In Celebration of Nurses Week

Monday, May 7th, 2012

Happy Nurses Week to all of the nurses who work tirelessly all year long to provide quality medical care to patients! The role of nurses in the medical profession is quite apparent. No one could ever imagine a hospital or clinic without nurses present to provide care and treatment…either as the trusted right hand to the physician or providing more independent care. However, in the Behavioral Health arena, there is often less certainty about the important role played by nurses.

Having worked in the Behavioral Health field for 30 years, I have come to appreciate and depend heavily on the professional care provided by nurses. Nurses often play an understated role in this area. Usually when one thinks about substance abuse and mental health the professions that come to mind are psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors and substance abuse professionals. We tend to overlook the important role that nurses play.

Nurses are usually the stabilizing force in an organization. As the organization grows, changes focus, downsizes the one constant providing comfort and care has always been nurses. Unlike most professions, nurses have education and training that enable them to assume a variety of roles. Nurses can provide medical attention and oversight that most other professions can’t. By virtue of their training they possess great organizational skills, which provide stability and direction to organizations. They make patient, knowledgeable counselors which bring a calming atmosphere. Nurses are often promoted to administrative/management positions allowing them to utilize the skills and training as stated above.

At Destination Hope: The Women’s Program we have learned to recognize and rely on the skills of our ARNP, Linda Milano. Linda, who is an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner brings a number of years of education and experience to her role. We have come to rely very heavily on her ability to assess the needs of our clients and relay that information to our clinical staff in a professional, concise manner that allows us to provide the best care possible. Linda’s background in the field is evident as she conducts med-education groups with clients or provides suggestions to staff about care. Linda brings excellence to clinical care at Destination Hope and we want to say Thank You, Linda for making a positive difference in the lives of so many.

Sincerely,

Alton Smith

VP, Destination Hope

Dual Diagnosis Treatment: Different for Women?

Monday, May 7th, 2012

Dual diagnosis treatment in the field of recovery is a common situation where the treatment plan addresses both substance abuse and mental illness. It can be a chicken and egg situation to determine which diagnosis is primary, so substance abuse treatment centers often aim to treat both. Substance abuse for women often coincides with physically or emotionally dangerous situations, so it is extremely important to treat the mental illness and the substance abuse at the same time.

Dual Diagnosis: Men vs. Women

Until recently, it was assumed that there were no differences in treating men and women with dual diagnosis, substance abuse or mental health issues. Gender specific dual diagnosis treatment has become somewhat of a buzz word in the recovery and addiction field, but is it necessary?

Research has shown that women are more likely than men to be targets of physical abuse and rape. Women are also more likely to be supported in their substance abuse by a partner, who may also be addicted to drugs or alcohol. This may seem to put women with substance abuse problems as higher risk for mental illness and thus dual diagnosis.

The truth is that there is no evidence to support that dual diagnosis is more common in women than in men. In fact, dual diagnosis treatment programs often see the same number of male and female patient’s diagnosis with both mental illness and substance abuse. What is different is the type of disorders. Women are more likely to suffer from anxiety disorders while men are more likely to suffer from antisocial personality disorders.

Dual Diagnosis Treatment for Women

Given that there is no difference in the rate of dual diagnosis in women, we come to the issue of treatment. Dual Diagnosis treatment for men and women may be very different. That is because mental illness may be caused by a traumatic event. By defining trauma as a situation that over powers an individual’s ability to cope, we find that the situations and events that create feelings over powerlessness and dependence are different between men and women.

Dual diagnosis treatment programs for women often include steps towards empowerment. Supporters of recovery programs find that empowering women to become emotionally stronger, economically independent and in control of a positive self-image leads to a more successful and effective recovery.

Because of the cultural context in which mental illness and substance abuse occurs, dual diagnosis treatment programs that are gender specific often carefully control the treatment setting. For example, individual therapy sessions may take into account the gender of the therapist and client (female therapist/female client), fitting recovery into the context of a woman’s life.

If you or someone you love suffers from mental illness or substance abuse issues, the first step is to recognize that help is available. Women who suffer from dual diagnosis are not alone and there are successful treatment programs that can help a woman get back on track. With treatment programs designed specifically for women, to address the unique issues of every woman, Destination Hope: The Women’s Program is a full service drug, alcohol and dual diagnosis treatment facility in Florida for women with substance abuse issues. If you or a loved one is having problems with drugs or alcohol, please call us today at 1-866-808-7111.

Photo Credits: Photo 1, by Flickr user Markles55 is licensed by a creative commons attribution license. Photo 2, by Flickr user _PaulS_ is licensed by a creative commons attribution license.

Anxiety Treatment in Five Easy Steps

Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012

Anxiety in women is so common that many movies and television shows portray mom as always stressed out. She’s running around, emotionally raw at her wits end. Ever felt that way yourself?

Every day there’s something that stresses us out as women, from running around to pick up the kids, to an issue at work or a broken dishwasher. Life is full of these little stressors and if we don’t learn to take care of them, it’s easy for life’s little stressors to become full blown anxiety.

Anxiety Treatment

Breathe Deeply. I know, this sounds very silly, but deep breathing has been shown to be very effective at reducing anxiety in women as well as men. Practice breathing from your diaphragm. You’ll know if you’re doing it right when your belly sticks out as your breathe in.
Meditation. As women, we internalize a lot of messages visually. The practice of meditation and clearing out your mind will serve as an anxiety treatment. During your practice, let go of your anger, resentment and those situations in life that you cannot control. Meditation practice can teach you to control your thought process, helping you recognize when you’re starting to feel out of control and do something about it. Plus you’ll get a few moments to yourself!
Yoga. Yoga works as an anxiety treatment in two ways. First, it’s exercise and exercise has been shown to be very effective at reducing stress and anxiety, especially in women. The progressive muscle relaxation techniques practiced in yoga, where you tense and relax certain muscle groups can actually teach your body over time to react to stress by relaxing! Second, yoga also helps your mind focus on something besides what is causing the anxiety.
Get in touch with CBT. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT is based on the idea that our thoughts influence our feelings and actions- not other people or the environment we’re in. Think of it like mind over matter. CBT is scientifically proven to be effective in the treatment of anxiety and other mood disorders.
Write it out. You don’t have to write in Shakespearean prose. Just the act of getting your thoughts and emotions on paper can be an anxiety treatment. Get yourself a notebook or journal that you love and sneak away five minutes each day to write. You don’t have to share it with anyone, keep it as private as you wish.

So now for the good news.

Anxiety in women is very treatable. Although other people in your family may suffer from anxiety issues, that doesn’t mean you can’t over come them! Anxiety treatment, like those mentioned above, help empower you. You will learn to manage your anxiety so that it can never hurt you again!

We may make it sound like a walk in the park to self-treat anxiety, but the truth is that it is very helpful for many women to seek professional help when dealing with anxiety. Anxiety is a very serious condition, it can get in the way of your life. Fortunately it is very easy to find treatment to help get you back in control.

Destination Hope: The Women’s Program is a full service treatment facility in Florida for women who are struggling with women’s health and substance abuse issues. If you or a loved one has difficulty dealing with stress or anxiety, please don’t hesitate to contact us today at 1-866-808-7111.