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Mental Health Center

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How to Prepare for Your First Therapy Session

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How to prepare for your first therapy session

Have you thought about seeking individual therapy but are reluctant to make an appointment? Or do you make an appointment but cancel it the next day? You are not alone, and for many, the reason is that you did not know how to prepare for your first therapy session. Being unprepared can create anxiety and anxiety-related symptoms. To get rid of anxiety, most people will eliminate the cause. For example, you make an appointment with a therapist. In the days before the appointment, your anxiety levels rise and cause discomfort. You cancel the meeting, and the anxiety fades. Although your anxiety over the appointment disappears, your original problem remains. The good news is that there are things you can do to ensure you follow through with your first therapy session without anxiety. Below are examples on how to prepare for your first therapy session that will make you feel prepped and …

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Finding Support for Families of Addicts

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Finding support for families of addicts

Addiction is far from an individual disease. It affects every relationship, including friends, spouses, children, parents, coworkers, and extended family members. Developing a substance use disorder can take months or years. During this time, relationships change, and each person takes on a new role. Not all roles are healthy. For example, some become enablers and think they are helping, even when they see their loved one spiral out of control. However, learning about and finding support for families of addicts can be one way to alleviate many of these changes and the stress that might be taking place. Other friends and family may choose to end the relationship with the addict, and some may even develop their addiction. Their intentions are good, but as circumstances worsen, they are left feeling exhausted, hurt, angry, and confused. Without support, things will only get worse. Therefore, finding support for families of addicts is a must. …

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Getting the Most out of a Ketamine IV Infusion

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Getting the most out of a Ketamine IV infusion

Participating in IV ketamine infusions is a big deal. You have been suffering for years while trying medications, therapy, and alternative treatments. No matter what you tried, nothing seemed to work. Now, you are learning that a ketamine IV infusion is a viable option for those who do not respond to traditional medicines and medicine combinations. Ketamine can be administered by a clinical psychiatrist or doctor specializing in mental health, in their office, with the assistance of a nurse. The drug can be given in three forms: A nasal spray Injection into a muscle and Intravenously (IV) IV ketamine is a preferred method by many. One reason may be that there are numerous ways to get the most out of a Ketamine IV infusion. What is a Ketamine IV Infusion? Receiving a drug intravenously means your doctor delivers ketamine directly into your veins. There are two types of intravenous techniques, …

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Embracing National Recovery Month in September

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Embracing National Recovery Month in September

Did you know that September is National Recovery Month? When you think about recovery from alcohol or drugs, your initial thoughts may be of millions of people and their families struggling with addiction’s physical and mental effects. Most conversations revolve around the signs, symptoms, treatment, and prevention. The Recovery Research Institute states there are tens of millions of people in recovery. They used results from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMSHA) National Survey on Drug Use and Health results to determine the exact numbers. What they found is remarkable. The representative sample who reported having a substance use disorder at some point in their lifetime was 11% or more than 27 million people. Nearly 75% or 20.5 million reported being in recovery during the survey. Another 30% of people with a substance use disorder were in recovery from a mental health disorder. What is the Meaning of Recovery? Debates …

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What is DBT Group Therapy?

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What is DBT group therapy?

Have you ever felt like you are too tired to go to work, yet you go and push through? Have you ever been happy for someone else and sad for yourself? Do you know how it feels to want to stop misusing alcohol or drugs and simultaneously want to feel intoxicated? Do you accept and love your body the way it is and want to lose weight? These statements are examples of dialectical thinking. But what is DBT, or dialectical behavioral therapy? And what is DBT Group Therapy? You can probably develop a long list of personal examples consisting of love and hate or want and don’t want scenarios. One researcher discovered that accepting yourself while seeking change benefits people with certain mental health disorders. Who Created DBT Therapy? In the 1980s, Dr. Marsha Linehan worked with clients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). She found it was …

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