it is important to not get discouraged by a lack of immediate results or progress fallbacks.

Life happens. Keep at it and don’t give up!

  1. Talk to someone.
    1. Now is always the right time to talk to someone if you need help. Don’t put it off any longer and stop minimizing your concerns. Your problems are real because they are real to you. You owe it to yourself to find a trusted person to talk about them with. While talking may not resolve the issue immediately, it does strengthen your resolve to find a better solution for them.
  2. Practice self-compassion.
    1. Compassion means: a strong feeling of sympathy and sadness for the suffering or bad luck of others and a wish to help them. Self-compassion is turning that definition inward to extend yourself the same sympathy and wish to help that you show others. This can be incredibly healing while also assisting in reframing your internal dialogue of how you see yourself.
  3. Practice mindfulness.
    1. Carve out a few minutes each day to practice mindfulness. You do not need to do a full meditation, but practice being present, in the moment, and letting your thoughts go without immediate reaction. It can be a challenge at first, especially if stressed out, but with practice you will get better at it.
  4. Redecorate.
    1. New year, new you! Don’t wait until spring to freshen up your space. Often a cluttered, disorganized space can cause increased anxiety and avoidance to deal with other tasks. Find new ways to organize your space. There are a ton of cheap, DIY projects online that can allow you to add more of your personality back into your home.
  5. Practice deep breathing.
    1. Deep breathing is a great way to refocus your mind. Practicing deep breathing can help you gain a sense of control and balance, while focusing your attention on things that are within your control. Take time to practice while making decisions, or to recenter yourself after a long day at work.
  6. Journal.
    1. Journaling can be anything! It can be elaborate, simple, or electronic. You can practice creating your own writing templates, or using a blank note book you bought from Dollar Tree. You can even create sketches, paintings, and collages to represent your thoughts. The act of journaling allows you to record your thoughts and daily activities as you see them. It is a time for yourself, to reconnect with your thoughts and inner self.
  7. Exercise.
    1. Exercise in the gym, at home, or around your neighborhood. Sometimes when starting to work out, people will often create their own barriers—like needing an expensive gym membership, extra workout clothing, new equipment, etc. Keep the goal simple: to invite more physical activity into your life. Small steps can build up to bigger progress. Start with what objects around you, or explore new exercise programs. After you find something you enjoy, then you can consider investing into it.
  8. Practice gratitude.
    1. Showing gratitude can enhance your enjoyment of day-to-day activities, and improve your mental health. It can help ground you back to things that bring you joy, while noticing the everyday details that are often overlooked when bogged down by stress.
  9. Limit caffeine and alcohol.
    1. Limiting caffeine can be difficult when there are so many hidden sources in our food and drinks. Keep in mind, when healthcare providers reference a “standard serving size” a serving of coffee is 8oz with 80-100 milligrams of caffeine, and a drink of 14 grams of pure alcohol (approximately 12oz beer, 5oz wine, 8oz malt liquor, and 1.5oz spirits). Record your daily habits with caffeine and alcohol and set reasonable goals to start with. Remember to be honest with yourself while setting these goals and expectations for success, there will be days where it is easier to cut back than others but make sure you are keeping yourself accountable to this new goal.
  10. Work on incorporating more nutrient-dense foods, and being mindful of habits around meal times.
    1. After the holidays, dieting should be easy, right? With the holidays fueling overindulgence, you might feel like you are so full you might not eat again until February anyways. Many people struggle to adhere to a calorie deficient diet in the winter due to our natural biological response to cold weather and perceived natural scarcity that winter causes. Many people also struggle with fasting diets, fad diets, and restrictive diets. Sometimes it is easier to start with a food log of things you eat in a typical month, and create modifications based on foods you already like and ways to make snacking healthier than eliminate your favorite items.
  11. Get more sleep.
    1. Sleep eludes many people all year round. It’s tough with daily stressors creeping into your dreams. Sometimes the food and drink choices we make while awake follow us into bed. Caffeine and alcohol often cause people to stay up for longer than they anticipated. Some prescription medications can throw off your circadian rhythm as well. Try to limit your consumption of food and drinks that contain stimulants. Also creating a sleep routine, limiting blue-light from electronics, and kicking the television out of your bedroom can help.
  12. Meditation and Yoga.
    1. Yoga and Meditation are a powerful blend of self-compassion, mindfulness, and exercise. Sometimes yoga can be a series of stretches that can improve your flexibility. Don’t let the laid-back nature of the practice fool you though, there are some variations of yoga that are high-intensity workouts, in high-heat and humid rooms, and with animals. Wherever your practice takes you, yoga and meditation are often joined together because they synergize the body and mind while allowing the practitioner space to clear their heads while focusing on being present in the moment.
  13. Set boundaries to improve relationships.
    1. Setting boundaries isn’t meant to block people out, they are meant to communicate what you are comfortable with. More importantly, communicating what you are uncomfortable with in a direct way. Everyone has boundaries regardless of how they are communicated. Some people also have different boundaries for different people, or for different places. Only you can decide what is an appropriate boundary for you and how it gets communicated to others. An example: At a holiday party a family member repeatedly said something inappropriate to your partner, and in the moment, you may not have said anything for fears of making the situation worse for your partner or with other family members. You may choose to communicate to that person a few weeks later that you are not okay with how they addressed your partner and in the future you will leave the gathering if they do not show them the same respect they show you. Thus, establishing a clear boundary when you feel safer to do so and a consequence for going over it.
  14. Take a break from social media.
    1. Doomscrolling is a modern phenomenon in which someone binges potentially negative content on the internet or social media apps (WebMD). Doomscrolling and obsessive social media checking can increase anxiety, depression, and overall have a negative impact on your mental health. Set limits to how long you use social media or limit the kinds of content you allow yourself to view.
  15. Hydrate.
    1. Staying hydrated can make you feel better, inside and out. If you normally do not drink water, getting in 2.7 to 3.7 liters of water can be overwhelming. Increase your amount slowly and explore water flavorings. Try adding frozen fruit into your water inside of ice cubes, or cold brew herbal tea bags—just check to see if they have caffeine in them so you know how much you are consuming throughout your day. Find what works for you.
  16. Be outside more and bring nature inside with plants.
    1. House plants help to establish house care routines and liven up a space. Talk to a local green house to see what plants are native to your area, or if your green thumb is more on the brown side, what plants are more forgiving to beginners. Gardening outdoors can also improve your mood as well as your appreciation for your home. Hiking and outdoor walks are also a great way to connect with nature and improve your mental health.
  17. Play music and dance.
    1. Research has shown listening to music can decrease feelings of anxiety and depression, improve memory, sleep quality, mental alertness, and decrease blood pressure (org). Throw in dancing and you have great physical activity to improve your mood. Dance like no one is watching or learn to ballroom dance with your partner. However you do it, including music into your daily routine can help get you into a better headspace.
  18. Limit how much you multitask.
    1. Even though many jobs seem to require it, multitasking can take a toll on you mentally. Regular multitasking can lead to cognitive loss, memory problems, loss in productivity, increased anxiety and social anxiety, chronic stress, and errors that can harm yourself and others around you (com). Even though society has come a very far way, our brains are still only made to handle one task at a time. Even with people who proclaim they are excellent multitaskers, their brains still have to make the same adjustments to switch between tasks and make the reward analysis decisions which slow everyone down—leading to a loss in productivity and errors in work. Try to limit how much and when you multitask. Like avoid talking on the phone while driving in a car or completing several complex tasks at once (working on a report while scheduling appointments).
  19. Set goals.
    1. Set realistic goals that do not have an “all-or-nothing” catch to them. Example of all or nothing goals are, “I’m going to workout every day,” “I’m going to grow my business by 200%,” or “I’m never going to eat out again.” These goals do not account for life-events that may get in the way of their achievements, and many people are immediately discouraged by fallbacks in progress. Goals should be something to help set new habits and make improvements that are appropriate to your life.
  20. Celebrate achievements.
    1. Life has many reasons to celebrate successes. Celebrate a promotion, completing a certificate program, avoiding a bad habit, and/or reaching a recovery milestone. Celebrating small achievements can keep you motivated as you work your way to bigger ones.
  21. Plan a vacation or a getaway.
    1. Making a plan gives you something to look forward to. When you are looking forward, there is hope that better days are coming soon. Making plans can increase positive feelings and decrease depression and anxiety. Even if it is a small weekend getaway, getting out of your normal routine every once in a while, is good for your mental health.
  22. Try something new.
    1. Try a new workout class, take an art class, or try out a DIY home décor tutorial for beginners. Learning a new skill can make you feel empowered, increase your self-esteem, and decrease feelings of depression and anxiety. Remember, being bad at something is the first step to being good at anything. A project flop is a fun story, and sometimes can create an even more interesting piece than a successful one.
  23. Practice forgiveness.
    1. Forgiving is hard. It’s hard to forgive others, and at times it is even harder to forgive yourself. Work on ways to incorporate forgiveness into your mental health journey. If you cannot forgive the person or situation that happened, then work on forgiving yourself to carry that experience differently with you. Eventually it will become easier with time.
  24. Work towards bringing balance into your life.
    1. Striking a balance can be an interesting opportunity to fold in all the new habits you want to create into your established routine. If you find that work is consuming more time away from doing the things you want to do, or being with the people you want to be with, then find ways to build balance there. Sometimes it is not practical to cut back on hours, but work on finding ways to leave without bringing it home.

4 Ways to Change Your Thoughts and Relieve Depression

Did you know that on most days, the average person has between 25,000 and 50,000 thoughts? That’s an impressive amount of thoughts.

But when happens when the majority of these thoughts are negative? Imagine the impact on your psyche and your life if you had thousands and thousands of negative thoughts each day?

This amount of negative thinking is a hallmark of depression. Negative or pessimistic thinking is depression speaking for you. It is the voice of depression. What many people don’t realize is that depression is manifested in negative thinking before it ever creates a negative thought itself.

This is why it is imperative for those suffering from depression to become acutely aware of their thought patterns. If not checked, negative thinking becomes a habit, one that has the potential to completely shape your life.

Change How You Think

One of the most powerful ways people can lift themselves out of the darkness of depression is to change their thinking patterns. This is why cognitive therapy is such a profound change agent. The approach is based on the fact that thought-processing errors contribute to a depressed mood.

By changing how you think, you automatically change how you feel. Once you become aware that changing your thinking is important, you are presented with an active choice you can take to benefit your mental health.

I know. This sounds about as easy as changing a tire in the rain with nothing more than a hardboiled egg and a paper clip. But it can be done.

Here are some tips on how you can begin to change your negative thoughts:

Keep Track of Your Thoughts

Many people are in denial about their thought patterns. They don’t want to believe they are overly negative or pessimistic. Catching yourself and recording as many negative thoughts as you can will help you to see your own mental patterns.

What will these thoughts look like? You could write things like, “I hate my feet.” “My boss is an idiot.” “I hate spring.” “I hate getting up this early.” “I don’t know what I’m doing.”

Be particularly mindful of making sweeping generalizations from one specific event. It’s a type of black and white thinking that can be particularly harmful.

Identify Triggers

Once you get an idea for the frequency of your negative thoughts, try and pinpoint the triggers for them. Your journal will also come in handy here, because it will point out certain types of events that set off a chain of negative thoughts. Triggers can include being rejected or ignored, or having an unkind remark said about or to you.

Positive Conversion

You have so far learned that the human thinking process is habitual. But the good news is, you can create good thinking habits.

To do this you’ve got to start converting all of those negative thoughts into positive ones. It will be hard at first, and you will most likely feel as if you’re lying to yourself and pretending to be a glass-half-full Pollyanna.

But, as they say, “You’ve got to fake it until you make it.” Though thinking positively may feel foreign to you and like a waste of your time, you are re-training your brain to think (and feel) good.

Every time you have a negative thought, stop, recognize it as negative, and immediately flip the switch and create the positive opposite thought in its place. This could look like:

Negative thought: “I’ll never get this report done on time.”

Positive Switch: “I’m making great progress and being careful to always check my work.”

To get the hang of how to do this, go through your negativity journal and create a separate column in which you will write the positive opposites of your many negative thoughts.

If you feel too dark and down to complete these exercises, please consider reaching out to a trained therapist who can prescribe medication, should you require it, and help you work through these struggles.

If you or a loved one are suffering from depression and are interested in exploring treatment options, please contact me. I would be happy to discuss how I may be able to help.

Benefits of a Mental Health Day from Work or School

We’ve all had those days when the alarm goes off and we lie in bed, feeling depleted of our energy, and maybe even our good mood. We think to ourselves, “I’m not really sick, but I just need a break from real life today.” While taking a sick day is common when you are feeling physically unwell, what’s not as common – but perhaps should be – is taking a mental health day when you are feeling mentally and emotionally unwell.

Now many, if not most, companies do offer their employees personal days with no questions asked. But many people save these days for what seem like real life emergencies. They feel guilty if they use one of these days to simply rest and relax their mind.

The truth is, taking a mental health day from work or school can be extremely important for your overall well-being. It can help you avoid burnout, improve your mood, help you get some much-needed rest, and rejuvenate you so you can tackle “real life” once again.

Signs It’s Time for a Mental Health Day

So how do you know when you are really in need of a mental health day and when you’re just feeling a bit lazy and unmotivated?

Stress

You’ve been feeling overwhelmed and irritable.

You Just Feel… Off

Sometimes we don’t feel like ourselves, but we can’t quite put our finger on what’s wrong. We know we feel anxious and like the world is a bit too much. This is a sure sign you need a break.

Getting Sick More Often

Are you dealing with a cold that “just won’t go away?” When we are stressed, our immune systems become compromised, and it’s harder for us to fight off the common cold.

The bottom line is you should never feel guilty for taking some time for your mental health. I encourage you to take a mental health day every once in a while. Sometimes it’s the absolute best thing we can do for ourselves.

And if you find a mental health day didn’t quite do the trick, you may have more going on in your life that requires more hands-on treatment. If you like the idea of speaking with someone about whatever is bothering you, please get in touch with me so we can discuss treatment options.

SOURCES:

What is Equine-Assisted Therapy?

Many of us have always known that we feel better and calmer when we are around nature or animals. And studies have consistently shown that there is indeed therapeutic value of human-animal interaction. So it’s no surprise that Equine Assisted Therapy has become an increasingly popular mental health treatment.

Equine Assisted Therapy is a form of experiential therapy that includes horses and a specialist psychologist or counselor working together with a client to create positive behavioral outcomes and change. Growing evidence now supports the effectiveness of treatment with horses in a therapeutic environment. 

Equine-assisted therapy can help clients of all ages who suffer from depression, anxiety, ADHD, conduct disorders, addiction, trauma, eating disorders, spectrum and health difficulties, dissociative disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and other mental health difficulties.

How Does Equine Assisted Therapy Work?

There are therapists that have been specifically trained in Equine Assisted Therapy in conjunction with traditional protocols. These therapists guide their clients through a series of activities including observing, handling, grooming, groundwork, and structured challenging exercises focused on the client’s goals and needs.

Benefits of Equine Assisted Therapy

A variety of psychotherapeutic benefits have been reported for Equine Assisted Therapy. Here are some of them:

Builds Trust

The first step in this treatment is to be able to trust the horse and the therapist, and eventually yourself. This trust-building has a profound effect on the client’s interpersonal relationships moving forward.

Reduces Anxiety and Depression

There has been a lot of research on the ability of human-animal interaction to significantly reduce psychological anxiety and depression.

Increases Self-Esteem

Everyone’s self-esteem gets a real boost when they challenge themselves to learn and master new skills. This is particularly true of children and adolescence. Equine Assisted Therapy has people trying new things and interacting in new ways in a non-competitive, non-judgmental environment, which leads to improved self-esteem and confidence.

Mindfulness

Equine Assisted Therapy integrates mindfulness in a big way. Throughout each session, clients are asked to be present, at the moment, calm, centered, and focused. This is because horses are incredibly sensitive and they pick up other’s emotions very quickly. To be around horses requires the ability to be calm and present.

If you think or someone you know might benefit from Equine Assisted Therapy, please call my office. I would be happy to answer any additional questions you may have and discuss how this approach might help.

 

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The Truth About Perfectionism

We live in a society that values things that appear perfect. And I suppose there are things that can be perfect. Architects can draw the perfect straight line, mathematicians can solve an equation with a perfect calculation, and a chocolate cake can be perfectly moist.

But as human beings, we can never reach a state of perfection because we will always be a work in progress. Perfection indicates a finality – a finished product – but we as humans are always growing and changing.

What is Perfectionism?

Many people view perfectionism as a positive attribute. They believe the more “perfect” they are, the more success they will have in life.

Perfectionism is NOT the same thing as always doing your best. It is important that we always do our best. By doing so, we can experience healthy achievements and growth. But perfectionism takes this concept to the extreme.

People with perfectionist tendencies often have self-defeating thoughts and/or behaviors that actually make it HARDER to achieve their goals. Perfectionism also can make the individual feel stress, anxiety, and depression.

Signs to Look For

Most human beings, from time to time, will strive for perfectionism in some aspect of their life. As an example, that “perfectly moist chocolate cake” I mentioned earlier got that way because the person who baked it was trying to get everything JUST RIGHT as a gift for someone’s birthday.

But there are those people who are “full-time” perfectionists. They strive for perfection in all aspects of their life.

Here are some signs you may be a perfectionist:

  • You don’t like to attempt tasks or activities unless you feel you can complete them perfectly.
  • You are end-oriented, meaning you focus little on the process of creating or learning something and put all of the emphasis on the outcome.
  • You cannot see a task as having been completed unless it meets your perfectionist standards.
  • You tend to procrastinate because you don’t like starting a task until you know you can perfectly complete it.
  • You tend to take far longer completing tasks than others. This can be problematic at work.

Getting Help

Again, perfectionism is not the same thing as doing your best. It is a condition whereby the individual is almost incapable of feeling joy or pride at what they accomplish because in their own minds, they are never quite good enough.

If you believe you may have traits of perfectionism and it is causing you stress, there are things you can do to change your behavior so you can live a healthier and happier life.
If you’d like to explore treatment options, please reach out to me.

SOURCES:

Mental Health Habits for 2021

We live in a society that seems obsessed with physical health and weight loss. A majority of people have tried one or more diets to lose weight. People join gyms, juice, and take supplements, all in an effort to optimize their physical health.

Sadly, most people don’t give their mental health a second thought.

The problem is, no matter how good you look in a bathing suit or how “ripped” you may be, or how low your cholesterol is if you aren’t mentally healthy, your life is negatively impacted.

In the age of Coronavirus, when many of us are dealing with health and financial struggles, the stress can really take a toll on our mental health. With this in mind, here are some good mental health habits to practice in 2021 and beyond:

Practice Gratitude

Gratitude is like a magic bullet when it comes to mental health. Too often, when we are feeling negative emotions, we deny our full reality, that is to say, we deny all of the wonderful things that are present in our life. Be sure to take realistic stock in your life each day and feel grateful for the people, events, and things in your life that bring you joy and happiness. And be sure to share your gratitude with others!

Value Yourself

The only thing worse than dealing with grief, sadness, and stress, is doing so while devaluing your own self-worth. Be sure to treat yourself as kindly as you do your loved ones. See the good in you and practice self-care and self-compassion every day.

Lose Control

Most of us cling to the idea that we can control every single facet of our lives. It’s just not true. This desire for full control brings with it a sense of anxiety. Make this year the year you finally let go of needing to control everything.

Surround Yourself with Positive People

Toxic people are bad for our mental health. It’s time to cut ties with those who bring you down in order to make room for people who will support you.
Along with these habits, you may want to consider speaking regularly with a mental health counselor, who can help you navigate any issues you may be dealing with and provide coping techniques.

If you’d like to explore treatment options, please get in touch with me. Let’s discuss how I can help you make 2021 your best year yet!

 

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Healthy Food & Emotional Regulation

Are you an emotional eater? When you’re feeling stressed, do you find yourself ordering in pizza? When something sad happens, do you drown your grief in sugar? If so, you’re not alone. A majority of people deal with the challenges of life by turning to their favorite comfort foods.

The trouble is, these foods are only a temporary fix. They fill a void, and in the case of sugar, give our mood a boost. But then we come crashing down again and may even experience shame and guilt for having binged on food we know is not good for us. This can lead to a vicious cycle of more emotions, more eating, more emotions, more eating. This cycle can ultimately lead to weight gain and even the development of certain chronic diseases like heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Your Brain on Comfort Foods

We are what we eat is a very true sentiment, especially when it comes to our brain. When life throws us challenges, we need our brain to work optimally so we can figure out the best way to deal with our circumstances or to process emotions. The trouble with reaching for comfort foods is, they are actually harmful to your brain.

Think of your brain like the engine in a car. You wouldn’t put frozen lattes in your gas tank because you know your car needs the right kind of fuel to run well. Your brain also needs the right kind of fuel. Your brain requires high-quality foods that are loaded with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. These nutrients nourish your brain and protect it from oxidative stress.

Did you know that studies have shown a direct link between a diet high in refined sugars and impaired brain function? And even a worsening of symptoms such as depression?

The bottom line is, while your instinct in the moment may be to reach for those processed comfort foods, do your best to make better food choices. It will be hard at first, but good habits can be formed over time. Your brain will thank you.

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