Common Mental Health Disorders that Co-Occur with Eating Disorders
Some people experience the symptoms of an eating disorder and other mental health disorders at the same time. For example, you might have the lack of energy and sadness common with depression while also severely restricting your food intake. So which mental health disorder should you be diagnosed with - depression or an eating disorder? In many cases, you’ll actually be diagnosed with both. These two conditions are called co-occurring disorders since they happen at the same time. How Common Are Co-Occurring Disorders? Co-occurring mental health and eating disorders are more common than you might think. According to a 2015 [...]
The Relationship Between Depression and Anxiety
Depression and anxiety are two of the most common mental health conditions. In the year 2017, there were 264 million people living with depression and 284 million living with anxiety disorders globally. There are distinct symptoms for each of these conditions, but there is also a link between them. Here we provide an overview of the symptoms of depression and anxiety, and how they influence each other. Symptoms of Depression Depression is a serious mental health disorder marked by these symptoms: Losing interest in activities that you used to enjoy Feeling sad most of the time Feeling worthless or guilty [...]
Trauma & Anxiety Coping Skills: Tip of the Day
Christine Pancurak, LSW and Lead Trauma Clinician on the Adult Psychiatric Team at High Focus Centers in Freehold, NJ, demonstrates a common technique used to reduce feelings of anxiety and negative bodily sensations called ABS or Alternative Bilateral Stimulation. Follow Christine as she moves her hands rhythmically in an alternating left-right pattern that allows the logical and emotional sides of the brain to communicate. This simple, 5 minute exercise is most effective when used at the onset of anxious feelings to prevent escalation and can be repeated as many times as needed.
Trauma Recovery: 6 Ways Your Body Can Be an Ally
Written by Gwen Blumberg Islam, LSW, Clinician for High Focus Centers in Paramus Often after experiencing trauma, the body can start to feel disconnected or even like the enemy, and reconnecting to it can be a scary thing to consider. There was likely a time when being in your body was a painful place to be, and it might have seemed safer, and even necessary, to disconnect from it. There’s a good chance your body might still experience pain or discomfort as a result of past trauma, and it’s only natural to have an initial urge to avoid that. However, [...]
How to Overcome Health Anxiety: 3 Helpful Tips
Health anxiety is an obsessive and often irrational worry about suffering from serious medical conditions. It is more formally known as illness anxiety, and used to be known as hypochondriasis. Someone who suffers from health anxiety will obsess over their health: from their normal body functions to contracting illnesses and diseases. They may frequently visit their physician or spend large amounts of time reading about their symptoms and possible conditions. In severe cases, health anxiety can become disruptive to a person’s life. It can interfere with their daily activities, hurt their work performance, and even cause strain in relationships. Fortunately, [...]
Focus on: Reducing Stress via Guided Visualization
Danielle Minkin, Licensed Professional Counselor and Board Certified Registered Art Therapist for High Focus Centers in New Jersey, shares a guided visualization reading - a powerful tool used to help reduce stress, relieve tension and strengthen the immune system by allowing the imagination to relax. Settle into a quiet, comfortable spot, close your eyes and breath deeply while Danielle's soothing voice transports you to a calm, peaceful place of your imagination. Engage your senses and explore soothing sounds, sights and smells that you can return to anytime you feel anxiety, stress or uncertainty.
Insights On: Safety Planning
Dr. Kai-ping Wang, Chief Medical Officer of High Focus Centers, identifies and defines Safety Planning as an important facet of mental health care often used to mitigate suicidal thoughts, substance abuse, symptoms of eating disorders, explosive anger or any intense emotions that could lead an individual to partake in unhealthy or dangerous behavior as a result of compromised judgment or reasoning ability. Best developed under the guidance of a qualified medical professional such as a therapist or counselor, Safety Planning includes 6 distinct steps from identifying triggers to seeking a safe environment to contacting professionals that an individual can practice [...]
Creating a Self-Soothing Kit: Tip of the Day
Michael Fenimore, LPC, an adult psychiatric clinician at High Focus Centers in Freehold, New Jersey, discusses self-soothing as a coping skill during times of stress. Learn how to create a “self-soothing kit” for yourself that engages all five senses and can be a calming resource when you experience feelings of distress or vulnerable moments in your life.
Focus On: Quarantine and Regression in Children
Dr. Navjot Khinda, Psychiatric Director of High Focus Centers in Paramus, New Jersey, discusses the effects that quarantine can have on children’s behavior. A child – of any age – may be experiencing regression if you notice sudden changes in their behavior. Temper tantrums, defiance, or avoiding responsibility are all signs that a child could be struggling with stress or anxiety. Children are very sensitive to changes in their environment. Especially now, as we are practicing social distancing and quarantine, children’s schedules have been significantly disrupted. This can lead to increased feelings of helplessness and anxiety. Learn how to reduce [...]
6 Calming Gifts for Someone With Anxiety
Understanding anxiety can be difficult if you don’t experience it often or intensely or even at all. Because anxiety manifests in different ways, trying to support someone whose life is impacted by anxiety can be a challenge. One way in which you can support a loved one battling anxiety is through gift-giving. There are plenty of gift ideas that can both show your support for your loved one as well as provide them with a tool they can use in times of intense stress to help relax their minds and recenter themselves. Calming gifts for anxiety Whether you're looking [...]
What is the Relationship Between Mental Illness and Substance Use
Whether you have experienced it in your own life, or have witnessed it happen in the life of a loved one, you may have noticed that some people who battle a mental illness of some kind also struggle with substance abuse; or vice versa – someone diagnosed with substance abuse struggles with some form of a mental health disorder. While not everyone will be affected by it, individuals who battle substance abuse or a mental illness are occasionally diagnosed with what is called either a co-occurring disorder or a dual diagnosis. This is often a result of the way [...]
What Is A Co-Occurring Disorder?
Overcoming a substance use disorder or mental illness is challenging – overcoming both at the same time is an even more difficult feat. Difficult, but not impossible. Some people seeking treatment for a substance use disorder (SUD) or mental illness are often diagnosed with a co-occurring disease, an SUD and a mental health condition like depression, anxiety or PTSD. While these diagnoses present unique challenges in recovery, the right treatment program can help you manage both sets of symptoms and recover from both disorders simultaneously. Examples of co-occurring disorders Co-occurring disorders, sometimes known as dual diagnosis, co-occur, sometimes as a direct [...]