How Does Teletherapy Work?
As our new normal continues to evolve, technology has made communicating and staying in touch with friends and family easier than ever. Through FaceTime and video conferencing, we can reach out to friends across the country or conference remotely with coworkers. This same technology and need to adapt have also had an effect on medicine, including psychiatry. You may have heard about “teletherapy” and are wondering what exactly it means, how it works, and what it looks like. We’ll explain what teletherapy is, what its benefits are, and answer questions you may have about this growing practice. What is Teletherapy? [...]
Tips to Prepare for a Telehealth Therapy Session
With the COVID-19 pandemic leading to business closures across the country, the mental health treatment industry has had to quickly adapt to continue providing clients with much-needed counseling and care. One way that the industry has responded is by offering “telehealth” therapy sessions. Teletherapy at High Focus Centers Telehealth utilizes HIPAA-secure video conferencing platforms to allow therapists and their clients to connect without having to meet in person. Telehealth mental health treatment has become instrumental in providing continuity of care during the coronavirus pandemic, and there are some useful things to keep in mind that will make your experience a [...]
What is Cognitive Defusion?
Cognitive defusion, also known as deliteralization, is a technique used in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people cope with uncomfortable or unhelpful thoughts and feelings. It is a useful technique for people with depression and anxiety, as uncomfortable and unhelpful thoughts and feelings are often a part of their experience. Cognitive defusion involves creating space between ourselves and our thoughts and feelings so that they have less of a hold over us. How Does Cognitive Defusion Work? To understand how cognitive defusion works, hold both of your hands about two inches in front of your face. All you can [...]
Life Skills You’ll Learn in Addiction Recovery
Going through substance abuse treatment and addiction recovery programs is more than just finding freedom from substances – it is a way in which you can completely turn your life around, reject the old lifestyle you once pursued and build recovery skills. These life skills are a key component to any recovery program as they provide you with the tools you need to get back into the world with a newfound strength, healthy goals and coping mechanisms that will sustain recovery for the long run. What are recovery skills? Recovery skills are introduced in substance abuse treatment as tools [...]
How to Find a Substance Abuse Treatment Program to Meet Your Needs
Deciding to enter an addiction treatment program is a huge step in your recovery. But beginning the process includes researching and finding a treatment program. If you've begun this process, you already know how overwhelming it can be with the number of available treatment centers in the US. Hopefully, to help minimize any stress you may feel, we've narrowed down a few things to keep in consideration – such as location, levels of care and accreditation – to help you find an effective program for drug or alcohol addiction. Not only will the best program provide you the best treatment, [...]
What Behaviors After Treatment Should Cause Concern?
If someone you know or love has received treatment for substance use, they have taken crucial steps toward recovery. However, even after seeking and receiving treatment, there is still the potential for relapse. For someone trying to overcome a substance use disorder, it’s important to know that relapse is not a sign of failure. The recovery process takes time and patience, and relapsing is actually more common than you might realize. However, if a relapse is severe, it can have serious (and potentially fatal) health consequences. If someone in your life has received treatment, it’s important to know signs of [...]
4 Things to Remember When Searching for a Therapist
If you are suffering from mental illness, searching for a therapist is an important step towards recovery and having a better life. However, finding a therapist can be a difficult and deeply personal task. You are trying to find a person with the right skills, training and personality to help you find mental health and wellness. This is not a process that should be rushed or done carelessly. While you might desire to see a resolve in your mental health now, it is important to remember that healing takes time, and the work you put in at the start – such [...]
What to Expect When Detoxing from Opioids
Choosing to undergo detox from opioids is a huge step in the journey of recovery. Not only does it take a great amount of mental stamina and determination, it takes courage. The detoxing process is a grueling one on the body. Because of the way opioids hijack the reward system in the brain, suddenly depriving the brain of those chemicals causes the body to undergo a form of shock. And while it's completely possible for the brain and body to recover, it is this recovery process that takes time and patience to undergo. Detoxing from opioids When detoxing from opioids, [...]
5 Things To Know About Psychological Testing
When you hear the word “testing,” what comes to mind? Perhaps it’s pencils, papers and lists of questions designed to measure how much you know about a subject. Beyond students and school, you might think of medical tests involving needles, imaging, and waiting for results. But what is “psychological testing,” and what does it mean if it’s been recommended for you? While it might seem scary or mysterious, testing is a typical part of a comprehensive psychological evaluation and is nothing to fear. Here are five things to know about psychological testing and its benefits: 1. The Goal Is Understanding [...]
What Can I Do to Support My Spouse in Addiction Treatment?
A drug or alcohol addiction can put immense strain on a relationship. If your spouse or significant other has recently started a treatment program, they have taken an important step towards recovery, but you may be wondering when the difficulties are going to end. While recovery and treatment are still challenging times for both of you, there are steps you can take to support your loved one in recovery that will help minimize the strain and provide a hopeful outlook during this time. What can I do to support my spouse in addiction recovery? Support is more than making [...]
The Dangers of Untreated Mental Illness
Millions of Americans suffer from mental illness every year. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) estimates that 43.8 million adults in the United States experience mental illness annually. Around 10 million people suffer from a mental illness that severely interferes with major life activities. Sadly, more than half of these mental illnesses go untreated, leaving adults and children unnecessarily suffering from symptoms. The reasons why people don’t seek treatment are vast. The stigma and shame around receiving treatment can keep people from getting help. Poverty or embarrassment can also keep someone from asking for assistance. It may be difficult [...]
Recovering From Substance Abuse and Recovering Your Identity as a Parent
Substance abuse is known to break apart families because of the emotional distress and lack of dependability that an addiction brings into the household. Taking steps towards recovery can help you heal as both an individual and as a parent. Allow the process of recovery to help you regain your life and relationships with the people who matter most. Substance Abuse Puts Children at Risk The children of drug and alcohol addicts face challenges even though they may not be actively engaged in substance abuse themselves. The shift of a parent’s attention from children to a substance such as alcohol [...]
