Any mental health condition that causes psychosis or a disrupted state of mind that gives rise to a temporary and disorienting break from reality is considered a psychotic disorder. Schizophrenia is the most widely recognized psychotic disorder, but psychosis can also occur with bipolar disorder, major depression, and certain substance...
Whether depression is a recent problem or something you’ve struggled with throughout your life, you know that this tenacious mental health condition can have far-reaching effects on your everyday life as well as your outlook on the future. Given its intense and often all-consuming nature, it’s not surprising that persistent...
The opioid epidemic is an ever-evolving health crisis in the United States that has recently — thanks in large part to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) — started turning a major corner. As a key component of our whole-person approach to opioid addiction care and recovery, MAT uses FDA-approved medications to block opioid-induced euphoria and minimize...
Addiction is a chronic brain-centered disorder with several psychological and social features. While a strong desire to stop using and get clean can put you on the road to recovery, a structured treatment plan built on expert care, guidance, accountability, and support is what provides a genuine opportunity to heal...
As pandemic-related limitations move further into the rearview mirror for much of American society, many people have returned to full-schedule living. Vacations, weddings, and family reunions are back on the calendar, and the upcoming holiday season promises to offer ample opportunity to gather with family and friends. All of this...
One of the most common neurodevelopmental conditions, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects millions of grade-schoolers and adolescents in the United States. Characterized by varying degrees of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, ADHD makes it more difficult for children to pay attention, follow directions, sit still, and restrain spontaneous urges. ADHD treatment aims to help...
People suffering from depressive disorders often deal with low energy and consuming fatigue. Those who cope with persistent sleep difficulties often experience irritable moods and diminished interest in routine activities. Depression and sleep disturbance have a bidirectional relationship: Just as depression can lead to the emergence of a co-occurring sleep disorder,...
Death, loss, and grief may be an inescapable part of life, but that doesn’t make losing a loved one any easier to bear when it happens. And when the loss of a loved one is traumatic — whether it’s sudden, unexpected, or connected to violence — the impact can be...
As an invaluable tool of mental health care, psychotherapy is a central treatment strategy for a variety of conditions that adversely affect your thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and daily life — ranging from stress, anxiety, and trauma to depression, substance abuse, and ADHD. While talk therapy involves many different techniques and approaches, it typically focuses on building...
For many people who are affected by depression, antidepressant medications play a pivotal role in providing the kind of symptom relief that allows them to resume a healthy, productive, and enjoyable life. But sometimes, antidepressant medications stop working as well as they used to — or don’t ever seem to work...
Hearing talking voices that others can’t hear, or hearing voices when no one else is around, is called an auditory verbal hallucination (paracusia). It occurs when your mind perceives one or more speaking voices without having received any auditory stimulus. It can be distressing and even frightening to realize that the voices...
If you’re coping with a social anxiety disorder, the mere thought of facing certain social situations can spark feelings of intense nervousness, worry, fear, or dread. And when these upsetting emotions persist, they can take a serious toll on your life. A social anxiety disorder can be disruptive, distressing, or even...
While it can be very concerning to find out that your adolescent is struggling with depression or anxiety, it can be utterly heartbreaking to learn that they engage in self-harm behaviors to deal with their intense negative feelings. Two decades ago, the global mental health community dedicated March 1 as Self-Injury Awareness Day. In recognition of...
If your brain doesn’t process a traumatic experience, it stays with you. Later, when a trigger causes disturbing memories of that trauma to surface, they can provoke the same upsetting and overwhelming emotions you felt when the trauma first occurred. This unstoppable “instant replay” is all too familiar for people...
Everyone has an “off” day now and then — a day when it’s hard to stay on task and get anything done, when brain fog replaces mindfulness, or when reckless impulsivity outshines care and prudence. But for someone who lives with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), virtually every day can feel like...
The term “psychotic disorder” describes the various mental health conditions that can trigger psychosis, or a disrupted state of mind that causes a temporary and disorienting break from reality. Psychosis can be frightening for the person who goes through it and for those who witness it. Perhaps that’s why psychotic...
Anxiety is the most common mental health problem in the United States, affecting about one in five adults and one in four adolescents at any given time. Despite its prevalence, anxiety is also a highly individual experience that’s largely shaped by its inherent nature or type. As mental health experts...
Drug and alcohol addiction is a chronic, brain-centered disease that carries psychological and social components. It’s also an exceptionally common problem and serious public health crisis that affects millions of people in the United States at any given time. In 2018, nearly 19 million adults and adolescents in the U.S....
Life is full of events that put you to the test — incidents that challenge your understanding of the world around you, shake your confidence, erode your sense of safety, or leave you feeling isolated and alone. Whether it’s a serious accident, a natural disaster, violence, the death of a...
Living with trauma, addiction, anxiety, depression, or any other problem that affects your mental health can leave you feeling like you’re not fully in command of your own perceptions, emotions, thoughts, habits, and behaviors. Indeed, many people who are affected by mental health conditions do experience varying degrees of brain...
When your kids were little, it was easy to swoop in and rescue them when they were hurt or upset. Most of the time, loving parental reassurance was all it took to calm their fears and soothe their anxieties. Fast-forward to adolescence, and your child’s worries and emotions suddenly seem...
Many adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) struggle with a similar set of issues — their forgetfulness, distractibility, restlessness, and impulsivity make it difficult to stay focused, get organized, manage priorities, work efficiently, and follow through. It’s not surprising that ADHD can make you feel like you’re trapped in a...
Psychosis is a disrupted mental state that causes a loss of contact with reality. For someone who’s in the midst of a psychotic episode, it’s hard to tell the difference between what’s real and what’s only in their minds. Psychosis usually begins during adolescence or early adulthood. Every year in...
It’s been just over a year since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared a full-blown global health crisis, upending life as we know it. Since then, communities around the world have experienced profound loss, weathered restrictive lockdowns, and struggled to make ends meet. Although it’s been a difficult time for everyone,...
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an intrusive and undermining mental health condition that develops after someone witnesses or experiences an upsetting traumatic event. It can affect people who’ve been involved in combat, a terrorist attack, a natural disaster, or an abusive relationship. It can also emerge following a serious accident...
As the most pervasive mental health disorder in the United States, anxiety affects about one in five American adults and nearly one in three adolescents at any given time. Despite their widespread prevalence, anxiety disorders are still plagued by a multitude of myths and misconceptions that foster stigma and make...
At EXIS Recovery in West Los Angeles, California, our mission is clear — to help adolescents and adults heal from the despair caused by trauma, substance abuse, or mental illness, and to give them the tools and support they need to reclaim a sense of personal strength and purpose. Although...
It’s only natural for your teen to test limits and push boundaries as they grow up — that’s why you do your best to help them find safe, positive ways to establish greater independence. But sometimes, teens can be tempted to sample freedom in negative or dangerous ways. Experimenting with...
Psychosis has been called a “trick of the mind” that causes a temporary “break from reality,” but the full nature of this serious mental health problem is a lot more nuanced. For starters, psychosis isn’t a mental illness, it’s a symptom. A psychotic episode is a disruption in thoughts and...
Adolescence is challenging under the best of circumstances, but it can be especially formidable in the age of COVID-19. For tweens and teens, the coronavirus pandemic has added a whole new set of pressures that can trigger mental health issues or amplify pre-existing problems. As mental health experts who specialize...
Depression can have severe effects on your mental well-being and your physical health. It can cause chronic illness and pain, put you at risk of developing a substance abuse disorder, give rise to self-destructive behaviors, erode your personal relationships, and shorten your lifespan. Untreated depression is a heavy burden with...
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic neurodevelopmental condition that’s usually spotted during elementary school, and the average age at the time of diagnosis is 7. Because kids with disruptive hyperactive/impulsive behaviors are more likely to be evaluated for the disorder than kids who demonstrate “quiet” inattentive behaviors, some cases of...
Like other mental health experts in the United States and around the world, the team at EXIS Recovery recognizes that the coronavirus pandemic is more than a public health crisis — it’s a full-blown public mental health crisis, too. If constant uncertainty and extreme social isolation have left you feeling...
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can make it difficult or even impossible to pay attention, manage your time, and remember ordinary responsibilities. It can also make you feel restless when you should be calm, talkative when you should be quiet, or impulsive when you should be cautious. ADHD symptoms emerge early in...
As the leading cause of mental illness across the globe, depression affects tens of millions of people in the United States — and hundreds of millions of people around the world — at any given time. Depressive disorders are so common, in fact, that one in six Americans can expect...
Anxiety is an intrinsic human emotion that everyone experiences occasionally — even people who are usually calm, cool, and collected know what it’s like to feel anxious, nervous, or worried in stressful or unpredictable situations that take them out of their comfort zone. But for about 40 million adults in...
The relationship between childhood trauma and adult depression is one that mental health experts have researched for years. And ample evidence points toward a clear connection. At EXIS Recovery Inc, our team of highly trained trauma specialists and mental health providers understands the many factors that can contribute to adult...
Outpatient therapy is a very effective alternative to residential treatment for individuals who do not require 24/7 support. It is also the supportive structure that helps clients transition from a residential treatment facility into society, through a daily healing routine. Typically, this transition is marked by frequent emotional or physical triggers,...
by Elena Bagourdi, PhD If you or a loved one are struggling with a substance abuse problem, you might not know where to turn even if you know that you need help. Deciding to seek substance abuse counseling is an important first step on the path to recovery, but...
by Dr. Elena Bagourdi Have you ever suspected that a co-worker or employee in your company may be a functioning alcoholic or drug user? Perhaps you are concerned about a co-worker who’s showing an unusual decline in productivity or a pattern of erratic behavior as he or she progresses to...
by Dr. Elena Bagourdi The information you encounter when deciding which program will provide you or a loved one the best path to recovery from substance abuse can easily feel overwhelming. But it’s crucially important to know the differences between models of care in treatment facilities. Whether they are specifically geared toward...
by Dr. Elena Bagourdi It’s hard enough to stay sober when life is on an even keel. But in stressful or triggering moments, the difficulty goes to a whole different level. Staying sober in those moments can be a big challenge. With solid support, commitment and some good coping...
by Dr. Elena Bagourdi Looking for an addiction treatment center or rehab facility can be overwhelming. Approaches can range from highly medical programs to quick “miracle cures” like Ibogaine or electroconvulsive therapy. Some treatment practices might be out of the question for you. Others might seem appealing at first glance, but may not...
by Claudia Copeland, PhD The term “dual diagnosis” refers to two diagnosed disorders: a substance abuse disorder and a mental health disorder. The very term, though, is a bit of a misnomer. Do patients with a fever and an influenza virus infection have two different illnesses? And would you...
We all understand that addiction is a losing game while you’re in it, but it doesn’t have to continue to feel like a loss during recovery. Sobriety can often seem like walking a one-man tightrope but if you play it just right, you can make it a team sport instead....
Any treatment plan that addresses the mind, but neglects the body and soul, is incomplete. A true holistic treatment plan addresses all three areas. It treats the complete human being. Practices such as yoga and meditation, and therapies like equine, and surf therapy have proven results when it comes to...
How Addiction Affects the Entire Family “I was the only one who suffered the consequences of my drinking.” “I never hurt anyone else while I was using.” These are phrases that are uttered in treatment centers all across the world. The strongest misconception individuals in active addiction have is...
Few people care to admit that drugs and alcohol have impacted their life in such a way that treatment is necessary. But in reality, the decision to choose to do something about your problem is not only brave and admirable; it might save your life, or the life of someone...
Dual diagnosis means the presence of both mental illness and substance abuse in an individual. Dual diagnosis can be a particularly challenging condition due to the fact that persons suffering from mental illness tend to abuse substances in order to self medicate. Mental illnesses may result from chemical imbalances in...
Drugs and alcohol are no respecters of class, race, religion, or socioeconomic status. They affect people from all walks of life, and the pattern of addiction can develop in anyone's life. Addiction is a learned coping behavior that we pick up along the way. Every human being responds to stressful...
Tell us about EXIS: EXIS is a dual diagnosis, treatment center that specializes in treating mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety, as well as trauma and addictions issues. We utilize a holistic model that combines both eastern and western practices, from acupuncture, acupressure, mindfulness practices, including mediation...
Are you stalling? Unhinged by all of life’s little distractions and cannot seem to get ahead? Are you wanting to get sober but thinking not yet, another day, if and when, and later, maybe one day? Knowing that there are steps to take but intimidated that once started one must...
Meditation isn't something we usually jump for joy about. The idea of sitting still with our inner thoughts, is not only something we are not typically taught in school, but it can be a real challenge, and intimidating to say the least. That said, studies do show that once an...
We've heard it time and time again. Our thoughts and fundamental belief systems create our ultimate reality. Thoughts become things. Believing in something is exactly what it sounds like; Our thoughts, beliefs, emotions, internal awareness, all shape our perceptions of the world around us. The law of attraction says that...
For about a century addiction has been seen as a disease within the neurological pathways of the brain.Since the 1950s organizations such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous have been embracing this disease concept. They even refer to alcohol sensitivity as a “physiological weakness” and/or “allergy”. This concept not only...
Just say No! Isn't that the general rule? We've heard time and time again. Well I'vethought long and hard about it and I'm here to suggest an addendum to the timelessstatement made famous by the late Nancy Reagan herself. It isn't enough just to say no todrugs, alcohol, and the...
Last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) detailed several new actions that we are taking to address the country’s opioid crisis. One of these actions was publishing the final rule to increase the patient limit for practitioners prescribing buprenorphine. This rule aims to improve access to...