This year the theme for Mental Health Awareness Month was “Back to Basics,” which makes me think about the basics of how we cope. Often times in treatment I hear the following statement, “I don’t know what to do, I have no coping skills.” Most people have coping skills but they are not aware of them, and often times we need to utilize them prior to hitting rock bottom.

Can you recall your first phone number? The sound of your first grade teacher’s voice? If not, give these questions some thought. Trudge through the recesses of your brain and try to remember. Now, whether you came up with answers or not is not important. I want you to notice where your gaze has been fixed while you were attempting to recall that information.

In last month’s post, we discussed the clinical presentation of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Complex-PTSD (C-PTSD). These carry a constellation of symptoms that can be a significant challenge to treat. One reason for this difficulty is that talk-therapy, and even “gold-standard” treatments (e.g. Cognitive Processing Therapy) rely on neocortical activity.

Many of us are aware of the diagnosis of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): this is a fear-based disorder stemming from the experience of an overwhelming stressor. Examples of stressors that may lead to a PTSD include single or discreet/time-limited-incidents such as combat, rape, or natural disasters.

Reiki is an energy healing technique that promotes relaxation and reduces anxiety through gentle touch or hands hovering above the body. The term comes from the Japanese words rei (universal) and ki (life force). When ki is flowing freely, the mind and body are in its most optimal and balanced state.

When thinking about the holiday season we think about togetherness, spending time with people we are close to, and seeing family members that we may not have seen for a long time. For some, this brings up feelings of joy and excitement, and for others it brings up sadness and stress.

Self-talk, the way in which we speak to ourselves. The way that we speak to ourselves is extremely important, it sets us up for the relationships that we enter, provides us with the basis for the treatment we allow in our lives, and impacts how we believe we deserve to be spoken to, and treated by others. Overall, our self-talk impacts our relationship with ourselves, and our relationships with others.

The world has been in a constant state of change, especially over the past couple years. At Alternative Options we put together a free Mental Health Toolkit designed to alleviate stress during these times. The worksheets and exercises offered here are an introduction to some things that can help manage your mental health, reduce symptoms, and boost overall well-being.

Returning back to school brings along a mix of emotions for many students. I don’t think any of us thought that kids would say that they missed school. The consensus has been that kids missed having face-to-face interactions.

I’ll pose a question: If you can’t identify how you feel or what you need, how can you expect others to meet those needs? You, yourself have to feel your feelings to even get to a place of knowing what you need to comfort those emotions. Once you are able to identify your emotions, you can begin to verbalize your needs to others.

Throughout the last year most of us have gone through many changes in our lives. With a lot of time spent at home away from our offices, classes, and gyms, we have learned to slow down. Because of our more sedentary lifestyle during Covid we may have seen our bodies change. These changes can affect our self-esteem and body image, influencing us to want to diet or causing emotional distress if we don't like what we are seeing in the mirror.

Before the pandemic seemed so far away, but now it is completely in our faces. This pandemic has affected people in so many different ways. We have either tested positive with COVID, or someone in our family has tested positive, or a close friend, or a co-worker. If it is not in your home, it is close to home.

So how are you feeling about this holiday season? How is it really going for you? How are your emotions? Are you feeling the holiday spirit? Are you feeling overwhelmed? Are you dealing with grief? How do you deal with all of these things?

Welcome back! Now we're gonna talk about the feedback I've gotten from the adolescents and the feedback I've gotten from the parents. We're going to see how sometimes we feel like we think we're from different planets, but a lot of times we want the same thing and just go about it differently. Let's see if we can get in sync and be able to read each other well enough to get what we want done.

2020 has been a hard year, for all of us. The pandemic and quarantine has been, and continues to be extremely difficult. When big changes occur, it can be hard to manage our emotions and cope. Symptoms of anxiety and depression can set in. Many of us may not have the tools to manage some of these difficult feelings, so today I would like to talk about mindfulness.

Typically what I do is assess clients with substance abuse problems, determine whether they're ready for treatment, or whether they need some sort of medical detox to get them stabilized enough to start treatment.

Today we're gonna talk about parenting. One of the most important jobs all of you have is being a parent. It's the most difficult job. It's the most challenging job, but we're going to figure out how to do it together. At Alternative Options we have what we call a parenting group.

Self-disclosure: I've never been a very patient person. When I set a goal, I delineate exactly what I need to do, create a timeline that is admittedly both too structured and a tad unrealistic, and I'm off! When I set my mind to something, I want it done. I like to check things off lists because it feels so satisfying and controlled-Can you relate?

Eating well… nourishing more than just our bodies.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the various roles that food plays in our lives. We know that food nourishes the body, it gives us vitamins and minerals to keep us healthy and provides us with energy. But food does much more.

Do you dread your iPhone giving you your screen time report every Sunday morning because you know you’ve been doom scrolling too much? Many mental health conditions are being triggered due to coronavirus and repeated incidents of racial violence being reported in the news. Now more than ever is a great time to practice good screen time habits.