What are the Barriers to Seeking Mental Health Treatment?

If someone experiences mental health issues, why wouldn’t they want to seek treatment? What’s stopping them from getting the mental health help that they need? It may be easy to think, “Just get help!” But many barriers — individual and systemic — make it more difficult for some people to seek outpatient mental health treatment and make inpatient mental health treatment seem impossible. 

How Many People Face Barriers to Mental Health Treatment?

The World Health Organization reports that about 1-in-8 people worldwide have a mental illness or disorder, and many don’t receive adequate mental health care.

The average delay between someone experiencing symptoms of a mental health issue and the beginning of their treatment is 11 years in the United States, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

People aren’t receiving the mental health treatment they need. But why? What are the barriers to seeking mental health treatment?

Fear of the stigma related to mental health treatment is the greatest barrier people experience, according to Richard Pelfrey, Director of Program Development and Implementation for Integrative Life Network. He said people just want to feel “normal.”

“On the surface, a person’s refusal may be justified by their busyness and explanations of why help isn’t necessary, but they’re likely afraid.”

In addition to fear, people may experience other barriers, such as a lack of knowledge about mental health, support, resources, and access to counseling and therapy.

Lack of Mental Health Literacy

Talking about mental health has been stigmatized in the past (and continues to be among some groups and cultures). So, people may not know what signs and symptoms to look for. They may think what they’re experiencing is typical when, in fact, they have a mental illness that is affecting the way they live.

Past Negative Experiences

You’ve probably heard it before — sometimes, people seeking resources within their community or from the government don’t have the best experiences. Red tape, mountains of paperwork, and long wait times can plague community service organizations, including mental health services for those who are lower-income or need additional support. If a person has a negative experience with community mental health services, why would they trust them or try again?

Lack of Resources

Mental health services can be expensive, depending on factors like where a person lives and if they have insurance. Some people have access to mental health assistance through their jobs, but many people don’t have health insurance that covers counseling and therapy. 

Additionally, a person could experience a lack of support from their loved ones. For some cultures, families, and communities, the stigma surrounding seeking counseling or therapy remains strong. Some people may not have a supportive person to encourage them to seek help when needed. 

Lack of Access

Geography matters in terms of mental health resources. If you live in a city, you may have access to transportation that can take you to a counseling session at a community health agency during your lunch break. If you live in a rural area, it may take an hour to travel to the community agency and an hour back, making it difficult to continue counseling and keep regular working hours. 

Virtual counseling services make a difference for some communities, as not traveling for mental health services makes counseling more accessible. But, the same problems still exist for more intensive treatment or for those who can’t afford a computer or smartphone.

Ways to Break the Barriers

Where barriers to seeking mental health treatment are in place, how can a person or a community work to break them down? Some things help to dissolve these barriers, some of which you can do on the individual level, others in the community, and others must take place at societal and institutional levels.

Mental Health Education 

It’s essential to encourage conversations about mental health that provide accurate information. Many people aren’t familiar with the signs and symptoms of mental health issues simply because they haven’t had access to education about the topic. 

Agencies and professionals can provide basic mental health classes. People can seek information from books, podcasts, and papers on mental health. Schools may consider adding courses on mental health awareness or ensuring these conversations happen within other curricula.

Community Awareness

Community awareness can include things like making services that are available known to the public. Public figures and community leaders can speak out about mental health issues and link people to resources that work for them.

Family and Peer Support

Breaking barriers to treatment includes supporting loved ones dealing with mental health issues, encouraging them to seek treatment, and being knowledgeable of resources you can provide to your loved ones if they need help. 

How Does Integrative Life Center Help Eliminate Barriers to Mental Health Treatment?

Integrative Life Center is a mental health treatment center that actively tries to eliminate barriers to treatment.

“At ILC, we approach issues as opportunities to launch into our greatest life possible and to claim the joy and purpose which is our birthright,” Richard said. 

“This journey begins by finding reconnection through healing. This knowledge allows our team to approach any presenting problem without judgment and within the framework of acknowledging – perhaps for the first time in a person’s life – that they have been wounded and that wound was not their fault. And so it is that we are often able to soothe a person’s stigma-driven shame at the beginning of their healing journey through compassion and empathy.”

ILC offers various treatment options, programs, classes, and more. The mental health professionals at ILC advocate for their clients, working at the individual level to break down barriers to seeking inpatient or outpatient mental health treatment. Contact ILC today if you or a loved one needs mental health support.

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What Causes Personality Disorders?

A personality disorder is when the way an individual thinks, feels, and behaves differs from other people’s expectations. Often these thoughts, feelings, and behaviors cause distress or problems functioning. It’s not just having a bad day. It’s a behavioral pattern that continues for an extended period. Personality disorders can impact personal relationships and hurt the person’s overall quality of life. But what causes personality disorders? 

The Cause of Personality Disorders

The exact causes of personality disorders aren’t entirely clear. Researchers believe personality disorders may stem from a complex combination of factors that tend to trigger specific issues. Doctors aren’t entirely sure why some people develop these feelings and behaviors, and others don’t. But common factors seem related to the development of personality disorders.

Causes of personality disorders may include: 

• Genetics. Some elements of personality are inherited, and certain genes can increase the likelihood of having a personality disorder. 
• Childhood Trauma. People diagnosed with a personality disorder are more likely to have experienced trauma growing up. These experiences may include neglect, the death of a parent, or abuse. Not everyone who experiences a traumatic situation will develop a personality disorder. Still, there is a link between the number and type of childhood traumas and the development of a disorder.
• Environmental Factors. The environment and social circumstances you grow up in can affect your personality and lead to a disorder. You may develop a personality disorder if you had instability in your family, family mental health issues, an unsupportive caregiver, or were the victim of bullying or discrimination.

Melisse Prusinski, Clinical Manager at Integrative Life Center, doesn’t think there’s one primary cause of personality disorders. She said:

“There is usually a wound in early attachment and an abandonment that leads to an intense fear of rejection. The panic that is felt from the fear of rejection has led to a maladaptive world outlook.”

The Impact of Personality Disorders

Personality disorders can significantly impact people’s quality of life and relationships. This impact results from the disorder affecting how you think about and relate to yourself and others, how you respond emotionally to situations, and your ability to control your behavior.

People with personality disorders have self-identity, emotional, relationship, and impulse control issues.

At Integrative Life Center, Prusinski said clinicians don’t categorize individuals based on a label or diagnosis. Instead, they provide integrated treatment to the whole person. They don’t attempt to treat symptoms but to uncover the root cause of the disorder and help the person heal from there.

Most Common Personality Disorders

While ILC clinicians focus on holistic healing, they recognize that people come to the center with personality disorder diagnoses. There are numerous personality disorders, but the following three are most common.

• Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder. This condition causes people to try to be perfect and only do things their way. People with this disorder have an intense need for order and neatness. They believe in following rigid rules and want to maintain a sense of control at all times.

• Narcissistic Personality Disorder. A person with this disorder overrates their importance, leading to grandiose plans, self-centeredness, and intolerance of others. People with this disorder show a need for admiration and a lack of empathy for others. They may act entitled, take advantage of others, or lack empathy.

• Borderline Personality Disorder. This disorder is a state between psychosis and neurosis that can cause a pattern of instability in personal relationships, intense emotions, poor self-image, and impulsivity. People with this condition struggle with relationships and may have extreme mood swings and outbursts. They may fear abandonment, have repeated suicide attempts, display inappropriate, intense anger, or have ongoing feelings of emptiness.

Treatments for Personality Disorders

While personality disorders can be challenging to treat, treatment is possible. There are multiple approaches mental health professionals can use to help.  

“We assist in the healing journey of the root traumas that have altered a person’s life,” Prusinski noted. “This includes identifying and finding gratitude for the resulting thought patterns and behaviors that once kept a person safe but just can’t serve them in the way they want.”

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is one of the most useful tools for people with personality disorders. CBT helps people gain insight into themselves and how the personality disorder affects them. A therapist will usually work with the patient to develop helpful strategies to manage the negative behaviors and regain control of their life.

But talk therapy alone isn’t enough, Prusinski said. 

“You can’t talk someone out of an irrational thought,” she said. “To make change or learn anything new, humans need to have an experience. Moving, knowing their body, breathwork, nature, dancing, and then, yes, talking about their profound experience is what really makes change and keeps a person invested.” 

Coping Strategies for People with Personality Disorders

If you have a personality disorder, you can take steps to handle the issues the disorder causes. Once someone identifies their list of unhelpful chaotic behaviors, they can make a new agreement with themselves to set a daily intention to respond more helpfully, Prusinski stated.

If you have a personality disorder:

• • Educate Yourself. The more you know about your condition, the more empowered you will feel to cope with it’s symptoms. 
  • Be Physically Active. Physical activity releases endorphins that makes you feel emotionally healthier. 
  • Avoid Substance Use. Using substances may temporarily relieve symptoms of your disorder, but it’s likely to cause you bigger issues in the long-term. People with personality disorders also are more prone to addictions.

• Seek Professional Support. The support of loved ones is valuable, but guidance from a mental health professional is critical to the management of your symptoms.

Helping Loved Ones with Personality Disorders

Personality disorders also impact people who know and love those who have them. 

If you have a loved one with a personality disorder, be:

• Patient. Don’t take your loved one’s behavior personally. Give them time and space to recover.
• Practical. Offer practical support, such as scheduling therapy appointments and offering transportation.
• Available. Let loved ones know you are willing to join them in therapy or help them in any way.
• Vocal. Speak out and tell your loved ones how much you appreciate their efforts to overcome their personality disorder.
• Mindful. Don’t use language that blames or accuses your loved one. Use “I” statements instead of “you” statements. For example, rather than saying, “You scared me when…,” try saying, “I felt scared when you…”
• Educated. Do your best to understand the disorder so you can emphathize with what your loved one experiences.

Prusinksi said treatment is critical for people and their family members to understand personality disorders. 

“Many times clients find resilience by identifying as having a diagnosis of personality disorder. This empowers them to read literature, consume media, and connect with others,” she said. 

Information is power, according to Prusinksi. 

“We are honest with clients about any diagnosis they may have and if they fit the criteria for a personality disorder,” she said. “We assist them in choosing the language they want to use for themselves.” 

How ILC Can Help with Personality Disorders

At Integrative Life Center, we take a trauma-resolution approach to treatment and strive to help clients heal the wounds “driving” their personality behaviors. This heart-centered approach treats the whole person and helps you move forward into healing, health, and recovery. Integrative Life Center is here to help with personality disorders. Contact us today.

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Which Symptoms Indicate Someone May Need Mental Health Treatment?

Do you or a loved one need mental health treatment? The term “mental health” refers to how people think, feel, and act. “Mental health is a state of well-being in which individuals realize their own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively, and are able to make a contribution to their community,” according to the World Health Organization. If you’re failing to enjoy good mental health or know someone who is, it may be time to seek treatment.

People with mental health disorders can lead happy and productive lives. Professional mental health services can make that possible. If you have good mental health, you feel like you’re making a difference and have a sense of purpose. You can cope better with life’s ups and downs and experience well-being, feel good, and function well in the world. First, you must identify whether you or your loved one needs mental health treatment.

Statistics Related to Mental Health Disorders

In the United States, 1 in 5 adults experience mental health problems each year, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Furthermore, many people suffer from more than one mental health disorder at a given time, known as comorbidity or co-occurring disorders.

About 9.5% of American adults ages 18 and older suffer from a depressive illness each year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health Disorders, part of the National Institutes of Health. And most people who die by suicide have a diagnosable mental disorder.

Types of Mental Health Disorders

People can experience a variety of mental health issues that may require treatment. Mental health concerns become mental health disorders when the symptoms impact a person’s ability to function and relate to others. 

Common mental health disorders include:

• Mood disorders (such as depression or bipolar disorder)
• Anxiety disorders
• Personality disorders
• Psychotic disorders (such as schizophrenia)
• Eating disorders
• Trauma-related disorders (such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)
• Substance use disorders

Symptoms of mental health issues vary in frequency and severity. Consider the effect the symptoms have on your – or your loved one’s – ability to function in daily activities. 

Serious mental health challenges can harm personal relationships, self-care, or performance at work or school. 

Mild mental health issues are less disruptive, but often treatment is helpful. 

Mental health concerns don’t have to be serious for people to reach out for professional help and support. Anyone who wants help can seek it.

Symptoms that Indicate the Need for Mental Health Treatment

The primary way to tell if someone needs mental health treatment is if they seem to feel disconnected, according to Richard Pelfrey, the director of Program Development and Implementation for Integrative Life Network.

“It’s a disconnection from life obligations, ourselves, other people, and the natural world around us.”

The disconnection may look different depending on the person, Richard said. It could include isolation, decreased ability or willingness to complete self-care activities, numbing or escaping through external substances and processes, or the loss of interest or ability to fulfill responsibilities. 

One of the most commonly reported signs of depression isn’t sadness at all – it’s apathy. Apathy is a feeling of overwhelming indifference to yourself, your life, and those around you, even toward people and things that previously excited you. It’s a lack of motivation to get out of bed in the morning and an inability to figure out why you cared about something.

Signs of mental health issues include:

• Excessive Anxiety. Uncontrollable or excessive anxiety may result in physical symptoms like restlessness, fatigue, muscle tension, or interrupted sleep.
• Reliving Traumatic Experiences. People may replay traumatic images or find that certain experiences, situations, places, or objects throw them back to a traumatic experience.
• Drastic Sleep or Appetite Changes. Weight or appetite changes and changes in sleep patterns, such as not being able to sleep or sleeping too much, are all symptoms of disconnection.
• Uncharacteristic Behavior. Any unusual behavior such as excessive anger, irritability, or overusing substances can indicate needing mental health treatment.
• Expressing Thoughts of Self-Harm or Suicide. If you or a loved one is struggling with suicidal thoughts, or engaging in self-harm or suicidal behaviors, seek help immediately.

How to Encourage Someone to Seek Mental Health Treatment

Often people find themselves dealing with a friend or loved one who shows some signs they may need mental health treatment. Richard said it’s critical not to assume that a loved one needs something they aren’t asking for. 

He said, when approaching someone about seeking mental health treatment, you should never order or force someone to get help. 

“Language that is invitational versus compelling can soften a refusal. For example, ‘I love you and I think that you would benefit from seeking help,’ rather than, ‘You need help, accept it or else.’” 

Richard also stated that accepting a person’s refusal leaves the invitation open. 

“The invitation is there for the suffering person to turn to when their need becomes greater than their fear of exploring their issue.” 

Richard noted that a different approach is called for if someone shows suicidal thoughts or behaviors. 

“Of course, there are scenarios when resistance to help may result in grave harm or even death. In these situations, a person may benefit from an ultimatum which compels them to get treatment.”

When encouraging treatment:

• Set a time and space to discuss it without distractions
• Be prepared for resistance
• Don’t be judgmental
• Educate yourself about mental illness so you can speak in an informed manner
• Offer help in finding treatment
• Set boundaries for yourself. Limiting your interaction with the person is OK if they refuse help.

Seeking Mental Health Treatment

Mental health is important, and seeking mental health treatment should never be frightening or complicated. If you or someone you love show signs of mental health issues, it’s essential to seek help. Contact Integrative Life Center to find out what treatment options are available and which are best for you or your loved one. Better mental health is possible. Don’t put it off.

The post Which Symptoms Indicate Someone May Need Mental Health Treatment? appeared first on Integrative Life Center.

source https://integrativelifecenter.com/which-symptoms-indicate-someone-may-need-mental-health-treatment/

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.

source https://integrativelifecenter.com/using-equine-assisted-therapy-for-trauma/

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.

The post Symptoms of Sex Addiction and How to Treat It appeared first on Integrative Life Center.

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