Author: contributor

Mental health comprises our psychological, emotional, and social well-being. The state of our mental health affects how we feel, think, and act.

However, just like our physical health, we are likely to experience mental health problems that affect our overall state of health.

If you want to get treated for any mental health problem, one of the integral aspects of treatment is counseling. It is expedient to mention that counseling is one of the best means to address mental disorders.

Here are some of the important reasons why counseling is needed when treating mental disorders.

Understand more about mental health

When you are in counseling, you will understand the basic concept of mental health and how some disorders develop. Importantly, you will learn more about your mental health condition, and how to take proactive steps to prevent it from happening in the future.

While the counselor speaks with you, they will be able to evaluate your condition to help with a proper evaluation that will help them provide a robust treatment plan.

Stress management

One of the common reasons why people develop mental health problems is because they don’t know how to manage stress.

With counseling, you will learn quintessential tips on how to recognize stressors and take charge of your life. You will be equipped with hacks on how to stay healthy even if you live a stress-filled life.

Support to get better

Sometimes, it can be difficult trying to deal with a mental health disorder, and it might get more challenging when no one understands what you are going through.  

When you discuss with a counselor, you will receive improved motivation for recovery. They will be with you all through your mental health treatment journey.

Essential health tips

While you attend counseling sessions, you will learn how to live an overall healthy life. You will get to know how some of your decisions can affect the state of your mental health.

Some of the common health tips you will get from a counselor are: eating a nutritious diet, getting enough rest, taking enough water, staying with positively-minded people, etc.

Depression is a mental health illness that is characterized by low mood and a general loss of interest in everything that is happening around the individual’s life. When depression is in play, the individual has a negative disposition towards everything around them.

If you think you are suffering from depression or you know someone who is, here are some effective ways to deal with it:

• Try to elevate your self-image

Usually, people suffering from depression battle low self-esteem issues. When you begin to feel bad about yourself, it is important to find ways to boost your self-image.

You can check out positive affirmations that will make you feel better. Also, you can draw a list of wins you have experienced in your life, and brood over them. Once you ponder on things that make you feel better, you will see yourself in a better light.

• Don’t withdraw from people

Sometimes, people who are depressed don’t like staying around other people. If you do this, you might plunge deeper into your addiction, and it might be hard to seek help. Try to be around people who will make you feel better about yourself.

• Get enough sleep

Many people who are depressed do not find it easy to sleep because of their mood. If you are depressed and you want your mood to get better, you need to sleep more.

You can create a schedule that allows you to get enough sleep. Before you sleep each time, ensure all gadgets are far from you to enable more quality sleep.

• Undergo physical exercise

Exercise provides physical and psychological benefits for depressed people. When you exercise, you are relieved of stress and you will end up feeling better. When you exercise regularly, you will always feel great and your self-esteem will improve with time.

• Eat healthily

The food we eat also affects our mood. If you don’t know the right food to eat, you can contact a dietician to put you through. Unhealthy eating worsens the depression symptoms and also reduces your self-perception.

• Abstain alcohol and drugs

For someone struggling with depression, indulging in alcohol and drugs is a wrong move. These substances worsen the depression symptoms and prevent you from having a healthy lifestyle.

Mental health problems are also known as mental illnesses, characterized by a broad range of conditions that affect an individual’s mental illness.

These mental health problems affect the thinking, mood, and behaviors of an individual. Hence, they prevent an individual’s normal life from functioning well.

Here are some signs that an individual has a mental health problem:  

• Unnecessary anxiety and worry

If you notice that an individual gets worried unnecessarily, it might mean that they have a mental illness. Such people worry even when nothing is happening. They find it hard to get their minds off some things because they are always overthinking.

• Prolonged sadness

Have you seen someone whose mood does not get better after a sad event that occurred a long time ago? Such people are likely suffering from mental health problems. Sadness is a normal human emotion that we experience when something unpleasant happens.

With time, the feeling of sadness fades off and you begin to forget about the event. However, someone with a mental health problem will remain sad for a long period.

• Withdrawal from social circles

Someone suffering from a mental health problem will not want to be seen in social circles. They feel awkward around people so they feel staying away from people would be best.

If you notice that someone deliberately tries not to be around people, then it is likely that they have a mental health problem. Such people will even keep a considerable distance from their friends, acquaintances, and normal life activities.  

• Insomnia and Somnolencia

Another common symptom of a mental health problem is either the inability to sleep or excess sleeping. You will notice that they either find it difficult to sleep, or they sleep excessively. 

• Being unable to concentrate

If you observe that someone you know finds it hard to concentrate, then they most likely have a mental health problem. You will notice that their mind is always wandering around, being unable to remain in one place.

The welfare of your mental health is as important as caring for your physical health. Hence, there are some mental fitness features you need to ensure your mental health is top-notch.

When someone is mentally healthy, it would be effortless to have a good life because a good mental health complements other aspects of your health provided they are doing great.

A good mental health enables you to cope in tough situations that could surface in either their personal or professional lives. Hence, it would be easier to handle sadness and anger that stems from losing a relationship, job or loved one.

In addition to this, a good mental health will help you combat mental health problems that are connected to severe physical illness. A good number of times, it could avert the possibility of coming down with mental, emotional or physical problems.

In improving your mental health, it is important to get physical. To expatiate better, it means to exercise on a regular basis. Doing this comes with both physical and mental benefits.

Some health providers have opined that undergoing physical activities has been known to deal with anxiety and depression. It is known to be a proficient psychotherapy treatment that deals with all forms of depression.

Also, in addition to this, another way to care for your mental health is to eat properly. You might not know the right food to eat but it is vital to reach out to a nutritionist who would put you through.

Eating food that contains much sugar and fats has a way of making your brain dysfunction. In addition, eating fats and sugar has an unpleasant on the heart.

It is also essential to deal with stress effectively in order to keep your mental health sane. It is not possible to break free completely from stress. However, it is possible to respond appropriately to stress. This can be achieved by exercising, meditating and a host of others.  

Scarcely will you see an addict who would willingly accept their addiction problem. The major reason for this is they do not want to be treated with disdain and contempt among their family, friends, co-workers and a host of others.

So, they would prefer to keep their addiction problem private and wallow in it. If anyone points an accusing finger at them, they would deny it outright.

For some addicts, they do not even know what an addiction involves, so you would have to prove it to them. This is why it is necessary to arm yourself with the necessary information about addiction.

When you are able to explain to an addicted individual what addiction involves, there is a likely chance that they would listen to you.

This chance is likely to be increased or decreased depending on the approach you use. Some people do not know how to approach those who are addicted and this is why addicts stay far from them.

The best way to talk to an addict is to employ measures of love and affection instead of prejudice and sentiments. Once, you have put those aside, you can be sure that they will be receptive to addiction treatment.

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A good number of addicts do not want their family and friends to be hurt concerning their addiction problem, so they would rather keep it to themselves.

Addiction has been known to cause large rifts between addicts and their loved ones. Both parties would give each other distance till everything comes back to normal.

So, it is best for addict to accept their addiction problems except if they are properly guided.

When an addict enters fully for addiction treatment, it is important for the loved ones of the individual to render their support all through the process of addiction treatment.

Addiction is very powerful and it has the capacity to affect the emotions, thoughts and feelings of an individual. So, it is best they are helped before they make dire mistakes.  

Have you ever just looked at someone, maybe it was because of something they were doing, and thought…

What in the world is going through their head?

I’m sure we have almost all experienced this at some point, and I’m sure there has been more than a few times where someone could have looked at us and thought the same thing.

As someone on the outside of addiction – you might easily find yourself asking this question…

What in the world is going through their head?

When you are on the outside looking in, it is much easier to judge, misunderstand, and even question why and how someone could be doing what they are doing. But, until you have truly been in their position, it is near impossible to actually understand what is going on.

Think of it like this – but on a much more extreme level:

You wake up and you know you will have coffee this morning. It is your morning ritual and you crave it, so, of course, you are going to have some. You get ready and then drive to Starbucks like you always do. You debate if you should actually get some or not because you are already running late and really need to stop spending the extra $5 each day…

But, ultimately, the coffee wins. You love it and you want it. You are already there, so, why not, right?

Now throw in the guilt of not liking who you are when you partake of this substance, but also add in the fact that your brain has literally been rewired to need it. Not just to want it, but to need it.

Okay, so of course, addiction to drugs or alcohol is much more severe than coffee, but you get the point.

Oftentimes, we mistake an addict for just being lazy and not having any willpower. But, once something becomes an addiction, it takes a lot more than willpower to stop it.

Think of how much you crave water once you notice you’re thirsty. It is an unquenchable thirst that only water can cure. Well, the same thing for drugs and alcohol. The addict’s brain has literally developed new pleasure pathways just for this substance, so, they begin to crave it because their body is literally begging for it. Begging.

But, an addict still goes through the phases of “should I actually do this?”, “but, I don’t like who I am when I do this”, “my family will be disappointed”, etc. It is so much more than just them choosing not to get better.

When you become dependent – or addicted – to drugs or alcohol, a lot of chemical changes actually take place in your body. Your brain literally rewires itself and creates new pathways to pioneer pleasure trails for the drugs or alcohol.

Of course, this can play a negative part in your addiction because it makes it even easier to get addicted to drugs or alcohol when your brain is literally depending on it and craving it – just like food, porn, caffeine, etc.

However, this also presents a whole set of problems when it comes to addiction recovery too…

Do you remember being little and when your mom or dad would drop you off somewhere where they were not staying you would get upset and anxious? That is a form of anxiety called separation anxiety.

Well, when you decide to come off the drugs and alcohol you might experience something similar to that… It is almost like you are having separation anxiety from the drugs or alcohol.

So, when you decide to go into addiction recovery you might feel stressed, anxious, and even depressed as your body is learning that you are now living without those things. Because the body is still craving them – just like how you were still craving the company of your parents – it freaks out without them.

As a result, this can be addiction recovery extremely difficult for some people as they struggle to deal with their anxiety…

But, there are ways to help relieve this anxiety without drugs or alcohol:

• Exercise: Especially if you have been an addict for a while and have put your body on the back burner in your life, you could use the exercise to help get yourself back in good health. But, exercise also burns those stress hormones that might be triggering your anxiety. In addition to getting rid of the bad hormones, it causes the release of the good neurotransmitters that promote an uplifted mood.
• Distract yourself: There is huge value in finding a hobby – something healthy like art, crafting, or sports. When you find something productive to focus on, you will notice that you feel more relaxed – getting rid of some of your anxiety – and productive, therefore putting you in a better mood.
• Meditate: Meditation is not only great for addiction recovery but just great for life in general. It teaches you to be mindful and become aware of your body. It allows you to quiet down and be still for a moment, just allowing your mind to think and do its thing.

Oftentimes, it is easy to feel sorry for ourselves…

It is easy to pity ourselves and feel bad for ourselves, to feel like we are the victim.

Especially when it comes to something negative like addiction, it is much easier to say “it is because of x,y,z,” rather than owning up to our weakness and addiction. We are always quick to blame things on other people or other things.

This is where victimhood comes in:

What is victimhood?

 

Assuming the role of the victim is when you adopt a way of thinking that makes you act and feel helpless. You might find yourself saying things like:

“I’ve lost everything. I have nobody. Life is so awful.”

“I’ve already burned too many bridges.”

“Is there anything even worth pursuing anymore?”

“Will I ever become anything more than an addict?”

Why do people assume this role?

 

Most people, especially addicts, assume the victim role to take the blame off of themselves. They don’t want to feel at fault when it is much easier if it is someone else’s fault. It is also much easier to manipulate someone else when “it isn’t your fault.”

But, victimhood is dangerous…

 

Especially for an addict, this is a dangerous state to enter into.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV6zKmt7S5E

The victimhood mindset tells you that it isn’t your fault, that you are already too far in, that you won’t amount to anything.

Suddenly, it goes from simply blaming it on someone else to feeling completely down on yourself and hopeless.

But, this is dangerous because not only does this hinder recovery by taking away any motivation you might have; it also can increase your likelihood to use and abuse drugs or alcohol.

The victim mindset can send you into a downward spiral…

It promotes a low self-esteem and feelings of helplessness.

But, you don’t have to be a victim. Yes, you are a victim of the disease of addiction, but thankfully, it is a disease you can overcome. It starts with some determination and fighting off the feelings of victimhood.

Remember:

You are stronger than the disease.

You can get better.

You are not helpless.

You are not worthless.

Seek counseling if you find yourself feeling like this because it can lead to unhealthy scenarios both mentally and physically.

Let someone remind you of the truth – because victimhood won’t let you remind yourself of it.

You will overcome your addiction and you will no longer be a victim.

While this might seem like a dumb first question:

“Is luxury drug rehab treatment worth the cost?”

Because for most, they think it should have an obvious answer, but for some, it doesn’t.

Of course, they probably don’t want to be an addict forever, but is it worth:

• Potentially being out of work.
• Leaving your friends and family.
• Counseling.
• Withdraws.
• The money.

A lot of factors go into a full recovery.

So, many people find themselves wondering if rehab really is worth the cost?

Well, is it?

 

Of course. Money is a just a worldly thing and a material thing – but what about your relationships?

Through the course of addiction, several relationships are often lost and people find themselves without their closest friends and maybe even their family. But, by going to addiction recovery treatment, you are making that first step to show your family that you are really interested in getting better. You are making a move in the right direction.

Through the course of addiction, money, and income are also lost – not only do you spend the money that you have but you might lose your job which is also your source for getting new money. Oftentimes, it is because you don’t show up or cannot function properly while you are on the job.

But, the great thing about rehab is that if you can successfully finish the treatment program and successfully maintain your sobriety, you can potentially gain all of this back. You can renew the relationships with friends and family and get a new job. So, yes, it is worth the possibility of getting your life back to normal.

But, how do I pay for it?

 

Well, the unfortunate part about treatment programs is that they are not free – and typically not even cheap for that matter.

But, remember, it is worth it…

You do have a few different options:

• Health insurance: In the United States, alcoholism and substance use disorders are classified as a medical disease, meaning that your health insurance should cover some of your treatment expenses. While they won’t cover the full expenses, they might cover things such as assessment and detoxification.
• Financial aid: Just like scholarships in college, many facilities have assistance programs that you might qualify for that could make treatment more affordable.
• Payment plans: While it might not save you any money, a payment plan will help spread the cost out, allowing you to pay as you earn it pretty much – it gives you time to make the money a little bit at a time rather than one lump sum.

Most all of us can say we have lost a loved one at one point or another…

Rather it was a brother or sister, mom or dad, grandparent, etc. Death is just a part of life and is experienced by everyone, at some phase in life.

While it is sad in nature regardless of the circumstances, the circumstances surrounding the death and the timing of it can only intensify the event…

One contributing factor that often contributes to a death is much harder to deal with is when it is the result of addiction – and typically, this cause of death takes someone in a very untimely scenario.

What is grieving?

Grieving, by definition, is to suffer grief (sadness, upset, distress, pain, or hurt) because of something. So, following the death of a loved one, you will go through a stage of grieving…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76pIBFxUHZc

But this is intensified when you are struggling with how they died:

You might feel guilty.

It is hard to not feel like there is something you could have done. You might find yourself dwelling on the “what ifs” …  Even if you tried everything in your power, you might still feel as though you didn’t do enough – like there was always another option you should have tried or even discovered.

You might get grief about it.

 

People will be quick to judge someone for their past, and just because someone has passed does not mean people will cease passing judgment – they will still label your loved one as an “addict”, which can be hard to hear while grieving…

The stigma won’t let up – people might forget to acknowledge that your loved one was once your small child who ran around on the playground or your mom who taught you how to tie your shoes…

But, you will get through this.

 

One thing you have to remember is that no one can truly understand what you are going through – just like you could not understand the disease your loved one was suffering from, others cannot understand the grief you are feeling.

And, ultimately, addiction is a disease. It was not necessarily by the fault of your loved one – the disease is what took them from you. Just like cancer or AIDS, just the details of the disease are slightly different.

And lastly, remember, it is not your fault. Ultimately, they either made the choice or lacked the will power to get better. In the end, you could not have stopped them. You cannot make decisions for them. You are not them.