It is not an overstatement to say that mental health treatment options have come a long way in the last forty years. In the last two decades alone, progress regarding the insights and causes of mental health problems and the methods and approaches used to alleviate them have led to the concept of “talk therapy” becoming more effective and successful than ever before. A brief explanation of some of these options follows.
Two of the most important factors in pursuit of mental health are the willingness of the client to accept the treatment, and a competent therapist whose training runs the gamut of the many treatment options in use. For some clients, the problem of substance abuse -- whether drugs or alcohol – can complicate their diagnosis and must be addressed to determine whether the substance abuse is a coping response to difficult life circumstances, or the root cause for the problems to begin with.
Let’s face it; living life can often be very hard and sad. In fact, it always has been. In the course of one’s life it is common to be adversely affected by the realities of everyday living. Events such as problems with family relationships; romantic partner differences and break-ups; separation and divorce; the loss of loved ones primarily through death or other reasons that take us away from those we love; difficulties with money – too much or too little; and sexual difficulties of all types are but some of the life changes and transitions that can send people off on detours from living a rational, balanced life. Individual one-on-one therapy can address these issues head-on and help the client unpack these problems to find their root causes and practical solutions for dealing with them. For clients, the intensive nature of individual therapy can be an excellent start on the road to better understanding and accepting life’s stages, one’s reactions to them, and from that, how to make improvements to their quality of life.
The proximity and intensity of being part of a couple can be a blessing or a curse. When clients in a coupled relationship encounter the issues of infidelity, conflict, lack of communication, differences in education levels, or differing points of view on any number of subjects they may consequently find themselves fighting the same battles day after day. Feeling “stuck” in a relationship, losing the trust in each other that holds the couple together, loss of passion and intimacy are some of the issues a therapist can help a couple understand, and how to change the behaviors that that led to them. What do you and your partner want and need from the relationship? Are you getting these in the quantity or quality you desire? Did you ever? How much do each of you contribute to the difficulties? Couples therapy can help you answer these questions and more. You can have a better, more satisfying relationship. Couples therapy can show you how.
It can be said that individual and couples therapy are each complicated enough in their own right. Add in the complexities that are involved when the conflicts of daily living involve the whole family (and perhaps some persons outside of the family) and one can see how familial problems can increase exponentially in severity. The situation becomes complicated indeed, and at times may seem to have no solution.
Each family member is affected in different ways when a family finds itself in crisis. For example, young children will be unable to grasp the concepts of separation, divorce and infidelity. Older children may say that they do, but cannot in any way understand what the parents are feeling. Communication problems arise for many reasons, among them when the family dynamic involves step parents and new unrelated siblings are introduced into the family. Even related siblings are often involved in conflicts that can border on the edge of total dysfunction that no one could foresee. One sibling may be a diligent student while another might despise the idea of school and education altogether, leading to conflicts of all types.
These days, it is common for the problem of substance abuse to also be introduced to one’s children from within the academic or peer environment. In fact, even without the added factor of substance abuse, startlingly dangerous behavior on the part of their teenage children can send parents into a constant state of unhappiness, despair, and fear. There is no doubt that financial problems that arise can exacerbate any conflict within a family unit. One or both parents may one day become seriously ill, affecting their children when they begin to sense that their family’s stability is at risk. A child may also become seriously ill affecting the relationship of the parents with each other. This instability is carried out to the extreme degree should the ill parent or child die, leaving a grieving family behind.
Any or all and more such difficulties can leave a family in ruins. At times like these family therapy can help stop the accelerating cycle of dysfunction and get everyone back on the right track.
It is sometimes said that the effects of trauma are normal reactions to abnormal events. The problems of people who have experienced severe mental or physical trauma cannot be underestimated. Fortunately today, the aftermath of so many people living through traumatic experiences has shed new light on the problems of trauma survivors, and has greatly increased people’s awareness of treatment effectiveness and availability for this sometimes debilitating condition.
What are the after effects of the trauma experience? Interestingly, the descriptions of how people respond are strikingly the same, whether the victim vividly remembers what has happened to him or her, or forgets it entirely. Trauma survivors report or evidence persistent sadness, hypervigilance, detachment from their surroundings, thoughts of suicide, explosive anger, shame and guilt, and the desire for revenge against their perpetrator. Long forgotten thoughts of the trauma may be triggered at any time, and if vivid enough may cause an acute psychological reaction requiring an immediate crisis intervention.
Trauma comes in many forms but not everyone will react the same to these experiences. The news media is filled with examples of this type of suffering: human trafficking; sexual slavery; kidnapping; natural disasters with catastrophic damage to life and property; chronic neglect or abandonment; physical beatings or other tortures and punishments; starvation; repeated sexual abuse; forced isolation from society; experiences of war, combat or imprisonment; and interestingly, physical or mental effects that occur as a result of major surgery. It is truly a condition of past suffering and distress re-experienced and overflowing into the present, consciously or not, as victims struggle to get past them. In fact, the problems of returning veterans from war or combat missions have led to a distinct condition called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, known as PTSD, which has led many veterans to alcoholism or other substance abuse to cope, and also to an entirely new category of treatment devoted specifically to it.
If you or a family member has experienced trauma and there is a need for help, Therapeutic Health Services can treat it and improve your, or the family member’s quality of life. There are steps to your recovery that all trauma survivors must follow, but within no definitive time frame: remembering who and what you were at the time of the trauma; figuring out what happened to you and meeting these memories head on; viewing your traumatic experience as a turning point in your life, how it has changed your life and what you want your future life to be; taking steps to change your life now into what you want it to be in the future; and mastering the future as you want it to be without the trauma ruling your feelings and controlling your life. This process may take months, years, or longer and is not linear. Twists, turns, setbacks, and obstacles will appear, but you will learn to overcome them. Start by comparing yourself to no one else. This is your recovery and yours alone. The treatment plan at Therapeutic Health Services will take into account your individuality: age, gender, ethnicity, religion, culture, and sexual orientation and design a treatment plan just for you. Recovery is possible, but it may require hard work on the survivor’s part and the passage of time. Regain your power by taking action. Therapeutic Health Services can show you the way.
The acronym LGBTQ+ is today’s commonly accepted abbreviated designation for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, and others cohort of individuals who fall outside of the standard conventional male/female/heterosexual demographic. It refers to their sexual attraction preferences as opposed to the more prevalent male/female pairings.
The fact of simply identifying as an LGBTQ+ person is categorically no indication of having mental health problems or any other illness. Anecdotally, many if not most LGBTQ+ persons display incredible strength and high self-worth in the face of adversity. However, what does affect their self-esteem and acceptance is the shame, discrimination and fear that they experience because of their openness regarding their sexual identity.
Feeling different and unaccepted coupled with a lack of social connection and support makes the life of the LGBTQ+ individual even more challenging. Personal, social and family acceptance and support of their sexual orientation and gender identity is a first step toward improving the mental health and safety for LGBTQ+ individuals.
For many LGBTQ+ people the fear of rejection, bullying, mistreatment, criminal acts, verbal insults and physical violence lasts a lifetime and follows them through home, school, work and community life. Marginalization and stereotyping of LGBTQ+ persons often means that they believe they cannot live as they truly are for fear of potential rejection by others. Mental and physical harassment can lead to loneliness, depression, anxiety, substance abuse and sadly, suicide. For some, the fear of discrimination extends to the health care system in general and may even lead to avoidance of medical care of any kind.
These and other mental health problems in the LGBTQ+ context can only be addressed and overcome through therapy. If you or a family member want to explore the societal and health related problems faced by the LGBTQ+ community, rest assured that Therapeutic Health Services can assist you in your desire to learn more and to work with you on similar issues you may be facing.
The widespread availability of addictive street drugs and alcohol it its many forms has led to a nationwide problem with addiction to these substances. Under most circumstances many people can use these substances without experiencing dire consequences. But for those who find the urgency to use drugs or alcohol uncontrollable despite the negative effects they have on their lives, the condition of addiction is said to be the cause.
Treatment for addiction is a lifelong commitment and therefore can be quite complicated. Factors to consider in diagnosing addiction include the type of substance being abused, the age and gender of the person and that person’s living situation. Generally speaking, a treatment plan will encompass both medication and psychotherapy. When a client’s history indicates that a mental health condition is also present, it will be necessary to treat this problem as well once detoxification has been achieved.
Detoxification, or “detox” can take from several days to several weeks to gradually remove the substance from the person’s body. Weaning the person from the substance is a physical process that is best done under the supervision of a medical professional, as the physical effects of withdrawal can be severe and life threatening. Medications to relieve these withdrawal symptoms may be used to ease their effects. Once the substance is gone from the body, a program of psychotherapy can be started to begin the process of clearing the mind of the reason for the abuse, and it is hoped, resulting in a better quality of life over time. At this point, relapse prevention medications may also be administered.
Many forms of psychotherapy can be considered when treating substance abuse, which can be conducted in either an inpatient or outpatient treatment facility. Every possible origin or source of the addiction must be sought out and addressed. If they are not, the client may fall back into addiction, and relapse occurs.
Several treatment options may be appropriate and will commonly involve cognitive and dialectical behavioral therapy, family therapy to repair damaged relationships, and group therapy where the client will find strength in numbers from the support he or she will receive by talking to other individuals with the same problem. This treatment can be rendered in either an inpatient or outpatient setting depending on the client’s and family’s needs. Inpatient therapy will require the client to live at the facility. Outpatient clients visit the facility according to their own schedule and live outside the facility. Both options have been shown to be effective, but for severe conditions, inpatient treatment is recommended. Eventually, the client becomes able to switch to a program of intensive outpatient therapy which offers more structure, or a partial hospitalization program for those who need more supervision.
Additionally, the use of 12-step programs has been shown to be of great effect, as have improvements to diet, engaging in physical exercise and the practice of meditation. Each of these remedies work together to reconnect the body to the mind and their effectiveness cannot be over emphasized. Therapeutic Health Services is well versed in the treatment of substance abuse with vast experience in the field and we look forward to working with you.
Feelings of anxiety can wreak havoc on one’s life and make the very act of living unbearable for some people. A little worry about the future, nervousness around people you don’t know, and feeling uneasy in new situations are natural and occur in almost everyone. But when feelings of anxiety are carried to the extreme, one’s quality of life is put in jeopardy.
Anxiety is a state of mind that manifests itself in several ways. Panic attacks, an actual physical response to an imagined threat; phobias, irrational fears and terrors of things or events that for most people are not fearsome; the inability to relax or sleep; physical symptoms like shortness of breath, sweating or a racing heartbeat; and generalized fears that prohibit one from dating, socializing, traveling or working are symptoms that must be addressed in therapy so that one can resume life on an even keel.
In its most basic state, anxiety is a valuable warning sign that alerts us to impending danger so we can react and avoid or handle the situation. But when anxiety becomes a permanent condition and interferes with taking life in stride, it is time to seek the help of a therapist to overcome it, especially if it affects your quality of life to the extreme, or that of your friends and family.
Anxiety can be managed using techniques such as cognitive behavioral therapy and desensitization that are easily learned and practiced to lasting effect. Even such phobias as a fear of eating or avoidance of a certain place or situation that makes you fearful are reasons to seek therapy so that you can feel in control of your life again. The specialists at Therapeutic Health Services can show you how. It will take some work, but the results will be worth it in the end for you, your family, friends and colleagues.
You may safely say that you or someone you know is experiencing depression when extreme sadness, hopelessness, a loss of interest in living, and thoughts of self-harm have taken over to the extent that life itself may be in jeopardy. Some people are able to bounce back from life’s problems and overcome them, but others cannot and sink deeper and deeper into despair.
What causes this transformation? Events that can trigger the onset of depression may include marital problems, the difficulties of being a parent, problems at work, divorce, giving birth, financial troubles, substance abuse, or in some cases, a genetic predisposition to the condition. Depression manifests itself in such effects as extreme sadness, insomnia, feelings of hopelessness, loss of appetite, weight loss, crying spells, an inability to concentrate, and a loss of interest in activities one once enjoyed. In some cases, debilitating fatigue, overeating and weight gain may occur as well as sleeping too much. Extreme irritability or anger may also be seen.
The route out of depression will involve modes of talk therapy such as cognitive behavioral therapy, which is very powerful and effective in treating depression’s symptoms and preventing recurrences. In some cases, medication may be employed to ease both the mental and physical depressive effects so healing can begin. The experienced counselors of Therapeutic Health Services can help you understand your feelings; show you how to make better behavioral and lifestyle choices that will improve your outlook, reduce your isolation and build a support network; and constructing stronger personal boundaries that can prevent future relapses. When depression and anxiety co-occur, professional help is called for to reclaim control over your life and begin to feel well again. That is the job of Therapeutic Health Services.
© Therapeutic Health Services 2022. All Rights Reserved. Website by Larkspur Creative.
