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Benefits of Yoga During Outpatient Treatment

Recovery from addiction is a lifelong process that can be made more accessible by incorporating regular exercise into your daily routine. Yoga is a great way to stay active and connect with your body and mind, especially when incorporated into an outpatient treatment regimen. With mindfulness, yoga helps people focus on their breathwork, which can help them remove negative thoughts or stressors that may trigger drug cravings. By creating structure in your day through attending regular classes or simply doing yoga at home, you are making an opportunity for yourself to practice being present in each moment so that you don’t feel overwhelmed by triggers during outpatient treatment.

What Is Yoga?

Yoga is a supplemental or adjunct health activity frequently seen as a natural remedy and does not replace traditional treatment. However, yoga is beneficial when combined with conventional outpatient treatment techniques. Yoga is used in treating substance use disorder (SUD) and during recovery to help avoid relapse and ease withdrawal symptoms and cravings.

Yoga and Mindfulness

Yoga and mindfulness are great ways to improve health, mentally and physically. It can help you connect with your thoughts and feelings, be in the present moment, and create structure and routine. Yoga is not just about stretching or exercise; it’s a form of mindfulness that can help sync the mind and body. Mindfulness is about being aware without judgment or criticism, thus allowing yourself to experience each moment without trying to change it.

When you’re mindful, you can focus on what’s happening around you instead of what you perceive as going wrong inside your head. You can learn more about this through yoga classes or practicing at home when doing simple poses when you become more mindful of the things around you instead of stressing over ideas of a future that may or may not happen. It is an especially helpful practice to help reduce anxiety and promote mental clarity when approaching stressful activities in outpatient treatment.

Being mindful both before and after receiving addiction treatment has many positive effects. Many overlook that addiction affects both the body and the psyche. For long-term sobriety, having a strong mindset and motivation can occasionally mean the world.

Mind-Body Connection

Another benefit of yoga is that it can help you learn to focus on the body, breath, and mind. This skill is an essential part of recovery because it helps people:

  • Focus on the present moment
  • Take care of themselves
  • Relax their bodies and minds
  • Get rid of negative thoughts and feelings

The mind and body share a connection. Most people don’t feel worse after doing yoga. That’s because practicing yoga alters the chemistry of the body. By releasing tension in such locations, you help the energy of life flow. This makes you feel better, and when you feel better, your mind is relaxed.

The mind-body connection plays such a key role in outpatient treatment. It includes a whole-person perspective to comprehend each person’s issues and what they require for overall wellness. Incorporating yoga into your treatment program and connecting your mind and body will help you stay calm and focused. It will help you stay connected to your purpose and stay focused and relaxed as you work toward recovery.

Being Present

Yoga allows people in recovery to practice being in the present moment. Yoga is another form of meditation that allows you to move your body at will. This can help improve the quality of your sleep, which will help you feel more energized during the day. Yoga also teaches people to be mindful and aware of their thoughts or feelings. It’s important for people in recovery because they need to learn to be mindful so they don’t relapse into addiction again. It will also help you identify triggers that occur because of a certain thought or occurrence. This is vital to being able to identify and overcome triggers.

Structure and Routine

A regular yoga class helps create structure and routine. It can be a great way to add structure to your day, which is important when you’re in outpatient treatment. Yoga classes are often held at the same time each week, allowing you to anticipate when they will happen and plan accordingly. As a bonus, it gives you something more interesting than sitting in bed all day.

Yoga can also help build a routine that includes exercise as part of your life outside of treatment. Many people find yoga an easy way to stay active even after leaving the clinic because it doesn’t require special equipment or gym memberships—just some floor space and possibly 1-2 blocks depending on the pose.

Helps Process Emotions

Yoga is a great way to manage stress, cravings, and anxiety, and it can be used as an outlet for anger management and depression. All these things can be overwhelming for someone recovering from SUD, so yoga helps them learn how to process these emotions positively rather than using drugs or alcohol.

Yoga also teaches individuals how to connect with their body through movement and breathing, which helps them understand what is going on inside their minds without needing substances to feel better about themselves or the world around them.

Yoga can be a great way to improve health, mentally and physically. The mind-body connection also allows clients in outpatient treatment to connect with their thoughts and feelings. At Excel Treatment Center, we want you to be as successful as possible in your treatment program and recovery. We utilize the benefits of yoga to allow people in treatment to practice being in the present moment while teaching them how to process emotions and cope with stressors like anxiety or depression. Regular exercise is important during recovery to help individuals stay healthy and maintain structure, and yoga is one way that can help you as part of your outpatient treatment plan. If you or someone you know is struggling to manage a mental health or substance use disorder, please reach out for help today. To learn more about our programs, call us at (833) 883-9235.

Author Stephanie Maitner Categories Uncategorized

EMDR Therapy to Help Treat Trauma

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an effective form of psychotherapy that has been found to be very helpful in managing the challenges faced by individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). EMDR therapy helps speed up the way one’s brain processes information. It also helps relieve some symptoms of PTSD, such as negative beliefs about oneself, and reduces stress levels associated with trauma triggers.

What Is EMDR Therapy?

EMDR therapy is an effective therapy that will help individuals get to the root of and manage trauma. It’s been shown to be especially helpful for people who have experienced abuse or trauma, such as:

  • Sexual assault
  • Domestic violence
  • Physical or emotional abuse by a family member or loved one
  • Car accidents
  • Violent crimes

Francine Shapiro developed the EMDR technique in 1987 after she observed how her clients with PTSD became calmer when their eyes moved back and forth across a therapist’s office wall.

The basic premise is that your brain stores memories in two separate ways:

  • Emotionally charged images like those from a traumatic event
  • Facts about what happened, before or afterward

When re-experiencing painful emotions from past events, you may be able to think about them more objectively if these two forms of memory can come together as one narrative. For example: “I’m remembering how scared I was during the fire at my house.”

How It Works

EMDR stands for eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy. It consists of eight phases that include the following components:

  • Cognitive processing: This phase involves identifying and processing negative beliefs or thoughts that have been formed as a result of experiencing trauma. The client may also be asked to write about how these beliefs cause them to feel uncomfortable, anxious, or depressed.
  • Body sensory integration: This phase involves tapping into the sensations associated with the trauma to replace them with other experiences such as relaxation or calmness. For example, clients may be asked to link their traumatic memories with pleasant ones in order to alter their negative feelings about themselves.
  • Stimulation phase: In this stage, therapists use stimuli such as tones that are paired with each traumatic memory until it becomes neutralized through repetition over time.

The therapist will guide you through eye movements designed to help you process painful memories or feelings by focusing on the present. By doing so, EMDR therapy helps you understand and remember what happened during a traumatic event without feeling overwhelmed or emotionally dysregulated. This technique also involves recalling positive experiences that occurred before and after the trauma, which helps reaffirm that your life is still fulfilling and meaningful despite what happened during your traumatic experience.

IS EMDR Right for You?

Since trauma can be difficult for many people to talk about, EMDR therapy may be helpful for those who have difficulty opening up about their past experiences or who find themselves unable to confront certain memories of abuse head-on. In addition, EMDR therapy has been shown to reduce pain responses in clients experiencing chronic pain syndromes such as fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) with minimal adverse effects compared to antidepressants.

Helps With Focus

EMDR therapy is a treatment that uses eye movements to help you process painful memories. It’s the same idea behind eye exercises for vision problems: by focusing on one thing, like an object or a letter, your brain can zero in on what it’s supposed to be doing. In this case, EMDR therapy uses eye movements to help you process your trauma and move on with your life.

Manage Anxiety and Depression

If you’re struggling with anxiety or depression after surviving a trauma like experiencing sexual assault, EMDR therapy can help. This short-term approach helps clients break through barriers and heal from past events by working directly with the mind instead of just talking about them repeatedly without any progress toward healing.

Discover the Root of Trauma

When individuals are treated with EMDR therapy, they can get to the root of their trauma and learn how to manage it. This is helpful because when people are discharged from treatment, they will still be able to manage their symptoms on their own.

Getting Help Today

Here at Excel Treatment Center, we take the time to talk to you to learn about your struggles and learn the best way to treat you. We come up with a treatment plan that will help you be successful. You will work with a team of mental health professionals that will create a specific plan tailored to you. This may include EMDR therapy to help you in your recovery.

EMDR is an emerging therapy that can help you deal with trauma and the root of your trauma. At Excel Treatment Center, we understand that symptoms related to PTSD and other types of trauma can take a toll on your life. With the help of EMDR, we will work together to help you overcome your trauma. Our trained staff and professionals are here to guide you through this process so you can regain control of your life and live up to your greatest success. Remember, you don’t have to face these battles alone, and we can provide the help you need. If you or someone you love is struggling and have not considered EMDR therapy, please reach out so we can assist you in your journey. To find out more information about our programs, contact us today by calling (833) 883-9235.

Author Stephanie Maitner Categories Uncategorized

Navigating Treatment While in School

Getting treatment can be difficult if you are in college and have a mental health or addiction disorder. There are many things to consider when seeking help for a mental health or addiction disorder. You may wonder how it will affect your schoolwork. What treatment programs will help you manage your needs and attend school? You might wonder if you should drop out of school temporarily or permanently. Knowing the answers to these questions will help you make the best decision for yourself and your future.

Addressing the Issue

If you are struggling with a mental health or addiction disorder, then you will want to address the issue as quickly as possible. Don’t wait until things get bad to seek professional help.

The right treatment will help you create a healthy environment for yourself and others. It also helps you be upfront about your situation with everyone involved. Reaching out to friends, family, and peers can create a support network to ensure that your well-being comes first. Therefore, when you need more support, you will have the resources to help with challenges navigating school and treatment.

How Long Will Treatment Last?

The length of your treatment program can vary based on the severity of your mental health or addiction disorder. For example, if you have an alcohol problem and struggle with depression simultaneously, it may take a more involved treatment to address these co-occurring disorders.

Consider choosing a treatment center that offers transitional living options so that once treatment is complete, there will be somewhere safe for you to live while you adjust back into society.

Having a Conversation With Professors

If you have a mental illness or addiction disorder and are concerned about how your treatment may affect your academic performance, it might be helpful to talk with your professors. Let them know that you are going through treatment. Of course, you only need to tell them what you’re comfortable telling them. Sometimes, letting your professor know can allow for more flexibility with deadlines and attendance. They may also be able to provide guidance for campus resources, such as group meetings for students managing addiction and mental health disorders.

Setting Goals

Creating goals is a great approach to keeping you structured, motivated, and accountable. Some things to remember when setting goals include:

  • Set goals that are realistic
  • Smaller achievable goals help you realize the larger goals
  • Set goals that help lend structure
  • Share your goals with a trusted friend or family member to stay accountable and motivated

Manage Your Schedule

You should also avoid scheduling classes on days where you have appointments that cannot be moved, such as group or individual therapy sessions or medical check-ups. If you can’t get your professors to change the time of your classes, consider looking for another class scheduled during a time that works for you. You might also want to ask if there are any accommodations available so that you can keep pace or catch up on missed work.

Taking Time Off

Taking a semester off from your studies may allow you time to get back on track with medication and therapy so that when it comes time for college, your symptoms won’t be as severe as they were before taking this break. Taking an extra year after high school could allow you more time to figure out what options would work best for you. Sometimes, having such serious issues makes it difficult for someone who isn’t suffering from these same problems to understand what needs to be done. You can use this time to:

  • Consult a professional
  • Find an appropriate diagnosis and treatment
  • Educate those around you about what you are experiencing

Recovery Is Possible

It’s important to remember that recovery is possible even while attending college or university. The first step on the road to recovery is accepting that you have a problem and reaching out for support. It’s also important to have a plan. Such plans might include anything from joining an addiction treatment program to changing your diet and exercising. Having a backup plan will also help you stay motivated when temptations arise during stressful times in your life. For example, while studying for exams or working multiple jobs.

Regardless of how challenging life may become, it’s critical that you remain flexible with yourself and others around you so as not to lose sight of what matters most. What matters most is maintaining your health throughout this process. Your honesty about where things stand today will help you find a treatment plan that is right for you.

In order to ensure you have a successful college experience, it is important to stay organized and know your limits. This requires working toward your goals one day at a time. At Excel Treatment Center, we understand that there are always steps you can take when things get tough. We can help guide you through the process, helping you develop tools to navigate treatment and recovery and help you determine if your school has resources available for students managing a mental health or addiction disorder. We will also help you establish a healthy support network of friends, family, and peers that will keep you motivated and accountable. If you or a loved one needs help, don’t wait; reach out for help today. To learn more about our evidence-based programs, please contact Excel Treatment Center today by calling us at (833) 883-9235. 

Author Stephanie Maitner Categories Uncategorized

Can I Keep My Job and Go to Day Treatment?

Realizing that you might need treatment for your addiction is a huge step in the right direction. However, many fear their life will change when they take that first step, including potentially losing their job. This is a valid concern; however, at Excel Treatment Center, we want you to know that you have options.

If you are searching for addiction treatment and fear losing your job while attending an inpatient program, there are day treatment options that may fit better for your schedule; these are also called outpatient treatment programs. Here at Excel Treatment Center, we offer various outpatient services.

The Benefits of an Outpatient Program

Day treatment offers a convenient, cost-effective way for many people to get the care they need in a safe environment with minimal disruption to their lives. A day program can also offer an easier transition between work and therapy than residential treatment, which typically involves a 24-hour commitment with no outside responsibilities like work or family obligations to distract from recovery efforts.

An inpatient program might be too much of a time commitment for some people who are searching for treatment options. An outpatient program offers many things that inpatient programs don’t provide. With outpatient care, you can carry on with your regular activities, live in your own home, and visit the treatment facility on a regular basis. This allows people to keep their jobs and maintain active treatment and sobriety.

Different Types of Day Programs

There are multiple different types of day programs people can attend. Choosing a day program that fits your needs can ensure success.

Partial Hospitalization

Partial hospitalization programs (PHP) are programs that work well for people struggling with co-occurring disorders. This type of program ensures you can still take care of daily responsibilities while receiving the level of care you need. In PHP, you will live at home and travel to and from a treatment facility for the program. Most PHPs are approximately six hours a day for five days a week.

Intensive Outpatient

Intensive outpatient programs (IOP) are an excellent option for those who are in the thick of their addiction and need a lot of support. The integrated approach of intensive outpatient programs may benefit clients who need a structured treatment plan to conquer addiction. Programs for intensive outpatient care are created to help people obtain intensive outpatient therapy with the least amount of disruption to their daily life possible.

The goal of intensive outpatient programs is to allow clients to continue managing other aspects of their lives, such as their jobs or studies, while also attending sessions at the facility on their own time. Clients are encouraged to come into the clinic about six days a week. During the week, it is recommended to spend between six and thirty hours attending treatment at the facility.

Outpatient Programs

Outpatient programs are a great option for those who don’t need round-the-clock support for their addiction but still need some support. This program supports clients’ reintegration into society and supports them in leading fulfilling lives. You will learn, with help, how to overcome life’s challenges if you remain actively involved in the therapy process while still taking care of your daily obligations.

With the potential to create enduring relationships that support people in holding one other accountable for their recovery goals, outpatient programs establish a favorable climate for shrewd encounters. You will develop lifelong friends and relationships through outpatient programs.

Day Treatment vs. Inpatient Treatment

Day treatment options might be better for some people than an inpatient program because it allows more flexibility and might allow you to continue working while attending treatment. Although it may seem impossible to continue working while attending day treatment, there are many ways that you can go to treatment and still maintain employment.

Attending Treatment Before Work

You can attend day treatment before work each morning. This allows the treatment professional in charge of your care at the facility to make sure that your needs are being met, and it also allows them time with you when they would otherwise not be able to meet with clients in person, such as after hours.

Attending Treatment in the Afternoon

Another option for attending day treatment while maintaining a job is to attend sessions in the afternoon instead of staying until closing time at work every night. This will allow you to maintain employment while working on your recovery.

Protections for Treatment

Anti-discrimination laws protect you from losing your job if you need to attend treatment. The following laws, when applied correctly, can ensure you maintain employment while finding help for your substance abuse or mental health needs:

  • Family Medical Leave of Absence Act (FMLA): Under FMLA law, you are entitled to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected medical leave. Under this law, substance use disorder (SUD) and mental health disorders are considered serious health conditions.
  • Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA): SUD and mental health disorders are considered disabilities. This means your job is protected under anti-discrimination protections. Companies with 15 or more employees are bound by ADA.
  • Mental Health Parity and Addictions Equity Act (MHPAEA): This law protects your right to access treatment with insurance provided by your job. Under MHPAEA, group health plans cannot provide fewer benefits for addiction and mental health treatment.

Professionals at a treatment facility can help you learn more about your job protections in treatment and assist you with taking leave or creating a treatment plan that allows you to continue treatment while working.

Many people fear seeking treatment for substance use disorder (SUD) due to employment. Luckily, day programs exist. Day programs allow you to live at home while attending treatment. With day treatment, you can continue to work while receiving care for SUD. At Excel Treatment Center, we offer three different day treatment options: partial hospitalization programs (PHP), intensive outpatient programs (IOP), and outpatient programs. Our team of professionals recognizes that every individual has a unique situation. We can help you create a treatment plan that fits your goals and needs and helps you succeed in a life free from substances. With our outstanding clinical services, psychiatric treatment options, and family support choices, our goal is to help you excel in life. For more information on Excel Treatment Center’s day treatment options or to learn more about how you can continue to work while receiving addiction treatment, call (833) 883-9235. 

Author Stephanie Maitner Categories Uncategorized

How Can I Support a Loved One Struggling With Addiction?

Addiction not only affects those struggling with the addiction but also affects the friends and family around them. It can be just as challenging to support them as it is to watch them in active addiction. Learning to create a loving, supportive space without enabling can be difficult, but it is crucial to develop this space to help your loved ones through their recovery.

What are some things that you can do to help those struggling with addiction? How can you create successful boundaries while allowing them to feel loved and supported? Here are some ways to support your loved ones as they fight against their addiction.

Educate Yourself

The best way to support someone through their addiction is to educate yourself on the type of addiction your loved one is battling. Suppose they are struggling with opioids; this could be a good opportunity to research opioid addictions. Learn about the symptoms and what the recovery would look like. Research treatment options and what they will go through as they start their recovery. The more you learn, the better you will understand what they are going through, and the more you can assist your loved one.

It isn’t easy to help someone when you know nothing about what they are dealing with. Although you won’t know what they are going through as you are not experiencing what they are, you can learn about addiction to better serve them. Your loved one will feel more comfortable and appreciative when you take the time to learn about what they are going through and how to help them.

Compassion and Patience

Showing compassion to your loved one while facing one of life’s biggest battles is probably the most important thing you can do for them. They are already going through so much, and having love and compassion next to them will help far more than judgment will.

With compassion comes patience. This is a long journey, and there will be setbacks. They are going to have many hard days. Don’t expect immediate change from them as they navigate their new life without the use of substances. Recovery will not be an overnight change; as you practice patience, they will feel supported.

Don’t Enable

Love and support are extremely important to ensure your actions don’t turn into enabling behaviors. There is a difference between support and enabling; you want to ensure you don’t cross that line into enabling your loved one.

Along with not enabling their behaviors, it is essential not to fall into their manipulation. Some people struggling with addiction can’t control their behaviors, and ensuring that you don’t fall into their manipulation tactics will help create boundaries that will support their recovery and not enable them.

Get Involved

If your loved one is entering treatment, visiting the facility with them can help them feel supported. Going to 12-Step meetings with them can also help. Communicating with them to understand what they need and how to be involved will benefit them. Showing them that you are interested in their recovery will help them feel safe and supported.

Seek Counseling or Therapy

As a loved one of someone struggling with addiction, you are going through something. You are facing something that needs to be talked about. Guidance and support from a mental health professional will help you feel supported and make sure you are creating healthy boundaries as your loved one goes through this battle. It is just as important to take care of your mental health so you can be the best support system for your loved one.

What to Expect

Knowing what to expect when a loved one enters treatment can help you to support them. You may feel an array of emotions as your loved one starts this journey to recovery.

You might be glad your loved one is finally getting help and feel the comfort that they are making a good, safe choice. You may worry about the well-being of your loved one. You might feel resentment that your loved one has placed this burden on you for a long time. You might feel sad that this is part of your story and the story of your loved one. You might feel shame that addiction has infiltrated your life.

All of these feelings are valid and real. You are allowed to feel whatever emotions come to you during this trying time. Don’t try to stuff them down. Allow yourself to feel them. Talking with a therapist might help you manage all of these emotions.

Watching a loved one battle addiction can be very scary, and if they make the decision to enter treatment, it can be even scarier. Learning to support your loved one during this trying time can be the difference between keeping a healthy relationship with your loved one or losing that relationship. Take time to care for yourself so you can be the best version of yourself to support your loved one through their journey. Here at Excel Treatment Center, we want to help you be involved in your loved one’s recovery. We want to support you just as much as we support your loved one; you and your well-being are just as important. The client and the family can both benefit from family support and participation in the addiction recovery process. Call Excel Treatment Center at (833) 883-9235 to learn how we can support you and your loved one.

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