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By PCG 0 Comments Uncategorized

Staying Sober During the Holidays

Between family gatherings, holiday parties, and shopping on top of living life going through recovery, staying sober during the holidays can be a challenging feat. However, it doesn’t have to be. Our Florida counseling professionals share tips on how to stay sober during the holiday season, as well as recognizing holiday triggers.

 

Tips for Staying Sober During the Holidays

  1. Plan ahead and be prepared for what any situation can bring.
  2. Choose which holiday events you attend with your sobriety in mind.
  3. Plan what you will do and say to implement a quick exit strategy.
  4. Have a non-alcoholic beverage in your hand when socializing.
  5. Always put your sobriety first.
  6. Recognize your triggers and know how to fight them.
  7. Spend time with people who support your sober lifestyle and your continuing recovery.
  8. Avoid being hungry, angry, lonely, and/or tired before parties and social hours.
  9. Continue to think everything through and think about how your decisions will affect you the next day.
  10. Absolutely do not drink and do not use controlled substances, regardless of what the situation calls for.

 

Substance Abuse and Holiday Stress

Although the holidays can be stressful and potentially dangerous for those who suffer from mental health issues, substance abuse doesn’t have to be the answer. Recognizing holiday triggers and learning how to fight and avoid them are crucial in the process of staying sober during the holidays.

If you are feeling stress, fatigue, financial burdens, or any other holiday triggers, remember to never succumb to the pressures during this season. Continue to practice self-care and how far you’ve come since being sober.

 

Our professionals at Counseling of Southwest Florida provide mental health services that can help you stay sober during the holidays. Contact us today if you or someone you love is in need of reputable Florida counseling.

By PCG 0 Comments Mental Health Care

How to Treat a Mental Health Disorder

How to Treat a Mental Health DisorderAny mental health disorder can come with symptoms that affect all aspects of one’s life and are truly debilitating. Approximately 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. experiences mental illness in a given year – this disease can affect anyone. Now, more than ever, it’s important to talk about the struggles that so many people face on a daily basis and how to overcome a mental health illness. Anxiety, depression, and bi-polar disorder are all diseases that can greatly impact a person, and cause them to self-medicate with unhealthy behaviors. Our Florida counseling center provides mental health services in Naples and we explain exactly how to treat any mental health illness so that individuals can break away from the pain and suffering.

 

Seek Professional Care

 

If you or someone you love is experiencing mental health struggles, it’s important to understand that there is a way out, and there are resources available to help you overcome the disease. By seeking professional help from a mental health facility, you will be able to successfully focus on your disorder and how to recover from it. During mental health care, patients work one on one with an experienced therapist to work through the struggles and find healthy ways to manage the symptoms. Through unique therapy methods, such as cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavioral therapy, patients get down to the root of their issues and combat negative thought patterns.

 

Every person will experience their own journey with mental illness, and the treatment provided should be customized to meet the needs of each individual. Every disorder requires a unique treatment plan that will be created by professional mental health therapists after a proper assessment is conducted. Through treatment, the mental illness will be controlled, and you will learn how to regain a healthy lifestyle without the discomfort from the symptoms.

 

If you are suffering from a mood disorder or are dealing with mental health struggles, we want you to know that this can be treated. Contact our Florida counseling center today to learn more about how we can help you overcome this disease.

 

 

 

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What is a Dual Diagnosis?

Individuals who struggle with a substance abuse disorder, as well as a mental health disorder at the same time, are diagnosed as having co-occurring disorders. This kind of disorder is also known as dual diagnosis. There are many factors that are considered before a patient is diagnosed with a co-occurring disorder. At our counseling center in Naples, we specialize in treatment programs that can effectively treat these kinds of disorders for all types of individuals.

A dual diagnosis can directly impact your everyday life; however, there are ways you can manage this disease to live happily again. It’s important to know the signs dual diagnosis.

Signs & Symptoms of a Co-Occurring Disorder

Signs and symptoms will always vary with mental health disorders, as each individual is unique. When combined with an addiction, these types of disorders will produce different effects. However, those who have been diagnosed with this type of disorder tend to have trouble managing their symptoms. These effects can be life-threatening without the proper care.

If you happen to be suffering from an addiction and notice that you are having trouble maintaining relationships, having difficulties fulfilling responsibilities at work or school, and turning to drugs and/or alcohol you may be suffering from a co-occurring disorder. When combined with substance abuse, depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems can produce debilitating effects. Experiencing extreme mood swings or suffering from constant panic attacks are signs of a co-occurring disorder if you are aware that you are also addicted to drugs or alcohol.

Other warning signs to look out for in a dual diagnosis are impulsive behavior, suicidal thoughts, and the inability to stop abusing drugs or alcohol in high-risk situations. This type of disorder can cause you to make poor decisions, as well as bring you on an emotional downward spiral.

The licensed professionals at Counseling of Southwest Florida can help you manage the symptoms of dual diagnosis. If you believe that you are suffering from a co-occurring disorder, contact our counseling center in Naples today.

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The Benefits of Individual Counseling

It is unfortunate how many people associated individual counseling with an illness. While it is often used to address mental illness or substance addiction, individual counseling offers many benefits to help people in all walks of life to cope with things like stress, family, emotions, and more.

Counseling of Southwest Florida offers highly specialized counseling services in Naples, Florida that cover a wide array of issues many people face. Our experienced team work 1 on 1 with men and women of all ages to help foster development and growth in many ways.

Our counselors have seen great success with individual counseling efforts. There are many benefits to our program, and our clients can learn the following:

  • Take Responsibility

Confronting your issues with honesty allows you the clarity to understand their complexities, which will ultimately allow you to take responsibility for your life and your actions. Whether you’re struggling with a gambling addiction, substance abuse, eating disorder, or relationship issues, our counselors provide a safe and comfortable environment for you to explore such issues and learn how to handle them.

  • Develop a fresh perspective

Individual therapy gives you the chance to explore conscious or subconscious habits, emotions, and behaviors that could be causing you harm, such as depression, anxiety, self-criticism, substance abuse, negative relationships, and more. Together your counselor can help you establish a fresh perspective to understand those behaviors that are not positively serving you.

  • Improve coping mechanisms

Working one on one with a counselor can help you learn positive coping mechanisms to deal with stresses of daily life. Improving coping mechanisms can lead to changes in all aspects of life including work, family, relationships, and health.

Therapy is not just for those with mental illness. Therapy is beneficial for everyone. Counseling of Southwest Florida offers individual therapy in Naples, centered around family, parenting, trauma focused, grief and loss, anger management and more. Call today to learn more.

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CVS Pharmacy Joins the Battle Against Painkiller Abuse

CVS Pharmacy is doing their part to help curb the nation’s opioid crisis. Starting in the new year, CVS is set to become the first pharmacy chain to restrict the amount of prescription painkillers it is willing to honor at a time, limiting patients to just a week’s supply. The change will go into effect as soon as February 1, 2018, reducing their customer supply from 18 days to just 7 days at a time. This change will take place at 9,700 locations across the United States.

In addition to the limited number of painkillers provided, pharmacists will also talk with customers about the risk of addiction as well as how to properly store and dispose of the medicine. Although the CDC believes most people who abuse prescription drugs receive them from a friend or family member, the aim of CVS’s new initiative is make the sharing of painkillers more difficult and easier to track.

By limiting the number of prescription pills that leave their stores, the nation-wide pharmacy is hoping to decrease the number of pills in circulation across the country. This isn’t the first time CVS has made changes in the interest of public health; in 2014 all chains stopped selling cigarettes as well. These changes are another effort among pharmacies, police, and politicians to fight back against the growing opioid crisis severely affecting many parts of the country, including south Florida.

With thousands of men and women falling victim to drug overdose across Florida, it’s important to find proper help before its too late. Counseling of Southwest Florida offers substance abuse treatment as well as mental health counseling for men and women in Naples, Florida.  Call us today to find help for yourself of a loved one.