mental health Archives - Center for Holistic Medicine

The Purpose of Pain and Chaos

Can I please have some more pain and chaos?” Said nobody ever—but the truth is, any area of pain or chaos we may be experiencing is an attempt to alert us to what we need to change.

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It’s been one year since the pandemic first began, and for many people, it has been a year of isolation, loneliness and grief. The experience has been especially hard on those who live alone, leading to increased feelings of depression, anxiety and hopelessness.

Although vaccines are on the horizon, for now, the CDC is still recommending that people avoid close contact with others, except when both parties have been vaccinated, meaning that many people could continue to be dealing with the mental health ramifications of Covid for months to come.

Isroel Feiler, a therapist at the Center for Holistic Medicine, says often, when people start experiencing anxiety and depression, they don’t know how to feel better. “The solution becomes more difficult because they can’t even think straight,” he says.

Carol Gore, LCSW, a therapist at the Center for Holistic Medicine, says one of the most important things to realize when it comes to mental health is that it’s usually not going to get better on its own. You have to actually do something different if you want to feel different.

“Doing something different is difficult. But taking one little behavioral step to do something different can be freeing,” she says. “People tend to think globally and catastrophically, but just taking the next small step can become empowering because it’s doable.”

So if you’re struggling with anxiety and depression due to the pandemic, here are 10 steps you can try:

Make Phone Calls
“One of the antidotes to mental health issues is connecting with other people,” says Isroel Feiler, a mental health counselor at the Center for Holistic Medicine. That’s why it’s important to reach out to friends and family members and be honest about how you’re feeling. “Don’t try to conquer this yourself,” he says.
Talk With a Therapist
If you’re experiencing anxiety and depression for the first time, it may seem scary and unfamiliar to reach out to a therapist. But having a loving, compassionate person who can listen to your struggles can make a world of difference. “A therapist is another human being who understands the situation and can help you think through your own thoughts,” Feiler says. And often, just by verbalizing your own thoughts, you are able to get some perspective on them.
Meet Up with Friends
Although we still need to be cautious around others, that doesn’t mean we have to be alone all of the time. Soula Souflakis, LCPC, a therapist at the Center for Holistic Medicine, says it’s important to get creative to find ways to connect with others. “The CDC encourages us to social distance. It does not say to emotionally distance yourself,” she says. “Individuals can still do drive-bys, for example, or go for walks, or FaceTime with loved ones. Social distancing does not mean socially isolating yourself.”
Practice Breathing
If you’re struggling with racing thoughts, one of the easiest ways to feel more centered is to practice breathing techniques or meditation. Carol Gore teaches a breathing technique which involves having the individual focus on the space in between their nostrils, gently inhaling and feeling the cool air, then gently exhaling feeling the warmer air. “Repeating this breathing cycle for a very brief period of time is manageable and also effective,” she says. “I have them rank their stress level prior to the breathing and then after, as it gives them feedback as to whether or not the exercise helps them.”

Souflakis suggests trying slow, diaphragmatic breathing, which sends a direct neural pathway into the brain telling it to slow down. “Your fight, flight, and freeze response is not as stimulated when your breathing is controlled,” she says.
Have Fun
Feiler says often people think that if they can’t have life exactly the way they planned it, then they can’t be happy. But he says when you can learn to experience joy in the moment – by being silly, eating ice cream or listening to your favorite song — your entire outlook can shift. “Small happiness is also happiness,” he says.

Carol Gore agrees. “Three times a day, do something that’s uplifting: call a friend, bake banana bread, play outside. Whatever feels good,” she says.
Go Outside
You might not think that taking a walk outside would do much to relieve anxiety and depression, but Feiler says a little fresh air can do wonders. “It’s important that we connect with nature. Nature is alive and the world is alive, and when we connect with that, it helps,” he says.
Connect With Your Spiritual Side
Carol Gore says connecting to your spiritual beliefs will also help you feel more grounded and less anxious and depressed. “I recommend that people pray. If you have a connection to God or the universe or the divine, practice talking to God in your own words,” she says.

You can also attend either in-person or virtual meetings of religious organizations, or you can take part in the Center for Holistic Medicine’s virtual discussion group, held every other Tuesday, where Dr. Jerry Gore, MD, clinical director of the Center for Holistic Medicine, talks with the participants about personal prayer techniques and finding your purpose in life.

Dr. Gore can also talk with you about your spiritual practices during individual sessions as well, including discussing breathing and meditation techniques and how to apply philosophies of spiritual traditions to your life.
Limit How Much You Watch the News
“Whatever you put into your brain is what you’re going to get out,” Feiler says. “So if you watch the news and put in fear and anxiety, you’re going to get back fear and anxiety.”

Carol Gore agrees. “If someone turns on the news, that’s going to heighten the fear. And if they watch it all day long, it makes it worse,” she says.
Think Positive Thoughts
“Another thing I suggest is positive self-talk,” says Carol Gore. “Just check in with yourself, notice your worried and negative thoughts, and work on replacing those with more positive thoughts.”
Schedule Self-Care
Carol Gore says if you want to start feeling better, you have to make a concerted effort to make some of these changes, and one of the best ways is to pick a few of the actions mentioned above and put them into your schedule. For example, you can set a timer on your phone to practice breathing three times a day, or you can schedule five minutes of joy a day, or set up a plan to go on a walk with a friend every week. “Actively build into your life a structure for uplifting your feelings,” she says.

If you’ve been lying awake at night racked with anxiety – worrying about everything from when life will get back to “normal” to loss of income or fear about your health or the health of your family members – you’re not alone.

In fact, a recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that 45% of adults reported that their mental health has been negatively impacted by the ongoing pandemic. And experts warn that, if untreated, these widespread mental health issues may lead to more substance abuse and even suicide.

Luckily, there are lots of ways that you can manage your anxiety and depression, even when we are still social distancing from one another.

We spoke with Soula Souflakis, LCPC, a counselor at the Center for Holistic Medicine, about things people can do to reduce anxiety and stay happy and sane while they shelter-at-home.

Connect With Others
Souflakis says one of the most important things you can do to prevent anxiety and depression during the pandemic is to stay in touch with people. This is especially true for people who live alone, but also important for people who are quarantined with just a few family members.

“It’s very easy to get comfortable with this pattern of self-isolation and social withdrawal, especially when we are given orders to distance ourselves. However, our need for social contact very much resembles brain patterns found in hunger for food. We cannot ignore them,” Souflakis says. “Social isolation does not equate to being alone.”

But in order to follow the CDC’s recommendations about social distancing, Souflakis says you might need to get creative about how you connect with others. For example, you could try scheduling Zoom or FaceTime sessions with family and friends, driving by people’s homes to talk to them from a distance or engaging in birthday parades if invited. Saying hello to your neighbors across the street can help too!
Talk to a Therapist
One of the great things about the Covid-19 pandemic is that most insurance companies are now approving telehealth appointments with therapists, meaning that you don’t need to even leave your house to get mental health support. “If you are having trouble concentrating, making decisions, feeling anxious, depressed, angry, irritable, crying easily, having trouble sleeping or sleeping too much, please seek help if these symptoms are affecting your ability to function in your daily life,” Souflakis says. Make an appointment with one of our behavioral therapists.
Practice Mindfulness
Another way to stay grounded and avoid dwelling on the future is to practice mindfulness. “Being mindful acts as a significant way to decrease the experience of anticipatory anxiety. Focusing on the present can be a powerful antidote to anxiety. When we are fully in the present moment, anxiety does not exist. Anxiety requires worry about an unknown outcome, which can only be about the future. Future-oriented fear can hijack our minds,” Souflakis says.

To practice mindfulness, all you have to do is focus on the present. You can do it while you are active – such as while you are walking or cleaning the dishes – or while you are sitting still. Either way, the goal is to be conscious of how your body is feeling in the moment without letting your mind wander into the future. Listen to the noises you hear, the sensations in your body. Try it for 5 to 10 minutes at a time to get you started.
Practice Breathing
Breathing techniques are also helpful in relieving anxiety and getting us back into the present. “When we focus on our breathing, the goal and task is to concentrate on each individual breath as it comes, not on our previous breath and not our next breath,” Souflakis says. “Therefore, deep breathing helps us gain control of what our bodies are doing, instead of focusing on what we cannot control.”

Here are some breathing techniques you can try.
Limit Your Time Spent Listening To or Watching the News
Watching the news may seem very important right now, given all of the uncertainty in the world, but in fact, consuming too much news may be hurting your mental health. “When we spend a lot of time on media consumption, this creates overwhelming feelings of overload, stress and most of all confusion and ambiguity,” Souflakis says.

So how much is too much? Aditi Nerurkar, MD, MPH, an integrative medicine physician at Harvard Medical School, says you should limit yourself to one hour of news consumption a day, but not all at one sitting.
Practice Gratitude
With so many negative things happening in the world, it can seem hard to focus on gratitude, but Souflakis says taking the time to think about what you’re grateful for can have a big impact on your mental health. “Gratitude not only uplifts our moods, but it releases neurotransmitters associated with enhanced well-being, like serotonin and dopamine,” she says.

For example, Souflakis suggests trying to think about all of the positive sides of having to shelter-in-place. “The hectic schedules, the traffic, the deadlines, the extra-curricular activities, the social obligations have significantly decreased and are bringing us back in tune with our families and ourselves,” she says.

Everyone knows exercise can do a body good. But did you know that it can help your mental health as well as your physical health? A growing body of evidence is beginning to show what many fitness experts have suspected all along — even a short workout every other day can help ease the effects of depression, anxiety and social isolation, and can make the mind more resilient in the face of chronic mental illness.

In addition, a study published by the National Institute of Health reports that people suffering from various forms of mental illness who don’t exercise have a higher risk of chronic diseases associated with sedentary behavior.

Here are five ways exercise can improve your mental health, and some ways you can easily get started today.

Exercise helps with depression
If you’ve ever felt happier after a workout, you probably won’t be surprised to learn that exercise can help relieve depression. and the more often you exercise, the more you can keep depression at bay.

In fact, a study by researchers at Duke University found that exercise was at least as effective as antidepressants in fighting depression. In the study, one group of participants received Zoloft, a second group participated in moderate exercise, and the third did both. All three groups improved on measures of depression, though not surprisingly over the long term, the exercise-only group showed the least number of relapses in depression.

“Depressed patients that exercise enjoy increased self-esteem, a sense of accomplishment, a renewal of goals to engage in more self-discipline, and a relief of depression symptoms such as apathy, sluggishness and fatigue,” says Nora Aisenberg, a psychologist at the Center for Holistic Medicine. “Medical health and psychological health cannot be separated, that is why holistic treatment considers both the mental and physical aspects of our health.”

Exercise helps with anxiety
Just as endorphins help make you feel happier, they can also make you feel more calm, as well, which can relieve anxiety symptoms.

Aisenberg says patients who suffer from anxiety will find that participating in light exercise helps reduce the “flight or fight” reaction in stressful conditions and allows the brain to experience calm and relaxation.

It’s also believed that anxiety is eased by exercise through distraction, enhanced self-awareness, and the psychological benefits of increased social interaction.

Exercise reduces stress
Chronic stress is known to contribute to the development of mental illness and is the source of many other physical health problems as well. Think of exercise as an anti-stress “vaccine” that can moderate the impact of stress on the brain.

In addition to boosting your endorphins, which reduces stress, exercise can also give you a break from the stressful aspects of your day. By simply focusing on exercise for even a few minutes, many people report being distracted from their problems with a meditative period that can provide clarity or reduce the urgency of day-to-day issues.

In addition, when stress does occur, an exercise-conditioned brain and body are better able to resist the increase in stress hormones like cortisol that are common stress responses.

Exercise can improve your sleep
Good quality sleep every night is vital for the body and mind to repair and recharge in order to face every new day. Unfortunately, poor sleep can worsen the effects of depression and anxiety.

A study published in the journal Mental Health and Physical Activity shows that people sleep significantly better and feel more alert during the day if they get at least 150 minutes of exercise a week. Among adults in the United States, about 35 to 40 percent of the population has problems with falling asleep or with daytime sleepiness.

Low impact exercises like swimming and bicycling are great ways you can make an investment in a better night’s sleep.

Exercise can improve your self-esteem
The Center for Holistic Medicine’s Nora Aisenberg says regular exercise is one of several aspects of good self-care, which can all have a big impact on an individual’s self-esteem.

“A combination of exercise/activity and yoga/meditation/relaxation are an essential part of daily self-care,” Aisenberg says. “It is no secret that this is the road towards a healthy and balanced sense of well-being. Just embrace the journey of gradual restoration of good health without comparing your goals to anyone else. Getting healthy isn’t a competition, it’s a mindset.”

How to Get Started Exercising
Are you out of shape? Think you’re too busy to start an exercise regimen? Don’t worry. Physical activity of any kind can have a positive impact. Something as simple as 15 to 20 minutes of gardening or walking can have an immediate impact on mental health.

Getting up and into motion doesn’t need to be difficult or time-consuming. Even something simple like tossing a frisbee back and forth with a friend (or dog) can help.

A good start would be the new to try the new Self Defense for Body-Mind Fitness class, held on Wednesdays from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the Center for Holistic Medicine. Taught by Josh Willner of Sunny’s Martial Arts and Fitness, the class will help develop confidence and personal power through a blend of Krav Maga, jiu jitsu and taekwondo. Call 847-236-1701 for more information.

Every year, the holidays seem to creep up on us and cause lots of extra stress. Whether we’re trying to juggle extra social engagements, buying and wrapping presents, or getting those holiday cards out in time, it always seems like there’s never enough time to get everything done.

Holiday stress isn’t just annoying – it can also be harmful to your health. Stress can cause us to get less sleep, increase our blood pressure, reduce our immune system and even lead to an increased risk for diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, gastrointestinal problems and more.

That’s why our therapists, Daniel Levi and Carol Gore, encourage their patients to make self-care a priority during the holiday season, and they collaborate with our other practitioners to help you make stress-free living a reality.

So how can you get through the holidays without taking on the added stress?

Here are a few simple tips you can try anytime you start to feel stressed out this holiday season:

Try Some Breathing Techniques

One of the fastest and easiest ways to calm your mind is to practice some simple breathing techniques. One you can try is called the 4-7-8 technique. Start by sitting up straight or lying flat on the floor and putting one hand on your belly and another hand on your chest. Take a slow, deep breath from your belly and inhaling for a count of four. Then hold your breath for count of seven and exhale slowly for a count of eight. Repeat several times until you feel your body completely relax. Another method is to take long, slow breaths through your nose and count to three. As you exhale, relax the muscles in your head, face, shoulders and back. Imagine the tension literally melting off your body.

Meditate for Five Minutes

Like breathing, meditation is free, easy and you can do it anywhere! To get the most benefit, sit up straight with both feet on the floor and your hands resting comfortably in your lap. Set your timer for about five minutes (or longer if you like!) and close your eyes. Don’t try to control your breath. Simply breathe naturally and try to empty your mind of all thoughts. Whenever a thought comes, let it float by and return to focusing on your breath. Even a few minutes of meditation should be enough to make you feel rested and refreshed.

Stretch

When we’re stressed, we often hold that tension in our bodies, so some simple stretching can go a long way to letting go of worry and anxiety. One easy method is to stand against the wall with your feet about hip-width apart. Inhale, pulling your abdominal muscles in and pressing your back against the wall. Then exhale and slowly roll down towards the floor, first with your head, then neck, then shoulders until your hands are touching your feet. Let your head and arms hang for a count of ten and then slowly roll back up. Another easy stretching technique is to clasp your fingers together and raise your arms over your head with your palms facing up. Breathe in and out for five breathes, and then lower your arms and roll your shoulders backwards and forwards a few times. Voila!

Remember To Keep It Simple

It’s easy during the holidays to feel like you have to make everything look like it’s from a Martha Stewart catalogue, but remember, your family and friends will love you even if everything isn’t perfect. Instead of staying up late to make that homemade pie, maybe a store-bought one will be just as good. Don’t have time to giftwrap? Go with a gift bag. Don’t know when you’ll have time to write those holiday cards? Trust us, no one will think less of you if you send them out in January or skip them entirely this year. Here’s the general rule of thumb: If it’s causing you too much stress, find a way to simplify.

Take Time for Self-Care

Usually, when we’re feeling stressed, self-care in the first thing to go from out to-do list. But when we make an effort to take care of ourselves first, we usually find that we have more energy to get everything else done. Taking time to see a therapist as well as making an acupuncture or chiropractic appointment is a great way of relieving the aches and pains that come with added stress, and can make you feel more centered and balanced to be able to deal with everything else on your plate.

Having good mental health is just as important as having good physical health, but unfortunately, many men suffer from depression, anxiety and stress without seeking help.

In fact, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association, about 30 percent of both men and women report having experienced a period of depression in their lives, but men are four times more likely to commit suicide than women – a number that could be significantly reduced if men were more open to talking to a counselor or therapist.

Part of the reason that more men end up committing suicide is they have fewer people to talk to about their problems. Men typically have fewer friends than women, and even among the friends they have, it’s often not culturally acceptable to talk about their feelings.

“Where a woman may turn to her aunt or her sister to talk about what is going on in her life, men don’t talk to anyone,” says Daniel Levi, LCPC, a therapist who treats both men and women at the Center for Holistic Medicine. “In general, isolation makes all mental health situations worse.”

That’s why, it’s even more important for men to seek out help when they are struggling with feelings of depression, anxiety, feelings of worthlessness or strain in their primary relationships.

Here are a few of the biggest myths men have about going to a therapist, and how it may help you:

Top Myths Men Have About Going to a Therapist

1. Men should be able to handle everything
“Men often have the idea that they should be able to handle everything and when they can’t they think there’s something wrong with them,” Levi says.

And Levi says men today are more stressed than ever as men they balance working with taking on a more equal role in parenting and running the household, often without having grown up with role models for how to do that.

“There is a lack of education about how to handle different roles men have, whether that be as a husband or a parent,” he says. “The roles have changed and the expectations are different,” Levi says.

Going to a therapist will make them seem weak
Levi says many men are reluctant to go see a therapist because it will make them seem weak.

“When you take your car into the mechanic when there’s something wrong with it, nobody ever says, ‘Oh my God, what a weak person I am! I had to take my car to the mechanic,” he says.

In fact, Levi says, taking care of yourself – including your mental health — is a good thing. “I think most men would agree that taking care of ourselves as a sign of strength. Going to the doctor or to a counselor or to a chiropractor or whatever, if it’s something that’s needed, is a sign of strength,” he says.

It’s going to be all about talking about feelings
Men assume going to a therapist will mean they’ll have to talk about their feelings and emotions, something many man aren’t comfortable with. While that can be helpful, Levi says many therapists understand that men need a different approach to therapy than women do – less discussion about feelings and emotions and more practical, straightforward suggestions of action steps they can take to feel better.

“In an over-generalized way, men need a more directive approach and a little more honesty,” Levi says.

They will have to let go of control
Men usually love being in control, and Levi says many men avoid therapy because they are afraid the therapist will start telling them what to do. “They need to realize that when they hire a therapist, the therapist is the hired help. They’re still the boss; they’re still in charge,” he says.

Instead, Levi says men should think of going to a therapist like hiring a business consultant who can offer information and advice. “When they go to a therapist with a mental health issue or life stressor, they’re hiring a consultant to get direction and resources about what direction to go in,” he says.

Signs of Depression in Men
Did you know that depression can show up differently among men and women? Although the signs of depression are similar in both sexes, men often present different complaints than women. For example, some men might not even know they are depressed, but instead would find themselves getting really angry at their boss, yelling at their wife or kids, or having constant headaches or back pain that won’t go away.

For men, some of the signs of depression include,

Fatigue
Sleeping too much or too little
Stomachache or back ache
Irritability
Difficulty concentrating
Anger or hostility
Substance abuse
Sexual dysfunction
Indecision
Suicidal thoughts

If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, don’t be afraid to seek help.

Tag: mental health

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