How to Recognize Symptoms of Abuse in Adults

Abuse happens when someone says or does something that causes harm to another person. It can happen to anyone, and there are many common symptoms of abuse in adults to be aware of. Unfortunately, it can be challenging to notice abuse in adults because it’s hidden. Being aware of the common forms of abuse in adults and the symptoms of abuse can help prevent further harm.

5 Common Forms of Abuse in Adults

Adults can experience abuse, just like minors can. The types of abuse adults experience are similar to the abuse children experience. Often, adults understand what’s happening to them and feel shame as a result. Other times, they may not understand what’s occurring or that it’s abusive.

Emotional Abuse 

People who emotionally abuse others try to control them by using emotions to criticize, embarrass, shame, blame, or manipulate them. A relationship is emotionally abusive if a person uses those methods to damage the other person’s self-esteem or mental health.

Emotional abuse can look like threats made against someone or using humiliation or ridicule to make a person feel bad about themself. Controlling, intimidating, coercing, shouting, swearing, or provoking fear of violence are all ways someone might emotionally abuse someone else.

Physical Abuse 

People who use physical force against another person to cause injury are physically abusive. Regardless of the person’s relationship to you, they are abusive if they use physical force that could harm you. Legal definitions of physical abuse differ from state to state, but physical abuse is always dangerous. Regardless of the abuse’s circumstances, physical abuse is a criminal act, and physical abuse can have long-term emotional effects.

Types of physical abuse include hitting, pushing, rough handling, denial of medical treatment, improperly administering medication, illegal use of restraint, force-feeding, sleep deprivation, exposure to heat or cold, or keeping someone from going where they want.

Sexual Abuse 

Sexual abuse is any unwanted sexual activity. Sexual abusers often take advantage of people who can’t give consent, make threats to get what they want, or use force. There are many types of sexual abuse, and each has a distinct definition based on the laws in that particular state.

Sexual abuse includes sexual assault, rape, indecent exposure, stalking, grooming, forcing someone to look at or make sexually abusive material, or being forced to watch sexual activities.

Neglect

Neglect is when a person deliberately withholds or fails to provide appropriate care and support needed by another adult. Neglect isn’t always intentional. In some cases, it’s due to a lack of awareness or knowledge. Neglect can impair the health or well-being of the person who relies on someone else for care.

Neglect can look like keeping someone in unclean accommodations, lacking heating or light, leaving someone in dirty or wet clothing, denying someone the use of their glasses or hearing aids, withholding food or medicine, or failing to ensure privacy or dignity. 

Financial or Material Abuse

Financial abuse occurs when someone tries to steal, or steals or defrauds you of your money, goods, or property. It can also mean withholding money or misusing someone else’s money. In some cases, financial abusers may encourage someone to enter into financial contracts or transactions that they don’t understand to take advantage of them.

Financial abuse can be exploitation, embezzlement, withholding retirement savings or benefits, or trying to control the direction of wills, property, or inheritances.

How to Recognize Symptoms of Abuse in Adults

You may suspect that someone you care about is in an abusive relationship, but you may not have any evidence. Learning to recognize symptoms of abuse in adults can help ease your worries or confirm your suspicions.

Symptoms of abuse to look for include:

• You see or hear something. 
• They tell you, or someone else does. 
• You notice injuries or other physical signs that cause you concern. 
• They act differently. They seem depressed, confused, or withdrawn.
• They have become isolated from friends and family.
• They have unexplained physical injuries like bruises.
• Their eating or sleeping habits change noticeably.
• They can’t go places or spend money without permission.
• Their bills go unpaid when they shouldn’t.
• They have bed sores or other preventable conditions.
• You notice changes in banking or spending patterns.
• They act afraid or unable to talk in front of a certain person.

Helping an Abused Adult

If you find out someone you care about is in an abusive relationship or environment, you may feel frightened or helpless. But if you notice the symptoms of abuse, there are ways to help your loved one.

Talk to Them

First, reach out to the person you suspect is experiencing abuse. Ask if there is anything you can do to help. They may not want to talk about it immediately. Speak with them privately to help them feel safe. If they are being threatened or coerced by an abuser, they may find it difficult to speak with you. Also, if they love their abuser, they may not immediately say anything. Let them know that you noticed some concerning abuse signs and want to help. Let them speak as much as they want to.

Help Remove Them From the Situation

If they confide in you about their abuse, you can help them find a safe place to stay. Offer to call an advocacy organization for them. These programs often offer emergency shelter for abuse survivors and professionals who can support them mentally, emotionally, and sometimes even legally with their next steps.

Involve the Authorities, If Necessary

If you believe the person you care for is in an abusive relationship that is an immediate threat to their safety, call the police. Because you may need to involve someone else, it’s essential never to promise someone experiencing abuse that you will keep it a secret. If you believe the abuse experienced by your loved one is part of a larger pattern within an organization, speak to an authority within the organization in addition to calling the police.

Help Them Seek Professional Help

Abuse is a traumatic experience that can take time and resources to heal from. If you know someone who has experienced an abusive relationship or an abusive environment, encourage them to seek help from a mental health professional. Trained professionals can provide them with the information and support they need to heal. And even though they may want to forget it ever happened, the trauma that goes unprocessed is likely to become a more significant issue later in life.

How Integrative Life Center Can Help

Knowing the symptoms of abuse can help protect you or your loved ones from abusive relationships and situations. At Integrative Life Center, we tailor our trauma treatment programs to each patient’s unique needs. We offer different levels of care to help abuse survivors and their loved ones recover. Contact us today to learn more about our trauma and abuse treatment programs.

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Using Equine-Assisted Therapy for Trauma

Animals can offer an incredible amount of emotional support. An increasing number of people are turning to emotional support animals such as dogs and cats to help cope with and overcome an array of mental health conditions. But what about horses? 

The use of horses in therapeutic settings is certainly nothing new, but it’s less known than other options. Equine-assisted therapy can offer numerous benefits to those affected by emotional trauma and associated mental health conditions. Working with horses can relieve stress, improve confidence, and build relationship skills.

What is Equine-Assisted Therapy?

Equine-assisted therapy is a type of experiential therapy involving horses. In this type of therapy, therapists use activities and interactions with horses to treat mental health conditions.

Therapy involving horses goes back to Ancient Greece. Greek physician Hippocrates, known as the “Father of Medicine,” wrote about the therapeutic benefits of riding horses more than 2,000 years ago. 

As a form of therapy, horseback riding was introduced into North America in the 1950s or 1960s. Its original focus was on helping children and adults with disabilities. The use of horses in mental health therapy has evolved and grown in popularity since.

Equine therapy may seem like an unusual concept to those unfamiliar with it. But it’s a prevalent form of treatment in trauma-based mental health recovery.

Equine therapy is much more than just horseback riding. Therapists tailor techniques to each person’s needs. It can include simple interactions and leading a horse on short walks, as well as feeding, grooming, and cleaning.

When therapists use horses in therapy for emotional trauma, they emphasize the relationship and attachment between the individual and the horse.

While therapists use many animals in therapy, horses are among the most beneficial in trauma-informed mental health programs. Their popularity is due to the immediate feedback they provide and the individual connections they build.

Benefits of using horses include:

• Size. Horses are large and imposing animals. Being around them encourages you to step outside of your comfort zone and work on stress management.
• Intelligence. Horses are intelligent and sensitive. Connecting with horses requires a calm demeanor, empathy, and for you to develop a level of mutual trust.
• Response. Horses offer immediate feedback. Horses can sense emotions and will respond accordingly, serving as a mirror to understand feelings you may not be aware of.
• Neutrality. Horses are non-judgemental and unbiased. They allow you to create a close bond without fear of criticism.
• Responsibility. Looking after horses requires hard work. They need to be fed, groomed, and cleaned. Attending to their needs requires discipline, structure, and responsibility.

Benefits of Equine Therapy

There are many benefits of equine therapy, especially when processing emotional trauma. Behavior mirroring and non-verbal communication with horses can help you better understand yourself, your emotions, and your relationships with others. Trauma awareness is key to processing and healing.

Working with horses can be particularly beneficial for building relationship skills. Connecting with horses requires you to be calm, centered, and focused. Building up a level of mutual trust can take a lot of time and hard work. This awareness and trust can teach skills necessary for day-to-day interactions.

Skills developed through equine-assisted therapy include:

• Emotional awareness
• Confidence and assertiveness 
• Self-esteem and self-respect
• Impulse control and stress tolerance
• Trust and acceptance
• Non-verbal communication
• Strength and endurance

Being around horses can also decrease feelings of loneliness and isolation without immediately jumping back into navigating human relationships. Building a connection with a non-judgemental animal can help you open up and learn to trust others. This relationship is a great first step in overcoming emotional trauma and associated mental health conditions.

Who Benefits from Equine Therapy?

Equine therapy can have positive effects on those with issues with confidence, social interactions, and impulse control. Used alongside other treatments, it can benefit many mental health conditions.

Mental health conditions treated with equine-assisted therapy include:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
• Eating disorders
• Addiction and substance use disorder
• Attachment disorders

Because horses demonstrate the ability to make personal connections, they are valuable in family or group therapy and individual sessions. 

Techniques Used in Equine-Assisted Therapy Sessions

Equine-assisted therapy involves techniques that foster safety, consent, choice, self-empowerment, trust, and compassion. Such techniques can help you feel more in control of emotions, thoughts, and behaviors affected by traumatic experiences.

Techniques used in equine therapy include:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Focusing on the horse’s emotions and behaviors can help you control your negative thoughts and emotions.
• Play Therapy. Play can help increase awareness, set boundaries, and build relationships.
• Role-Playing and Storytelling. These techniques help to identify and convey emotions. 
• Activity Scheduling. Creates a sense of routine and responsibility that is often missing from the life of someone suffering from a mental health condition.

Equine Therapy at Integrative Life Center

Equine therapy at Integrative Life Center is an innovative trauma-informed approach for treating many mental health conditions. Considering your individual needs and goals, our clinical team will devise a tailored program of sessions and “feet on the ground” interactions with horses to help you on your mental health journey.Contact Integrative Life Center to learn more about equine therapy and schedule a consultation with a member of our team.

The post Using Equine-Assisted Therapy for Trauma appeared first on Integrative Life Center.

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How to Address Physical Abuse

If you or someone you love are experiencing physical abuse, help and healing are available. When people who are hurt don’t know how to work through their traumas and healthily express feelings, they often hurt others. Your safety is critical, and you don’t have to accept physical abuse as a condition of your relationship. This post tells you how to address physical abuse, how to talk with someone who may be abused, and how to leave an abusive situation. 

What is Physical Abuse?

There are many types of abuse, but it’s generally any non-consensual touch when one person intentionally harms another. Common examples include hitting, kicking, shaking, punching, slapping, or choking. Other forms of physical abuse include withholding care, preventing sleep, forcing consumption of alcohol or drugs, or harming others such as pets or children. 

Abuse can happen to anyone, regardless of age or gender. Abuse is squarely the abuser’s fault, as they choose an unhealthy and unkind way to express their emotions and communicate. 

5 Strategies for Identifying and Addressing Abusive Behaviors

If you’re being physically abused or worry that someone may inflict physical harm on you, these strategies can be valuable in helping extract yourself from the abuser.

To address physical abuse:

1. Trust Your Instincts. If you aren’t comfortable around someone, you shouldn’t engage with them. If something feels amiss, it’s OK to be skeptical and work to eliminate contact with that person.
2. Know that Action Matters. Abuse is 100% the abuser’s fault. It doesn’t matter if they say nice things, buy you gifts, or apologize for the harm they cause. Intending to be kind is not the same thing as treating someone with kindness. Judge their actions, not their words.
3. State Your Concerns. If you address an abuser, be clear and descriptive in sharing how their actions make you feel. You are the only person who can control your feelings, so use “I” statements (“I feel sad when you XYZ”), rather than “You” statements (“You make me feel sad when you XYZ”). Be specific when describing how you receive statements made by your abuser. If the abuser attempts to gaslight you or claims they never said something you mention, you may need to cite prior text messages or emails.
4. Prepare for Personal Attacks. Hurt people hurt others. If you confront an abuser, they may become angry and hurl insults and lies at you. Try to ignore everything they do in reaction to you naming the abuse.
5. Set Hard Boundaries. If you can’t leave your abuser, you can limit contact and set strong boundaries. You can’t and won’t change who your abuser is, but you can stop caring what they think. 

Tips for Talking to Someone You Think is Being Abused

If you suspect that someone you know is being abused, listen with open ears and zero agenda. Establish yourself as a safe person interested in helping. Don’t force your opinions on the person, and understand if they’re initially unwilling to accept your offer for assistance. Sometimes it takes a while for people to recognize abuse and gain the courage to leave. 

Be a helper by:

• Finding a safe, private place to talk. Express your concerns and ask if something is wrong.
• Actively listen without passing any judgment
• Offer help and allow them to tell you what help they need
• Don’t pressure them to make an immediate decision or take action
• Follow up with them regularly to remind them you care and to allow them to accept your offer 

How to Address Physical Abuse

Choosing to take action and remove yourself from an abuser’s power is brave and possible. To address physical abuse, you should seek help and guidance from a trusted friend, family member, or members of a professional organization for victims of such acts. You also should work with a therapist to overcome your trauma. 

Get Immediate Help

Don’t wait until the next incident to get help. You never know how things will escalate. 

To get help with physical abuse:

• Remove Yourself. Find a way to physically remove yourself from your abuser. This distance may require you to move out of your shared living space or leave while they’re away. If the abuser is a more casual acquaintance who you don’t live with, you may need to alter your routine to prevent seeing them on public transit or at a restaurant after work. This change may also require you to seek a new school or workplace if that is where the abuse takes place.
• Call For Help. Free and confidential help is available 24/7 from the National Domestic Violence Hotline. You will be connected with experienced individuals who can provide information on local resources and services. 

• Dial 911. When you call the police and describe what occurred, the dispatcher will tell you what to do next until help arrives. It’s good to provide the dispatcher with a statement about what happened for documentation. 

Reach Out to Others

You are valued, and some people will want to help you move forward. 

To seek help:

• Reach Out. Tell a trusted friend or family member about the physical abuse and seek their help in getting away from your abuser and beginning to heal. 

• Talk. Ask a colleague or member of your employer’s human resources department to help you leave an abusive situation. 

• Speak to a Healthcare Provider. Doctors and healthcare providers can provide resources to help you move forward from your abuser. 

• Create an Escape Plan. Once you have identified someone to help you leave, work together to make an escape plan that identifies a safe place for you to go and when you will leave. You’ll also want to collect important papers and documents and save as much money as possible.

Seek Professional Help

Many physical abuse survivors find working with a therapist or counselor helpful in processing their feelings and working through trauma. 

To get emotional help after abuse:

• Search in Your Area. Ask for counselor or therapist referrals from your doctors or local organizations that help survivors of physical abuse, as they are most familiar with the various practitioners in your community.
• Arrange a Consultation. You want to find the right counselor or therapist — someone you will trust and feel confident sharing your experiences with. It’s essential to make sure their personality is the best fit. Meet with them to learn about them and hear how they may be able to help you before selecting the practitioner who will help you heal.

• Stick With It. By committing to regular sessions with your therapist, you are more likely to observe progress. 
• Address the Lasting Effects. Physical abuse often causes significant emotional trauma, and your therapist can help you navigate your feelings. If you have anxiety, substance use issues, low self-esteem, or issues with anger, trust, or relationships, your therapist can help you address and overcome them.

Healing with Help from Integrative Life Center

If you or a loved one are survivors of physical abuse, the caring professionals at Integrative Life Center can help you work through your emotional pain and trauma. ILC’s mental health professionals will create a unique treatment plan based on your specific needs and connect you with the tools and resources for a successful healing journey. Contact ILC today to begin.

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Symptoms of Sex Addiction and How to Treat It

Experts are uncertain how many people have a sex addiction, but they think it’s 3-5% of the population. That’s millions of people with an addiction, many of whom likely don’t know they have it and go undiagnosed. This post will help you understand sex addict symptoms and treatment options if you’re experiencing them.

What is Sex Addiction?

Sex addiction is also known as compulsive sexual behavior, hypersexuality, or hypersexuality disorder. It’s an excessive preoccupation with sexual fantasies, urges, or behaviors that a person can’t control. It causes them severe emotional distress and can negatively affect their mental and physical health, job, and relationships. It essentially seeps into every part of their lives.

People with sex addiction can’t control their thoughts and urges regarding sex. This lack of control may lead them to seek out sex, porn, or masturbation, even if it harms themselves or others. 

People with sex addiction may try to stop their harmful behaviors, but find they can’t. 

What Are Sex Addict Symptoms?

A mental health professional must diagnose someone with a sex addiction. But there are common symptoms a person is likely to experience that can be identified prior to an official diagnosis. Noteworthy traits of sex addiction are the desire to stop the behavior because it’s negatively impacting your life, but an inability to stop on your own.

Other common symptoms of sex addiction include:

• • Prioritizing Sex. People with sex addiction often neglect other activities to satisfy urges. They fixate on the desire to have sex and prioritize it over any other activity. It also takes up an increasing amount of their time.
  • Guilt or Shame. Guilt, shame, or both often accompany sex for someone with sex addiction. They may feel shame for acting on urges, or they may feel guilt for how their actions affect someone else. 
  • Relationship Issues. Sex addiction also affects the partners of people with the addiction. Because people with sex addiction are constantly seeking sex, they may cheat on their partners or lie to hide their behaviors. They also may withdrawal from their partners, family, or friends because they’re afraid of their addiction being discovered or they want to spend more time on their habits.
  • Coping. People with sex addiction use sex to escape from difficult emotions or deal with problems in their lives. It can be a coping mechanism to deal with stress, anxiety, or unresolved trauma. It’s not uncommon for people with sex addiction to engage in sexual behaviors and derive no pleasure from them. It’s common for people with sex addiction to have other mental health issues.

• Inability to Function. Because sex takes precedence over everything else in the life of someone with sex addiction, it can be difficult for them to function in their daily lives. They may miss important events or struggle to keep up with their work because their need to satisfy sexual urges takes precedence over everything else.

• Safety Risks. People with sex addiction seek out increasingly risky sex. This risk can mean unprotected sex with strangers or seeking out sex workers, which in turn means they have the potential to pass on sexually transmitted infections to their partners. It can also mean engaging in public sex or exhibitionism, which may result in legal issues.
• Inability to Stop. It’s common for someone with sex addiction to want to stop the behavior. They may even try to stop but find they can’t. For them, sex is a way to cope with emotions. Even though they try to stop on their own, it can be difficult to do, especially without treating the root cause of the addiction.

Sex Addiction and Trauma

Unresolved trauma is a major factor in addiction. Experiencing trauma dysregulates the nervous system and can fundamentally change how someone sees and interacts with the world around them. 

Trauma is anything that causes you to believe you are in severe danger and causes a fight-or-flight response. It can be a deeply distressing or disturbing experience or a series of stressful life happenings. 

Your brain changes after surviving trauma. It uses your fight-or-flight mode to help you survive. Afterward, your brain seeks dopamine to get out of fight-or-flight mode. Sex, alcohol, drugs, gambling, and other things can be that source of dopamine. And because a dopamine release feels good, a person can develop an addiction by simply chasing a dopamine rush as a way to cope with negative emotions.

To treat sex addiction, the trauma must be recognized and processed to eliminate compulsive sexual behaviors.

Getting Help for Sex Addiction

Only a mental health professional can diagnose someone with sex addiction. It’s time to seek help if your symptoms start negatively impacting your daily life. If you feel guilt or shame surrounding your sexual activity and want to stop but can’t, there is help. You don’t have to deal with your addiction alone. There are many treatment options for sex addiction. It’s essential to speak with a mental health professional to determine the right treatment for you.

Treatment options include: 

• Trauma-focused Therapy. Trauma-focused therapy takes into account a person’s trauma history and how certain adverse experiences caused them to turn to sex to regulate their nervous system. Over time that continuous use of sex to cope with trauma evolves into problematic sexual behavior and addiction. By addressing the root cause of trauma in treating sex addiction, a person is able to then experience true healing.
• Inpatient Therapy. Inpatient therapy programs typically include in-depth individual and group therapy sessions. These programs help people with sex addiction by removing them from their normal routines for at least 30 days to help them regain control of their impulses and behaviors and begin healing.
• 12-Step Recovery. Sex Addicts Anonymous follows the same recovery model as Alcoholics Anonymous. Members are encouraged to avoid compulsive and destructive sexual behavior while attending group meetings.
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps you and your therapist identify harmful thoughts and behaviors. Together, you work to find new, healthy ways to respond to challenges.
• Group Therapy. In a group therapy setting, a counselor leads an open and honest discussion with a group of clients. This therapy empowers the group to be vulnerable and share their stories while learning from one another in a safe environment.

How Integrative Life Center Can Help

Integrative Life Center provides sex addiction treatment using our proprietary TINSA® approach (trauma induced sexual addiction), which identifies and treats the root cause of the addiction from a neurobiological perspective. If you’re ready to begin your healing journey, reach out to Integrative Life Center today.

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Suicide Prevention Resources

If you or a loved one are considering death by suicide, there are many suicide prevention resources for you to seek help and overcome the present symptoms. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, andremains the top cause of death for people ages 10 to 34. 

If you or a loved one are having suicidal thoughts, you are not alone. By reaching out to a crisis line or trusted friend, you can take steps to meet with a caring mental health professional, like those at Nashville’s Integrative Life Center, who can help you address these thoughts and establish a plan of action and recovery. Suicidal thoughts are a symptom of trauma and other risk factors, but they can be treated and improved over time. 

Suicide Risk Factors

When risk factors are present for you or a loved one, it does not predict or cause a suicide attempt. But it makes it more likely that someone will consider, attempt, or die by suicide. Friends, family, and caregivers should watch for risk factors and observe whether attitudes and behaviors change over time. 

Common suicide risk factors include:

• Prior suicide attempt(s)
• Family history of suicide
• Substance use
• Mood disorders including depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia 
• History of trauma or abuse
• Hopelessness, sense of isolation, and a lack of social support
• Impulsive and/or aggressive personality
• Recent release from prison or jail
• Lack of healthcare access for mental health and substance use treatment 
• Access to lethal means, including firearms in the home
• Exposure to others who have died by suicide
• Chronic physical illness, including chronic pain
• Life-changing events, including loss of job, financial status, relationship, death of a loved one, or feelings of failure

Suicide Warning Signs

You may be able to prevent yourself or others from attempting suicide when you know the warning signs. If someone tells you they’ve “lost the will to live” or “want to die,” don’t brush those comments off. Stop to consider if other warning signs are present. People sometimes use humor to veil pain. It’s vital to consider the whole picture rather than assume everything is OK. If concerning behaviors are new, increasing, or appear related to a painful event, loss, or change, consider them warning signs. Don’t wait to reach out for help. 

Examples of suicide warning signs:

• Speaking about wanting to die or kill themselves
• Researching ways to kill themselves
• Expressing feelings of hopelessness or having no will to live
• Talking about feeling trapped
• Feeling as if they burden others
• Increasing substance use
• Behaving recklessly
• Acting anxious or agitated
• Changes to sleeping and eating habits
• Isolating or withdrawing from obligations
• Dramatic mood changes
• Self-harm
• Giving away important possessions and getting affairs in order
• Saying goodbye to others

How to Help Someone with Suicidal Thoughts

If someone you love shares that they have suicidal thoughts, it’s essential to remain calm but committed to helping them connect with a mental health professional. Express support and concern, withhold judgment, listen, and stay patient while connecting them to professional support.

Steps for helping someone with suicidal thoughts:

• Identify Warning Signs. Take notice if things are changing for your loved one and consider if they are coping well. 

• • Ask. Voice the difficult question and ask, “Are you thinking about killing yourself?” Research shows this question does not increase suicide attempts or suicidal thoughts but can act as a gateway for an important dialogue that can lead to help. 
  • Keep Them Safe. Remove potentially dangerous and lethal objects from their home. 

• Be There. Listen without judgment to learn what they are thinking and feeling. 

• Call a Doctor or Counselor. Encourage your loved one to reach out to their primary care physician or specialized mental health professional. 

• Help Them Get Support. Share phone numbers for suicide or crisis hotlines and encourage your loved one to use them if needed.

• Stay Connected. Continue to check in on your loved one even after the crisis passes, or they complete treatment. They need to feel supported and know you care. 

In An Emergency

If someone you know is in an emergency situation or attempts suicide, you need to render immediate help. Don’t hesitate to get immediate help if you think it’s necessary.

What to do if someone attempts suicide:

• Stay with them – do not leave them alone.
• Call 911. If you think you can do so safely, you may choose to take the person to the nearest hospital emergency room. 
• Ask them if they are under the influence of alcohol or drugs. 
• Listen, but don’t try to handle the situation alone. Get help from a trained professional as quickly as possible.

Suicide Prevention Resources

Many people think about suicide throughout life, so it is vital to educate yourself and know how to see the signs in others. Many health and nonprofit organizations are devoted to sharing suicide prevention resources to empower others and decrease the prevalence of suicide. 

Organizations with suicide prevention resources include: 

• Mayo Clinic. Individuals with depression are at an increased risk for suicide. The Mayo Clinic’s guide for supporting a loved one includes information about identifying symptoms and warning signs, seeking treatment, and connecting with local resources.
• National Alliance on Mental Illness. It’s important to be calm when supporting a loved one in crisis. The National Alliance on Mental Health outlines best practices when responding in an emergency.
• To Write Love on Her Arms. The nonprofit To Write Love on Her Arms shares messages of hope and help for those with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide and encourages them to seek treatment when necessary. 
• THRIVE Lifeline. The free crisis text line, THRIVE Lifeline, for ages 18 and up, is staffed by certified suicide interventionists with marginalized identities who study or work in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine. 

Prevention resources for teenagers and their parents include: 

• Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide. The Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide offers specialized training programs and resources to teens, parents, and educational leaders while fulfilling its mission of increasing suicide awareness, saving lives, and reducing the stigma of suicide. 

• The JED Foundation. The JED Foundation seeks to protect the emotional health of the nation’s teens and young adults by equipping them with the skills and support needed to flourish. More than 4.8 million young adults attended schools where JED programs are embedded to support mental health. 
• Teen Health. From a pediatric hospital network, Teen Health helps parents and caregivers determine if their adolescent’s behavior is a phase or an indication that something more serious may be happening. 
• THRIVE App. Designed by the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine, THRIVE App helps parents and caregivers facilitate a conversation with teens and young adults on important health topics. 

Every September, suicide prevention organizations work to increase awareness about suicide warning signs and available resources during Suicide Prevention Week and World Suicide Prevention Day. Though it’s observed on a grand scale one month of the year, information and help are available 365 days a year.

How Integrative Life Center Can Help

If you or someone you love have suicidal thoughts, Integrative Life Center’s caring professionals can help you determine the best course of action, whether it’s with us or somewhere else. With numerous therapies and a Suicide Treatment Program, ILC’s trained team will identify an individualized care plan to help. To learn more, contact Integrative Life Center today.

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Identifying the Most Effective Treatment Plan for Substance Abuse

No single substance use treatment is right for everyone. Addiction is a highly complex disorder that affects brain function and behavior. It can have a serious impact on many areas of your life. This complexity is why addiction recovery requires an individualized substance abuse treatment plan. 

A treatment plan is a fundamental first step in overcoming substance use. Your recovery plan should help you to address the underlying trauma at the root of your disorder and the effects the resulting symptoms have on your daily life. It’s a personal roadmap tailored to your needs and is vital to recovery success.

What is an Example of a Substance Abuse Treatment Plan?

A substance abuse treatment plan outlines what you seek to achieve through your treatment and the steps to get you there. 

Creating a treatment plan is the most individualized part of the recovery process. Your clinician should create your plan with your involvement. It should be fully tailored to your situation and will change over time as your needs change. A great treatment plan should evolve and adapt alongside your progression through the recovery process.

Having a treatment plan helps you and your therapist establish expectations, set goals, and monitor progress. Essentially, a treatment plan is your roadmap to recovery. 

Main components of a treatment plan for substance abuse:

• • Diagnostic Outline. A review of your substance use, medical history, and mental health. This review is a general assessment of your current situation.
  • Problem Statement. A few highlighted “problem areas” to target.
  • Goals. The main overarching goals of your treatment plan. These are the things you most want to change and that address the “problem areas.”
  • Objectives. How exactly you will accomplish these goals. Objectives should be “SMART,” which means they’re specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.
  • Interventions. What your clinician or therapist will do to help you complete your goals and objectives.

• Monitoring and Evaluation. Tracking changes and progress, evaluating the treatment plan, and making adjustments as needed.

• Planning Long-Term Care. Any long-term care and relapse prevention plans after your initial treatment plan. Overcoming substance use requires time and ongoing support.

What are the Goals and Objectives of a Substance Abuse Treatment Plan?

The most common goal of an addiction treatment plan is abstinence from drug and alcohol use. And while sobriety is undoubtedly a crucial end-goal, there’s far more to substance use treatment than just this. 

Substance use can impact many aspects of your everyday life, including your mental, physical, social, and financial health. Your treatment plan needs to take into account all of these aspects too. 

Your goals and objectives will also focus on addressing root causes, combating associated behaviors, and developing appropriate life skills to help prevent relapse.

Goals and objectives often get confused and used interchangeably. But the two elements are different. Goals are brief statements about what you want to achieve. They directly address problems. Objectives are the things you do to achieve these goals. They are the steps you take that can be seen and measured.

Example treatment goals include:

• Eliminating substance use
• Addressing the root cause of the addiction
• Developing healthy stress management techniques
• Creating a support system
• Learning how to communicate emotions effectively
• Maintaining a healthier lifestyle
• Repairing damaged relationships

Example treatment objectives include:

• To get rid of access to all harmful substances immediately
• To identify triggers of substance use and develop coping strategies
• To take prescription medications
• To journal daily
• To attend weekly counseling sessions with a therapist
• To attend weekly support group meetings
• To complete 12-Step Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous program
• To learn how to manage finances and interview for jobs
• To start exercising twice per week

What Are Treatment Interventions for Substance Use?

Interventions are the things your clinician, therapist, and other professionals do to help you achieve your goals and objectives. They are the substance use therapies, and exercises recommended to help overcome your problems. Interventions also include anything your primary clinician can do to make your treatment plan more effective and comfortable.

Example treatment interventions include: 

• Trauma-informed therapy
• Referral to local support groups
• Educational sessions on addiction
• Health and nutrition courses
• Medication prescriptions
• Ensuring a supportive environment for recovery
• Help resolving barriers to therapy attendance

Goals of a Substance Abuse Treatment Plan

The ultimate goal of a substance use treatment plan is to guide and support you as you create a happier, healthier, substance-free life for yourself.

The main aims of substance abuse treatment are to:

• Provide you with ongoing support
• Give you a safe environment to talk about your trauma
• Redirect you from situations that may encourage substance use
• Continue treatment for co-occurring mental health issues that encourage substance use

Substance Abuse Treatment Plans at Integrative Life Center

An effective addiction treatment program is not one-size-fits-all. At Integrative Life Center, we create an individualized treatment plan that’s tailored toward your specific needs. We utilize an integrated approach to address trauma at the root of the addiction, resulting symptoms, and substance use in different aspects of your life.

We have expertly-trained therapists, medical staff, spiritual advisors, psychiatrists, massage therapists, registered dieticians, and holistic healers, all under one roof. Our comprehensive approach involves various medical, clinical, and therapeutic interventions. 

Your treatment plan may include:

• Detoxification prior to arrival
• Professional medical and psychiatric services
• Mental health services
• Community integration
• Group and individual talk therapy
• Family programming
• Experiential therapies
• Nutrition counseling
• Life skills
• Behavioral therapies

Contact Integrative Life Center to learn about personalized treatment plan options.

The post Identifying the Most Effective Treatment Plan for Substance Abuse appeared first on Integrative Life Center.

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Experiential Therapy Activities

Sometimes, you learn best by “doing.” Participation in experiential therapy activities is effective for treating and aiding in recovery for certain mental health conditions. This post explains experiential therapy, what it looks like, and who it helps.

Defining Experiential Therapy

Experiential therapy is a hands-on, engaging therapy that can help you to process and cope with various mental health conditions and past trauma. Instead of a traditional “talk therapy,” it involves movements, actions, and activities. Experiential therapy activities range from kayaking to engaging with horses.

Often, critical “aha” moments happen during experiential therapy activities. That’s because having a more physical experience allows for organic moments of self-discovery. You may be able to recognize and address suppressed feelings and emotions that might not come to the surface in a more subdued therapy session.

Experiential therapy allows a therapist to observe you in an activity where therapy isn’t the main focus. For example, if you’re kayaking, your focus is guiding your boat – not therapy. The activity allows the therapist to see you in a real-life setting. After performing experiential therapy activities, the therapist will talk to you about your experience and your actions and behaviors. It can be empowering to identify and process how you handled the situation.

Experiential therapy activities can be beneficial if you’re uncomfortable talking to a therapist in a traditional counseling setting. You also can perform them in addition to talk therapy sessions. 

Common Types of Experiential Therapy and Activities

You and your therapist will work together to decide the types of experiential therapy activities that will most benefit you and that you’re most comfortable with. Which activities you do will depend on what may work better for your mental health condition, as well as your personal preferences. 

Play Therapy 

Typically used for treating children, the therapist observes a child’s emotions during playtime. The therapist typically joins the child at their level, using dolls, action figures, puppets, water play, or toy phones to ask the child questions about different feelings and situations. It can help children learn appropriate behaviors and cope with trauma. 

Art Therapy 

You can express thoughts and feelings in a non-verbal way with art. Because art is subjective, there is no right or wrong way to release your subdued feelings in the moment. Art can help to reduce shame, increase empowerment, create self-awareness, reduce stress, and cope with symptoms.

Drama Therapy 

Also known as psychodrama, this is the most common form of experiential therapy. It involves re-enacting or re-creating situations in a safe setting to help you release negative or suppressed emotions involved with the conflict. Drama therapy allows you to learn how to be your best leading role model while gaining new perspectives, learning effective communication, and handling social situations more comfortably. 

Music Therapy

Creating, listening to, moving to, and singing along to music can be therapeutic. Under the direction of a music therapist, you can explore and learn to cope with your emotions and thoughts associated with mental health, trauma, and addiction. 

Animal-Assisted Therapy

The care and keeping of animals can be therapeutic. Animal-assisted therapy sessions can include animals like dogs or horses. You may provide care by grooming or feeding an animal. By making a personal connection with a non-judgmental animal, you gain empathy and independence while increasing your stress tolerance and impulse control.

Outdoor Therapy

This type of therapy can combine wilderness therapy, adventure therapy, and talk therapy sessions. It may include activities like kayaking and low ropes to help you overcome social and behavioral challenges. By being held accountable for reaching goals and using positive behavior, you can become motivated, improve your communication with others, build trust, and gain self-confidence.

Conditions Experiential Therapy Can Help

Experiential therapy can be effective for various mental health conditions. Therapists can use it alone or in conjunction with other types of therapies. Below are some of the mental health conditions experiential therapy helps.

Trauma

Trauma survivors can get stuck feeling like they’re reliving or fighting to keep a traumatic experience from happening again. Experiential therapy activities can provide a safe space to release painful emotions and experiences. This type of therapy isn’t limited to the individual. It can involve the whole family. 

Behavioral Disorders

Those with behavior disorders may act out or display emotional upset in different ways, which can mean having difficulty holding a job or maintaining relationships. Experiential therapy gives you a chance to reflect on your behavior during the activity, making it effective for those with behavioral disorders.

Eating Disorders

It’s helpful for therapists to join those with eating disorders in their “world” with experiential activities since many patients spend a lot of time searching for external approval. Experiential therapy teaches practical lessons you can internalize, allowing you to learn from others’ experiences. 

Anger Management

Those who feel angry are frustrated because they have difficulty expressing their feelings and lack control. Experiential therapy can help you recognize your reactions to people or things that trigger anger in a real-life setting. With practice, you can remain calm and control your emotions without hurting yourself or others.

Addiction

Overcoming an addiction isn’t simple. You may feel less guarded during experiential therapy. It allows for more accurate patient evaluations for therapists and better mental healing for you.  

How Can Experiential Therapy Be Beneficial?

Experiential therapy is an interactive, creative way to accomplish your recovery goals. It can be beneficial for many people, especially those who don’t respond well to or aren’t interested in traditional therapies.

The benefits include:

• Adjustment. One of the most effective ways to take your mind off something is by doing something active. When you’re involved in experiential therapy, it can help take your mind off your stressors and see your experiences in a new light.
• Emotional Development. When a challenge evokes negative feelings and emotions, experiential activities can be an opportunity to sort through it, feel it, understand it, and move on. When you begin to notice triggers and patterns, you may have richer experiences.
• Boost Self-Esteem. Experiential therapy allows for immediate feedback and provides opportunities to step back and reflect. This intentional turning inward can boost your confidence. 
• Personal Empowerment. It’s a sign of maturity when you’re able to fail at something new. Experiential therapy activities often involve learning and honing new skills, which can help you feel empowered. 
• Connecting Emotions to Past Experiences. By integrating the past with the present, you can overcome unresolved conflicts, enhance your ability to solve problems, and hold yourself accountable for the choices you make.

Experiential Therapy with ILC

Whether it’s difficult for you to express yourself in words, get comfortable opening up, or recognize your triggers, experiential therapy offers many options that can be effective in recovery. Integrative Life Center incorporates experiential therapy activities along with more traditional methods to provide you with a customized treatment plan unique to your recovery journey. Contact ILC today to learn more about experiential therapy at our center and treatment options that may be right for you.

The post Experiential Therapy Activities appeared first on Integrative Life Center.

source https://integrativelifecenter.com/experiential-therapy-activities/

What is Community Reintegration?

Going back to daily life after residential treatment can be a shock. Community reintegration aims to make this transition easier while helping maintain the progress you made during treatment. This post explains community reintegration, its goals, and how it helps you in recovery. 

What is Community Reintegration?

Community reintegration is for anyone who has been in residential treatment. It refers to interventions for integrating you back into your day-to-day life during recovery. It’s especially effective if you have a complex mental health issue or are overcoming addiction. 

Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon to feel isolated and marginalized when you return to life after residential treatment. Your ties with close family members and friends may have severed gradually. Your performance at school or work may have been significantly impacted or may have come to a premature end. These changes can lead to a gradual exclusion from your social circles. On the flip side, this exclusion may already have impacted your life before in-patient treatment, especially if you’re overcoming an addiction.

The adage, “It takes a village,” applies to community reintegration. It aims to reverse the all-so-common feelings of isolation and exclusion of those who receive in-patient treatment. Support is key to improving treatment outcomes, preventing relapse, and ensuring successful integration into society. You need the support of others to become the best version of yourself.

Things to Know About Reintegration After Treatment

Treatment and recovery aren’t easy. You’re brave to seek treatment and embrace the challenges ahead in recovery. But you deserve a whole and meaningful life. And reintegration after treatment helps set you up for success.

Reintegration after treatment includes:

• Continuous Treatment. Treatment isn’t over when you leave your in-patient facility. You will be more resilient when new challenges arise if you’re more active in your recovery by continuing to engage in treatment services and therapies.

• Overcoming Stigma. Early in recovery, it can be difficult to face the judgment of others who don’t understand your struggles. It may be helpful for you to limit your exposure to people who seem driven by judgment and blame. 

• Finding Support. The saying, “What you focus on expands,” applies to life after in-patient treatment. It’s crucial to surround yourself with positive people who believe in you and support your recovery. 

• New Connections. Some things will be easier than you expect. Not everything will be a struggle. Your time in in-patient treatment may allow you to build new relationships and connect with treatments and therapies that can help you long term.

• Communicating. It’s OK to tell others what you need. If you’re having difficulty building a strong support system or feel you’re not getting the benefits you expect from treatments and therapies, speak up. Your loved ones can’t read your mind, but they can help if you communicate. 

Types of Continuing Support

An in-patient treatment program is just the beginning of your recovery journey. Returning to life before your addiction or mental health disorder is a life-long process. It’s essential to be proactive and get the positive support you need to take control of your future. The following are some typical interventions that can help answer the question, “What is community reintegration?”

Individual Therapy

Therapies like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy help you understand your underlying issues, withdrawal symptoms, and behaviors and address them holistically. It can be empowering to delve deeper with a therapist into why you have certain thoughts and feelings and find new, healthy coping methods.

Check-Ups

It’s critical to have accountability in your recovery process. Check-ups can be as infrequent as four times per year and involve a medical professional checking your vital signs. If you exposed yourself to a harmful substance, you could develop wounds, breathing and heart issues, sleep problems, weight loss or gain, or muscle twitching. So, you need to have regular physical health assessments during your recovery.

12-Step Programs

The 12-Step programs began with Alcoholics Anonymous and have grown to include groups focused on many other specific substances. This method involves personal accountability, group support, and, sometimes, relying on a higher power. There are many 12-Step programs, from general to substance-specific formats, with each tailored to your religious preference and cultural values.

Alternative Support Groups

It’s crucial to find a support group of some kind to help you in your recovery. There are many support groups available based on your preferences. Ask your counselor for recommendations or search online for groups in your area.

Goals of Community Reintegration

Research shows relapses may occur during the first six months after treatment. Community reintegration aims to combat this, helping you continue your recovery. Reintegration is vital to your recovery in many ways.

Boost Self-Confidence and Integrity

It can be crushing to return from in-patient treatment to be judged by those you once called friends. Community reintegration helps boost your self-confidence and integrity by encouraging you to surround yourself with others who encourage your newfound healthy lifestyle and create positive distractions. 

Establish Responsible Routine

During in-patient treatment, your day is planned for you. You don’t have to cook your meals, get yourself to work, or care for loved ones. Establishing a new routine can help you manage your typical day-to-day duties. It also allows you to set aside time to care for yourself.

Active Involvement in the Recovery Community

The sense of accountability you receive from involvement in the recovery community is irreplaceable. It can be a healthy reminder of in-patient treatment experiences and can help to honor your new lifestyle. It’s crucial to take your mind off of past destructive activities while encouraging progress. 

Achieving Personal Life Goals

If you’re recovering from substance use or addiction, abstinence is likely only a portion of your long-term life vision. You have dreams and goals for your life. Maybe you’ve always wanted to own a vacation home or help pay for your grandchildren’s college tuition. Whatever it looks like for you, the routines, accountability, and support you receive from community reintegration can help you take the steps needed to make that a reality. 

How ILC Helps With Community Reintegration

After in-patient, residential treatment, it’s not a simple flip of a switch to go back to life as usual. By continuing your recovery journey with a qualified therapist, seeking out support, and communicating your needs to others, you can set yourself up to thrive.

Integrative Life Center’s extended care Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP) are designed to promote reintegration back into the real world through living in the heart of the city; experiencing more freedom and responsibility throughout the week; and working on important life skills with their therapist and residential teams. After discharge, clients can attend weekly alumni aftercare programs to build community and connection. Contact ILC to start your recovery journey.

The post What is Community Reintegration? appeared first on Integrative Life Center.

source https://integrativelifecenter.com/what-is-community-reintegration/