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How Anxiety Can Work To Your Advantage

Written by Enlightened Recovery on . Posted in Anxiety Disorder, Uncategorized. No Comments on How Anxiety Can Work To Your Advantage

Anxiety can be an exhausting mental disorder to have as your worries tend to take over your everyday life. The truth is that once you understand your anxiety more, you will realize that this mental disorder can work to your advantage. Anxiety has a way to make you more cautious and more protective of danger compared to typical people which can come in handy in daily situations.

Being Smarter

Having anxiety can make you very analytical. This skill can be useful if you apply for careers that involve researching, critical thinking, or analyzing. You also become smarter the more you learn and understand about anxiety. You can educate others on what triggers anxiety symptoms as well as the best way to handle them. You will be able to learn about different problem solving strategies and techniques that will help you calm your nerves. Impart your wisdom on others who are struggling with their anxiety who need a guiding hand.

Protecting Yourself

Anxiety has a way of making you constantly on edge. You may tend to think the worst about everything such as thinking the people in your life who tell you they like you are lying or that nothing will work out for you. While your worst fears may not be as bad as what happens to you in real life, it still sets in your self-preservation. Your body goes into a fight or flight response where you tense up when you feel like danger is coming because your body is preparing to defend itself. While it may seem very inconvenient to be scared all the time, that fear is existing under good intentions to protect yourself. By being aware of how quick your fear sets in, you can better control your anxiety by asking yourself whether your thoughts are accurate in the moment depending on what you see and hear. You will have a better sense of the danger surrounding and what to do.

More Attentive

It can be hard to ignore certain thoughts or situations you experience when you have anxiety. When something in particular is triggering your anxiety symptoms such as when your teacher hands you your test or when you are at party, your thoughts are telling you that something needs to be addressed. This can help you discover what kind of future endeavors you want to pursue and want to take action on since you cannot help but pay attention to what you are seeing. Another way anxiety can help you be attentive is paying attention to details that catch your eye more than anyone else’s that you cannot ignore. By going to therapy, a therapist can teach you that not every situation has to be one that triggers anxiety. You can use being attentive to draw attention to something that others should notice whether it is a good cause or if you see someone doing something wrong.

Knowing Right and Wrong

You might be feeling anxiety when you see someone getting hurt or you see that someone might be lying to you. While it is not good to always think the worst of something without knowing for sure if your thoughts are accurate, the good that can come of it is knowing what is right and wrong for you. You have an idea of what is hard for you to handle and what you expect from others. This part of this anxiety shows that you are aware of your surroundings as well as the people in your social circle.

Being an Overachiever

Having anxiety will make you feel like you have to be a perfectionist. This could have negative consequences in that you feel like you are never good enough and need to constantly push yourself. Being an anxious overachiever can mean that you have trouble turning down tasks in fear of disappointing anyone, trouble prioritizing, and have trouble working with others. If this is what you can do when faced with negative anxiety, you can use these skills towards positivity. Once you are focused and calm, you can use your motivation to get the job done without putting so much pressure on yourself. By seeing a therapist, you can learn to let go of the negativity that is pulling you back from getting the job done and learning about the strengths that you have.

Taking Action

People with anxiety let their worries stop them from taking action. It can make you feel like you cannot move when you feel in danger. This stress can actually be used to your advantage by taking action instead of remaining stuck. By not doing anything, you are letting all of that energy you have be bottled up inside of you, leaving you to continue in your panic. Use your stress response as an energy to complete small courses of action. For example, if there is someone that you are nervous to talk to, do not continue standing there frozen in fear, but use that energy instead to talk to that person.

Achieving Balance

Think of where your anxiety plays in your career, social time, rest time, etc. Think of how these elements of your life are off balanced. Instead of letting your anxiety control you, you can take the symptoms of anxiety and turn them into life skills. By finding the good in your anxiety, you are accepting of your anxiety and will be confident going forward.

Located on the shore of Southern New Jersey, Enlightened Recovery is a recovery center that uses evidence-based therapies and holistic healing to treat addiction and mental illness. With the opportunity to learn about therapies that are keyed in to healing the human spirit and learning about new stress reducing techniques centered around a 12 step network, you will be ensure a lasting recovery. For more information, please call us at 833-801-LIVE as we are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The Difference Between a Service Dog, a Therapy Dog, and an Emotional Support Dog

Written by Enlightened Recovery on . Posted in Healthy Living, Uncategorized. No Comments on The Difference Between a Service Dog, a Therapy Dog, and an Emotional Support Dog

Dogs have the power to be a great source of comfort for those struggling with mental disorders. They feel soft and warm when you put their fur and always have a big smile on their face. To know whether or not an emotional support dog, a service dog, or a therapy dog is the right choice for your mental health, it is important to know the differences between the three.

Defining an Emotional Support Dog

Emotional support dogs provide mental health benefits for individuals. They can be useful for those with post traumatic stress disorder, people with anxiety, inmates with emotional problems, etc. Any breed of dog can be an emotional support dog. People with a mental health disorder can benefit well from an emotional support dog in that it can be hard to speak to a doctor or any human about your problems in fear of judgment or hearing something you are not ready to hear. Sometimes, all you are looking for is a companion who is willing to listen to you and will provide unconditional love to them. Emotional support dogs can qualify for no-pet housing as well as can fly on an airplane with someone with an emotional or psychological disability, but do not have access to all public areas.

Characteristics of Emotional Support Dogs

An emotional support dog is supposed to always be there for you and responds to your emotions and your commands. While ideally an emotional support dog should be calm and laid back, a hyperactive dog can also be an emotional support dog but will need more training to be obedient to their owner. Find a dog that is about one year old so that this dog can grow up with you and better build a relationship. It is best to find breeds that are good with people such as golden retrievers, poodles, golden doodles, labrador retrievers, etc.

The Legalities of Emotional Support Dogs

Emotional support dogs are not considered service dogs by the Americans with Disabilities Act since they have not been trained to do a specific job. Emotional support dogs do not require registration or certifications. To get an emotional support dog, speak to your therapist about the qualities you should be looking for in a dog and to get an emotional support animal letter from a therapist which will come in handy for a landlord or an airline. If you do not have time to obtain a letter from a mental health professional, you can get a letter online from Certapet or Emotional Pet Support. Be prepared for online sources will ask you to fill out a mental health pre-screening questionnaire to see if you qualify for an emotional support dog.

Defining a Service Dog

A service dog is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for those with a disability. The tasks need to be related to that person’s disability whether it is physical, psychological, sensory, intellectual, etc. People with mental health issues have service dogs to remind them when to take their medicine, let them know when a panic attack comes, or stop them from self-harming. Training can take at least a year involving basic commands and public access commands like ignoring people, other pets, and food. The focus for them should be their owner in case something medically wrong occurs. Service dogs can do things like pull a wheelchair, prevent a seizure, or calm a person done if they have post traumatic stress disorder.

The Legalities of Service Dogs

Service dogs need to be allowed in businesses. It is illegal for someone to ask you about your disability, but can ask if your pet is with you because of a disability or what tasks your dog does for you. You are not allowed to pretend to be disabled to gain access to an area. The Americans with Disabilities Act does not require registration for service dogs. Another thing that you should not do is pet a service dog when they are working. If you feel like a service dog is the right choice for you, speak to your doctor or therapist to see whether or not a service dog will benefit you.

Defining a Therapy Dog

A therapy dog is used in a facility to give comfort and affection to someone with a mental disability. Unlike a service dog, therapy dogs do not need to be trained to perform specific tasks. It is important for a therapy dog to be calm, affectionate, and friendly to strangers. They need to be obedient, well-groomed, and have check-ups.

Training a Therapy Dog

You can train your therapy dog by socializing him or her to new people, places and things. Your dog also completes obedience training being able to follow important commands such as not to jump on others, to look, or leave something alone. Then, you enroll your dog in a therapy dog class and register your dog with a national therapy dog organization. In order to earn a title through the American Kennel Club, you need to have a certain number of visits depending on the title you are acquiring. For example, for the AKC Therapy Dog Distinguished title, you need 400 visits from a therapy dog organization recognized by the AKC. These dogs can help you make a positive impact towards your mental health and will always stand by your side as long as they are there.

Located on the shore of Southern New Jersey, Enlightened Recovery is a recovery center that uses evidence-based therapies and holistic healing to treat addiction and mental illness. With the opportunity to learn about therapies that are keyed in to healing the human spirit and learning about new stress reducing techniques centered around a 12 step network, you will be ensure a lasting recovery. For more information, please call us at 833-801-LIVE as we are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Atlantic City High School Breaks the Stigma of Mental Health

Written by Enlightened Recovery on . Posted in Mental Health, Uncategorized. No Comments on Atlantic City High School Breaks the Stigma of Mental Health

High school can be a very stressful time when you have classes to pass as well as fitting enough activities for your college applications. Having a mental illness while in high school can be just as much a struggle, but it does not have to be. By having a center located in your high school to help you better cope with your mental illness, you will be able to get through high school without having to worry about anything.

Mental Illness Issues in Atlantic City

Atlantic City is considered a big place when it comes to those with mental illnesses according to the New Jersey Hospital Association. Because 40% of its residents are in poverty, it is critical to find a solution to those struggling with mental illness. A Rutgers Camden study says that childhood experiences for those in poor families can lead to developing mental health disorders in children. When these issues are addressed early enough, civic engagement and having a healthy family can lessen the effects of mental illness.

When Relia Williams was a freshman at Atlantic City High School, she was told by her aunt to see a counselor because she was having anger issues. At the time, she did not feel like she needed counseling because she did not feel like there was anything wrong with her. It was not until she joined a teen center at her high school that she started to smile a lot. Now a senior, she has become a much happier person as she felt like being around positive people was giving her a positive energy.

AtlantiCare Teen Center

Funded by the New Jersey Department of Children and Family Services located at Atlantic City High School, the AtlantiCare Teen Center is an effort to help teens during an important moment in their life when they are developing into adults while struggling with a mental illness. This center offers individualized counseling as well as group therapy sessions free of charge. There are other teen centers in Atlantic County such as at Buena Regional High School, Oakcrest High School, and Buena Regional Middle School. In their own schools, students are met with a nurse, an advanced practice nurse, and a case manager who takes care of them when they come in for sick visits, STD, physicals, pregnancy tests, etc.

The director of the high school’s program, Craig Cochran, notices how students are being more open now with their vulnerability and facing their issues of anxiety and depression. Because so many students at the high school sees their friends struggling with the mental illnesses, they feel more comfortable being open with what they have and accepting that they need help.

AtlantiCare Teen Center’s Programs and Groups

AtlantiCare offers an eight week violence prevention program when referred to. There is also a ten week group called Lotus which helps you focus your energy on the present and how to reduce stress, anger, anxiety, and not feeling in control of your feelings. Teens will be able to build their self-confidence and teach you stress-reducing techniques to help you cope more with everyday situations. Another group is Make-A-Move which teaches you how to cook healthy and be more active to stay healthy. There are also groups like Woman2Woman and Men2Men that empowers young women and men to make healthy and responsible choices in their relationships, communication and decision making. RAP (Redirecting Anger Positively) is another group that teaches teens how to identify with their triggers, learn coping techniques and other skills to maintain a healthier lifestyle.

Students are able to immediately see a doctor without having to worry about long wait times. According to the Hospital Association, Atlantic County has the third highest rate in the state for emergency room crises for those with mental illnesses. It is hard for adults who are out of work or do not make a lot of money to have access to care for their mental illness considering how expensive treatment can be. It is best for those to get into care while they are young and while there are cost free opportunities available in their schools that they have access to.

How Relia Williams is Doing Now

Relia Williams is now the president of the Youth Counsel with Atlantic City’s NAACP chapter. She feels like the staff at the teen center is like her second family. Williams would like to eventually work as a nurse or in mental health services. She applied to colleges such as Rowan University, Stockton University, Atlantic Cape Community College, and Morgan State University. Even though she does not need regular counseling anymore, she is still involved with the teen center and wants to bring what she has learned from the center to new students who join.

Williams said that she felt more open being able to speak to others about herself since joining the teen center. That it is not healthy to hold your emotions in if you have a mental health disorder since everyone will break sooner or later. By communicating with others about what you are feeling and learning how to better cope, teens will be able to manage high school and the rest of their lives going forward. If there are more teen centers in more high schools worldwide, teens would be in more control of their mental illness and would help break the stigma of being open about their ongoing struggles.

Located on the shore of Southern New Jersey, Enlightened Recovery is a recovery center that uses evidence-based therapies and holistic healing to treat addiction and mental illness. With the opportunity to learn about therapies that are keyed in to healing the human spirit and learning about new stress reducing techniques centered around a 12 step network, you will be ensure a lasting recovery. For more information, please call us at 833-801-LIVE as we are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Wasted Potential and Addiction

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One of the greatest contributors to our addiction and depression is how much we waste our potential in life. We have such amazing capacity for self-expression, learning and growth, but when we waste our potential, we aren’t using our energy for good. Our addictions and mental health issues often result from letting our unprocessed emotions overtake us, making us direct our energy in detrimental ways. When we aren’t working with ourselves and our emotions in healthy ways, we’re stifling our incredible potential for healing and transformation.

Wasting our potential can happen in various different ways. Some of us give up on our creative pursuits because we don’t believe in ourselves. Many of us stop making time for our interests and talents because we think we’re not good enough. We quit our passion projects. We give up on our education. We don’t push ourselves to reach for the career we truly want. We settle for the easier option, the less rigorous path. Our lack of self-belief becomes a heavy weight that we carry with us for years of our lives, that holds us down and keeps us from reaching for bigger and better things for ourselves. We give up on our dreams. We stop trying. We stop fighting for ourselves. We give up hope of being happy or feeling fulfilled.

Our potential is limitless when we apply our energy to our desires and work to manifest them. When we stop applying our energy in positive ways, we can contribute to our own decline. Wasting our potential makes us feel depressed, unfulfilled and unsatisfied. We feel disappointed in ourselves for giving up on the things that made us truly happy. We turn to external things to try to feel better about ourselves and our circumstances. We crave the high from addictive substances and behaviors because it distracts us from the pain of our defeat. Wasted potential can be the driving force behind our deep unhappiness and lack of fulfillment, which can contribute to our mental health issues and addictions.

Taking advantage of our tremendous potential means instilling belief in ourselves and our dreams. We have to convince ourselves to have faith in our journey. Without this faith, we’re contributing to our downfall, often without realizing it. We have to see our potential and not take it for granted. We can start by examining what areas of our lives are full of our talent, full of possibility, potential and hope, areas that we’ve likely been neglecting. Our potential lies in our creativity, our quest for knowledge, our natural talents and gifts, all the things that bring us joy and peace.

The community at Enlightened Recovery has years of personal experience with addiction, so we understand firsthand the emotional struggles you’re experiencing. Call (833) 801-LIVE today.

Stigmas Around Sex Addiction

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The stigmas surrounding addiction have become a dominant part of our mainstream cultural dialogue but were generated from a place of fear and lack of understanding from people who aren’t addicts themselves. Without having experienced it firsthand, addiction can be a complicated and difficult thing to comprehend. Just as all addictions carry specific stigmas and stereotypes associated with them, sex addiction has come to be viewed a certain way that is unique to it. Since sex itself is still taboo in so many ways, and since sex is such a powerful force in our lives, there is a great deal of fear, trepidation, misunderstanding and misinformation when it comes to sex addiction.

A common misconception about sex addiction is that it is an excuse for promiscuity and reckless, dangerous sexuality. Addiction as a whole carries the weight of shame with it for many people, and with sex addiction, this can be even more true. Sex addicts can be drowning in shame for the compulsive acts they’re engaging in. We can feel as though we’re totally out of control, like our actions and our bodies are not within our control but being driven by a compulsive force. Many of us don’t want to be promiscuous. We want loving, healthy, monogamous relationships but feel as though we can’t stop ourselves from having casual sex, cheating or otherwise acting out. We feel ashamed of our sexual history, of the partners we’ve been with, of our choices and behaviors. We feel sadness, regret and remorse after our sexual encounters. Just as alcoholics are not using their addiction as an excuse for destructive behavior, sex addicts are not using their addiction as an excuse for promiscuity.

Another stigma surrounding sex addiction is that sex addicts are immoral, deviant people. This belief is based on the larger belief that sex is wrong, that having sex for pleasure is an immoral thing to do, and that our sexuality is a source of shame. Addiction can impact and taint every area of our lives, but it doesn’t rob of us of our inherent goodness. We can be suffering from addiction and still have compassion and kindness. Addicts are not necessarily bad people, and sex can be a beautiful thing when treated with the respect it deserves. Sex addiction is not a badge of immorality just as alcoholism isn’t. Understanding sex addiction and how it affects people’s lives involves looking at some of the stigmas that addicts have to live with on a constant basis.

If you’re living with sex addiction and struggling to feel understood, you’re not alone. Sex addiction is one of the most common co-occurring conditions we address in our treatment programs at Enlightened Recovery. Call (833) 801-LIVE today.

Understanding Sex Addiction

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One of the many conditions that can both accompany other addictions and function as an addiction on its own is sex addiction. Whereas we usually associate addiction with substances such as drugs and alcohol, there are many behaviors that can become similarly addictive and destructive in a person’s life. Gambling, gaming, spending, shoplifting and overeating are all examples. Sex addiction, often referred to as love and sex addiction, is when a person’s relationship with sex and romance has become unhealthy, obsessive, impulsive and compulsive. When we struggle with sex addiction, our natural impulses for love and sex are overtaken by a neediness, a desperation, a compulsive need to return to a feeling of being high. Our thoughts are dominated by our sexual relationships, and we find it hard to focus on anything else. Our lives can become totally consumed by our reckless and dangerous behaviors. Our health can be derailed by our sexual patterns.

Very often our addictions stem from the trauma we haven’t resolved within ourselves. Sex addiction is no different. Sometimes our traumatic experiences were sexual in nature, causing us to have a dysfunctional relationship with sex based on fear, mistrust, shame and sadness. Sometimes our trauma can be totally unrelated, but our unresolved pain manifests in a sexual way. For example, the abandonment we felt at the loss of a loved one can cause us to compulsively try to relieve that pain through having sex.

With sex addiction, we often confuse sex for love and vice versa. In a healthy relationship, sex can be a mutual expression of our love and a reflection of it. In unhealthy relationships based on addiction, we have a hard time processing or clarifying our thoughts and feelings, including our definitions of love, respect and trust. We don’t know how to define, let alone embody, a healthy partnership. Often what results is a lot of confusion and turmoil. We’re filled with neediness and longing. Our relationships are based on codependence. We form attachments rather than unions. We feel as though there is a void within us that we try to fill through being loved, needed and wanted by another person. We can become just as addicted to the euphoric feelings of love as we are to the physical act of sex, and both can become the driving forces behind our behavior.

Sex addiction is one of the many co-occurring conditions we treat at Enlightened Recovery. You’re not alone. There is help available to you. Call us today: (833) 801-LIVE.