Iris Healing® Retreat, Woodland Hills, CA

Mental Health Resources

Schizoaffective Disorder and Addiction Unveiling the connection with schizoaffective disorder and substance use disorder. Article Contents What is Schizoaffective Disorder? According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, schizoaffective disorder (SZA), also known as schizo-affective psychosis, is a chronic mental condition characterized by schizophrenia symptoms such as hallucinations (delusions) and mood disorder symptoms such as mania and depression.1 SZA affects one’s thoughts and moods. While there is no known cause for schizoaffective disorder, research has shown that genetic and environmental factors can increase the
Living With Schizophrenia and Addiction Understanding schizophrenia and how it influences substance abuse. Article Contents What is Schizophrenia? The World Health Organization (WHO) defines schizophrenia as a chronic and severe mental disorder that affects about 20 million people worldwide. Schizophrenia is characterized by distorted thoughts, perceptions, emotions, language, sense of self, and behavior. Some of the common symptoms of schizophrenia include hearing and seeing things that are not there and delusions in the form of false beliefs.1 Living with schizophrenia is commonly associated with
Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Addiction Treatment Learn How DBT Works in Rehab Article Contents At one time or the other, bitter emotions and tensions can threaten to ruin feelings and overall well-being. Dialectical Behavior Therapy has proven to help restore the quality of life for many people who were previously struggling to get a hold of their life. What is Dialectical Behavior Therapy? Dialectical behavior therapy is a type of psychotherapy that teaches skills and strategies to live a better quality of life. A
Depression Awareness Month, observed every October, is an opportunity to raise the profile of effective treatment for depression and other mental health issues. Recognizing a problem is separate from knowing what to do about it. When it comes to issues of mental health and conditions like depression, the situation is often a struggle because of the debilitating symptoms that can come with it. In the throes of depression, it’s incredibly normal to feel isolated and alone, like no one else in the world identifies
While the United States continues to struggle with the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), people in every single state face a fear of the unknown and a stark change in how we go about our daily lives in a way that keeps us all safe. This type of social isolation, only going out for necessary errands and keeping a distance from others, can be incredibly stressful. This is particularly true for people in recovery from substance use addiction or those living with mental health
Some may consider the mental health benefits of exercise to be an unusual subject. Usually when the topic of exercise enters the conversation, most people automatically think about building strength and endurance, gaining muscle, losing weight or body fat, and of course, working out for that coveted “beach body.” While all of those rewards may be important to one degree or another, perhaps the best kept secret about regular physical activity is the powerful one-two-punch of exercise and mental health. To receive the mental
Though everyone experiences mood swings from time to time, people struggling Bipolar Disorder (BD) live with dramatic shifts that can affect their energy, behavior and ability to think clearly. Because it can impact anyone, it should come as no surprise there are many celebrities and famous people with Bipolar Disorder who have been able to succeed while coping with it. The extremely high highs, and desperately low lows of bipolar are sometimes referred to as mania and depression. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
There’s so much overlap between the symptoms that it can be easy to confuse the difference between stress and depression. Some people might think they’re stressed out when, in fact, they’re dealing with undiagnosed depression. Another person might believe they’re depressed when in actuality a small behavioral change might alleviate their problem. This is why understanding the difference between stress vs depression can help people make the right treatment approaches. It’s important to acknowledge that avoiding stress is nearly impossible. Life has a way
A complex psychiatric condition, once referred to as multiple personality disorder, Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) is often misunderstood and even considered, incorrectly, a myth in some circles. Research over the last 40 years has proven this condition is very real and can be the source of significant anguish and impairment in day-to-day life. This is especially true for victims of severe physical or sexual abuse during childhood. Though it’s difficult to know how many people suffer from Dissociative Identity Disorder symptoms, the Diagnostic and