For these reasons and many more, it’s important to utilize mind-body practices for stress reduction and emotional regulation.

What Are Mind-Body Practices for Stress Reduction?

Mind-body practices refer to holistic activities that help you make a connection between how your body feels and what you think. This can help you identify the physical impact your emotions have on your body and the way your physical health impacts your mood or stress levels.

Top Practices for Stress Reduction

Mind-body practices can help you improve emotional regulation so that you can respond appropriately to stress or triggers. These types of practices can also improve your physical health, encourage physical activity, help you focus on the present moment, and keep your attention centered on goals and long-term progress, which are essential during recovery.

Below are some top practices for stress reduction.

Physical Activity

Physical activity is essential for your overall mental and physical health, but it’s especially important in recovery. Staying active on a regular basis can encourage you to:

• Get outside
• Get out of your head
• Socialize with others
• Participate in the community
• Commune with nature 

The type of physical activity you do should be based on your mood and energy levels. If you are experiencing high stress, yoga can be a good way to focus on the present moment and center yourself on what really matters most in your recovery. If you are anxious and full of energy, a more strenuous workout might be a better way to burn off excess energy. 

Meditation

Meditation is essential for managing mental health and coping with triggers. Too often, when stressed or anxious, individuals get stuck ruminating over the past or worrying about the future, but meditation and mindfulness, as well as activities like Tai Chi or yoga, can encourage the mind to pivot back toward the present moment.

Meditation can take several forms, including:

• Eating meditation
• Walking meditation
• Guided meditation
• Moving meditation

You can try listening to bedtime-related meditation videos about an hour before you go to sleep to help you wind down from your day and incorporate quick, 5-minute meditation segments throughout the day to combat specific emotions as they arise, such as anger, procrastination, or grief. 

Learning Practices for Stress Reduction with Casa Serena

When you are struggling with recovery, learning to manage stress and regulate emotions is essential to long-term success, and Casa Serena can help. We are a premier women’s drug and alcohol rehab in Santa Barbara where you can participate in services like:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Dialectical behavior therapy
• Trauma treatment
• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy
• Body-mind balance programs
• Garden therapy
• Equine-assisted therapy
• Tai Chi

Located just a few minutes from the beach, our Los Angeles women’s addiction treatment program provides detox services as well as residential and outpatient treatment programs designed for women, by women.

As a luxury treatment center, we offer communal programs where everyone works together to find local resources and learn from one another to promote improved emotional regulation and overall mental health. Reach out to our team today to learn more about stress reduction practices at our women-only luxury facility. 

The post Mind-Body Practices for Stress Reduction and Emotional Regulation appeared first on Casa Serena | Women's Treatment Center.

Today, individuals with co-occurring disorders can receive targeted and integrated dual diagnosis care that reduces the high risks of relapse, emergency room visits, unemployment, or arrest, among other things, and increases the likeliness of independent living and sobriety. An integrated approach can be applied at any level of treatment, inpatient or outpatient, and it can be modified to fit individual circumstances and needs.

What is an Integrated Approach to Dual Diagnosis Treatment?

An integrated dual diagnosis model works to help clients improve their quality of life by combining services received at a treatment center to address two things at once: mental health disorders and substance abuse.

Clients receive services at the same center, from the same team, within the same organization. 

An integrated approach to dual diagnosis focuses on:

• Getting sober with detox
• Managing symptoms 
• Increasing independence

Benefits of an Integrated Approach to Dual Diagnosis

An integrated dual-diagnosis treatment program combines several interventions to meet you where you are, including:

• Medication
• Psychology sessions
• Educational sessions
• Social interventions

Integrated approaches promote direct client involvement in each of their recovery programs, offer a chance for family integration, and provide resources like stable housing. These programs:

• Reduce relapse rates
• Reduce high costs for services and treatment
• Reduce risks of hospitalization, arrest, or incarceration
• Boost the continuity of care
• Offer stable housing
• Improve quality of life
• Increase independent living

Integrated Dual Diagnosis Stages

Dual diagnosis programs can be equally effective when applied to residential or outpatient programs.

Those who are struggling with severe mental health disorders and co-occurring substance abuse disorders benefit the most from 24-hour supervision and the ability to extricate themselves from their daily lives and focus solely on recovery. In these instances, residential programs offering programs like garden therapy, Tai chi, and family therapy can help clients focus on their recovery.

For those who have already completed a residential program or are struggling with moderate to mild symptoms of mental health disorders and substance abuse, outpatient programs offer more scheduling flexibility; clients can return home every day and come back to the treatment center for their integrated dual diagnosis program specific days of the week. Outpatient programs are better suited to people who have stable living environments, can easily arrange transportation to and from their treatment center, or need the freedom to continue with ongoing support in a reduced capacity.

An integrated dual diagnosis program can take place at all levels of care. It is highly individualized to the client, with programs and treatment options intended to help specific circumstances. 

For example:

• Individuals who are struggling with trauma behind their substance abuse might benefit the most from trauma treatment and counseling in addition to detox, inpatient, and outpatient services. 
• Clients who struggle with their career progression can capitalize on career change programs with DBT immersion programs. 

Finding Integrated Dual Diagnosis Programs

Casa Serena is a premier women’s drug and alcohol rehab in Santa Barbara just minutes from the beach. Our luxury treatment center is owned and operated by women and offers a continuum of care so clients can receive integrated dual diagnosis treatment for women at all levels of care. 

Our goal is to offer community-driven programs that connect our clients to local resources as part of their long-term recovery. Moreover, with Casa Serena, we provide lifetime aftercare programs to clients so they are never alone in their journey. 

We partner with programs to offer continuing education for those who need to get their GED. We collaborate with community partners to offer services such as:

• Skill building
• Resume writing
• Professional etiquette
• Vocational support

Research indicates that of the Americans who have been diagnosed with a severe mental health disorder, 50% will also struggle with co-occurring substance abuse disorders throughout their lifetime. With an integrated dual diagnosis approach to recovery, clients can benefit from receiving services for both conditions at the same time in order to reduce the likelihood of relapse, psychiatric episodes, hospitalization, and even relationship difficulties and career problems.

Reach out to our team today to see if an integrated dual-diagnosis approach is right for you.

The post An Integrated Approach to Dual Diagnosis appeared first on Casa Serena | Women's Treatment Center.

Casa Serena is a premier women’s drug and alcohol rehab in Santa Monica that can offer depression treatment for those in need. Contact us to learn more about our women’s mental health treatment center.

The Impact of Depression On Couples

Without learning coping strategies for couples with depression or getting professional depression couples therapy, relationships can face serious strain because of depression symptoms.

Communication Issues

Firstly, they start to develop communication issues within the relationship.

Emotional Distance

When one partner becomes depressed, they might be wholly engrossed in that depression and not realize that they are emotionally distancing themselves from their loved one.

The other partner can start to feel unsupported, as their issues or stresses or needs are completely ignored.

Intimacy Distance

It’s not uncommon for there to be reduced physical intimacy of all forms, from a simple hug or kiss good morning to sex.

When someone with depression pulls away, they can cause changes in hormonal balances, resulting in higher stress levels that exacerbate depression symptoms and frustration in both partners.

Useful Coping Strategies for Couples with Depression

Finding coping strategies can help couples learn to manage the symptoms of depression and not let them be a detriment to the relationship.

Open Communication

Open communication is the first coping strategy for couples with depression. As communication breaks down in a relationship, it can cause compounding issues for mental health and intimacy, but finding ways to open up about depression is essential.

This is also a highly personalized coping strategy. What works for one couple might not work for another:

• You might want your partner to listen to you explain how you are feeling when you are depressed and then offer support by leaving you alone to watch your favorite show but checking in every hour or so

Offering Emotional Support

Emotional support is an integral form of coping with depression. Much like communication, this will be personalized to your relationship, and you’ll need to do a little trial and error to figure out what you like most:

• You might have problems expressing the impact your depression is having one day, so you’ll need your partner to go through a list of suggested activities to help take your mind off things until you find the one that fits best that day

Supporting Mental and Physical Health

Supporting mental health can involve participating in couples depression therapy. Supporting physical health can include taking measures as a couple to control how you eat, sleep, and exercise. It might also involve offsetting social isolation that can exacerbate depression symptoms.

• You and your partner might do something physically everyday, whether that is light stretching before bed, going for a walk up and down your street, or participating in a community yoga class

All of this is going to look different depending on your circumstances, personality, and the type of relationship you have. As a person struggling with depression, you might express to your partner that what you need most from them is to always push you into physical activity when your depression symptoms are high, even if, at that moment, you say you don’t want to or you push back.

The fastest way to determine what personal adaptations work best for coping strategies for couples with depression is to participate in some form of couples therapy where a qualified professional can help you make those determinations.

Finding Professional Treatment for Couples with Depression

In some cases, the coping strategies for couples with depression fall short, and you might need professional help. With professional treatment for couples with depression, you can work with qualified therapists who can review your individual circumstances and offer practical strategies that are a better fit for your relationship.

What works well for one couple might not work well for another, and generic coping strategies for couples with depression could be a great place to start, but you might need an extra boost from a therapist.

Mental Health Treatment Programs

At Casa Serena, you can benefit from depression couples therapy that takes place in a beautiful, idyllic location conducive to relaxation and open communication. Our facility specializes in several forms of evidence-based holistic practice and talk therapy. When you reach out, we can help you find the level of care and program that works best for your mental health treatment. That may involve starting with a personal mental health treatment plan using an outpatient program that incorporates couples therapy as one of several services.

Overall, coping strategies for couples with depression can provide a great place to start when it comes to managing the impact that depression has on a relationship. When one partner struggles with mental health disorders, it can affect communication, responsibilities, emotional connection, and intimacy. But with the right level of depression couples therapy, you can learn how to manage the symptoms without letting them harm the relationship.

The post Coping Strategies for Couples With Depression appeared first on Casa Serena | Women's Treatment Center.

Casa Serena Treatment is a premier women’s drug and alcohol rehab in Santa Barbara that offers comprehensive dual diagnosis therapy. Contact us today to learn more about how our compassionate staff can help women overcome mental health and substance abuse issues.

What is ADHD?

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a mental health disorder that involves:

• Impulsivity
• Hyperactivity
• Inattention

Many people associate ADHD with abnormal brain dopamine levels or abnormal dopamine transmission. These abnormalities can interfere with behavioral changes or motivation. 

Someone struggling with ADHD could have low resting levels of dopamine. This means their brains struggle to maintain motivation or find rewards from everyday activities. As a result, they’re more likely to search for any form of stimulation that can quickly and intensely increase dopamine.

Can ADHD Lead to Addiction?

Several studies indicate that people with ADHD are at an increased risk for developing substance abuse disorders like drug or alcohol addiction. Several associations between ADHD and addiction could explain this, one of which is dopamine-seeking ADHD.

In some cases, individuals struggling with ADHD are impulsive and demonstrate behavioral issues. That impulsivity can encourage dopamine-seeking behaviors. Dopamine-seeking behaviors might be categorized as risky or reckless, but they come from a neurological desire to stimulate dopamine production.

Can ADHD lead to addiction for someone in the situation? Absolutely, because someone who has dopamine-seeking ADHD is more likely to use any substance or behavior to trigger higher releases of dopamine.

There are many drugs that do exactly that. 

How Drugs Impact Dopamine

When people use drugs, especially the first few times, it creates a high feeling of pleasure. This feeling comes from the electrical stimulation of different parts of the brain in the reward center. By stimulating the reward center, neurotransmitters are released in higher doses than someone would get under normal circumstances. One of the most common neurotransmitters associated with pleasure is dopamine.

However, drugs and alcohol can recreate and even heighten these feelings much faster. Chronic use of drugs and alcohol can diminish the brain’s ability to release neurotransmitters like dopamine under everyday, life-sustaining situations.

This means that someone struggling with ADHD and engaging in drug use or alcoholism might find that, at some point, they are no longer able to feel that rush of dopamine from things like exercise or eating healthy, so instead, they habitually turn to drugs and alcohol to recreate the feeling.

Getting Help with Casa Serena

If you are struggling with dopamine-seeking ADHD, you can reach out to our team of mental health professionals and learn more about our dual diagnosis treatment for women. Our facility specializes in providing treatment for co-occurring mental health disorders and substance abuse. Treating both at the same time offers the highest chance of successful recovery and long-term sobriety.

Getting help for ADHD in the form of therapy and essential life skills can make it easier to manage symptoms. Medication might also be a profound step toward monitoring and controlling dopamine levels in the brain without having to use drugs or alcohol.

At our secluded recovery location, you’ll have the opportunity to work with a team of specialists who care about your success. You’ll participate in personalized treatment programs that focus on every aspect of your struggle, including:

• Your physical health
• Psychological struggles
• Mental health symptoms
• Substance abuse

As part of your treatment, you’ll work to address any underlying conditions like ADHD, the causes, and other psychological or emotional factors that could have contributed to drug and alcohol abuse. 

We believe your recovery space should be where you feel completely safe and comfortable. As a women-only facility, we let you address your treatment needs with gender-specific therapy that addresses the biological components unique to women as it relates to mental health, ADHD, and addiction. Don’t wait to get help. Call our team today to learn more.

The post Can ADHD Lead to Addiction? Exploring the Links and Solutions appeared first on Casa Serena | Women's Treatment Center.

However, generational trauma can impact anyone, especially those who experienced extreme hardships, war, or were marginalized and in a lower socioeconomic class.

When a specific form of trauma has been inflicted on several generations or even held by an older generation and discussed and passed on emotionally to the subsequent generations, it can lead to PTSD and other symptoms of mental health disorders and addiction.

The impact of generational trauma can cause several generations to:

• Develop anxiety
• Feel profound guilt or shame
• An inability to express emotions
• Poor coping mechanisms
• Hypervigilance
• Intrusive thoughts
• Heightened helplessness
• Anxiety
• depression
• Turn to drugs and alcohol to self-medicate
• Struggle with low self-esteem

But what is it?

Generational Trauma

Generational trauma refers to the generational challenges that a single family faces. It’s something that can be passed down to younger generations. 

For example:

• A great-grandmother may have been forced into an internment camp in the United States during the second world war and learned to cope by remaining emotionless. As a result, that same grandmother could have emotionally distant interactions and even abusive interactions with her children. This could lead to her children and grandchildren struggling with denial, defensive behaviors, and failure to express emotions.
• A mother might learn that her daughter was sexually abused. This could cause the mother problems because she might have also been sexually abused. The perpetrator might have been a male family member who was sexually abused.

The Importance of Recognizing the Impact of Generational Trauma

The impact of generational trauma can be extremely severe, especially if multiple generations have suffered from severe forms of trauma. Many families turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms to deal with this trauma instead of getting professional help. The two most common forms of unhealthy coping are:

1. Denial: where families refuse to acknowledge the source of their trauma
2. Minimization: where families minimize the impact of their trauma, which makes it seem less severe or detrimental than it might have been

Unfortunately, you will find you in all cases no matter how hard you try to run. Worse still is that choosing denial or minimalism can result in being unexpectedly triggered, which can cause a ripple effect of mental health disorders or substance abuse.

If you consider the example above of the great-grandmother, her example of refusing to acknowledge the time in the internment camp, talk about it, or ever acknowledge her emotions could, perhaps unintentionally, teach her children and grandchildren to also ignore it and to not talk about things that upset them.

This is harmful because:

• It can teach multiple generations to hide their emotions and pretend things aren’t happening
• It can lead to detachment, impaired self-esteem, and estrangement
•  it can result in individuals choosing to minimize their personal experiences because of how they compare to the trauma of parents or grandparents
• It can cause individuals to bond with abusers over the trauma
• It can teach multiple generations to internalize their emotions and not deal with them until they get triggered and are forced to cope
• It can teach family members to rely on drugs or alcohol to cope with struggles, handle pain, or avoid expressing themselves

Why Get Help for Generational Trauma

If you are a woman struggling with generational trauma, your older generations might have set you up for how to cope with traumatic events. Unfortunately, this generally means teaching bad coping mechanisms that can cause additional harm. 

Trauma can continue throughout generations because the people who need help most never get it, perpetuating a harmful cycle of individuals failing to get help when they need it too.

Moreover, traumatized family members can transfer negative emotions, especially to those closest to them, including their partners and children. 

If you are struggling with generational trauma, you can find safety and comfort by receiving professional therapy and counseling from a women’s-only treatment center. Casa Serena can help you even if you didn’t live through war or weren’t abused growing up, but you still have to contend with generational trauma’s mental and physical impact.

Our facility specializes in a range of holistic treatments, including family therapy, group therapy, and individual psychotherapy. During your stay with us, we will help you replace unhealthy coping mechanisms with healthy coping mechanisms to facilitate improved emotional expression, communication, and acknowledgment that your experiences matter. Turn to Casa Serena for safety, sobriety, and new skills you can apply to your intergenerational trauma. Call Casa Serena today to learn more about our premier women’s drug and alcohol rehab center.

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Binge eating is the most common eating disorder, and it requires treatment to overcome. Treatment looks different for everyone though there are options for binge eating medication that might be used in addition to therapy.

Contact Casa Serena today to learn more about how to find comprehensive mental health and dual diagnosis treatment for women.

How to Treat Binge Eating Disorder with Medication

Knowing how to treat binge eating disorder with medication is often acquired after you start treatment at a facility like Casa Serena and after you begin therapy sessions. 

Most binge eating disorder treatment involves a combination of:

• Therapy
• Nutritional counseling
• Binge eating medication

Your team might recommend starting with eating disorder therapy sessions and then prescribing medication in addition to other services.

Binge Eating Medication

There are several categories of binge eating medication, each of which tackles different aspects of the disorder.

Stimulants

Vyvanse is a prescription stimulant that was the first FDA-approved binge-eating medication. Studies have shown that this medication can help control impulsive behaviors that result in binge eating. When not used for binge eating disorders, it is sometimes prescribed for ADHD as well.

Note: One of the most significant benefits of this binge eating medication is that you can avoid a relapse longer than medications designed to suppress an eating disorder. However, eating disorders are chronic mental health conditions, so the medicines you receive and any ongoing therapy in which you participate need to be continually managed for efficacy. 

Some side effects of this medication include insomnia, constipation, and anxiety.

Antidepressants 

Antidepressants are commonly prescribed to boost mood and target chemicals in your brain that may otherwise result in emotional binge eating, particularly associated with depressive disorders or anxiety disorders. 

Clients who struggle with self-image, impulse control, or emotional regulation are more likely to use food as a coping mechanism. This can lead to binge eating disorders. However, with antidepressants and ongoing therapy, the same clients can improve their emotional regulation and impulse control and boost their self-image, no longer needing to use food as a coping mechanism.

Mood Stabilizers

Mood stabilizers can be prescribed to treat eating disorders alongside co-occurring mental health issues like anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, or PTSD. In these situations, individuals struggle with eating disorders because they have problems regulating moods. 

Simple things like unhealthy sleeping patterns associated with trauma, depression, or bipolar disorder can disrupt the hormones in your brain that control and regulate hunger and eating. Sometimes medications to treat these mental health disorders can stop or reduce symptoms that disrupt sleep and, in so doing, alleviate binge eating.

Anti-Seizure Medications

In some instances, anti-seizure medications like Topamax can work more effectively than antidepressants to reduce binging. However, it doesn’t help stabilize any mood symptoms and can cause side effects like memory loss. If your eating disorder is the result of co-occurring mental health disorders or problems with mood and emotional regulation, your team might not suggest this medication.

Figuring out how to treat binge eating disorder with medication is something best left to professionals. At Casa Serena, our team can work with you as you move through our eating disorder treatment program and help determine which of these medications best suits your situation, given your physical and mental health.

Get Treatment Today with Casa Serena

Casa Serena is a gender-specific, women-only treatment center. You can feel comfortable and safe surrounded by other women. The beach is just a few minutes away, so you can relax in front of beautiful vistas when you aren’t engaged in treatment.

When you reach out to our team, we can help determine which level of care is most appropriate for your needs. Our top-rated women’s residential treatment center offers inpatient and outpatient programs for eating disorders. With Casa Serena, you can participate in multiple therapy levels, including trauma treatment, career counseling, and mental wellness programs with binge eating medication management services. 

For eating disorders, we specialize in a range of therapy groups on-site, including:

• Perfectly Imperfect classes to address emotional eating
• Acceptance of Body Image Dissatisfaction
• DBT for Binge Eating
• Sorry Not Sorry therapy sessions
• Family support
• Intuitive Eating Groups
• Body and Mind Connection Group
• Body Positivity
• Health at Every Size
• Setting Boundaries with ED

Our eating disorder program runs between ten and twelve weeks in length. Each of the therapies used during your program is personalized to your needs. Certified nutritionists are on staff to ensure you are setting the right goals regarding healthy eating and improving your attitude toward your body, emotions, and food.Let Casa Serena help you start the right eating disorder program today. Call our admissions team to learn more about our eating disorder treatment program for women.

The post How to Treat Binge Eating Disorder With Medication appeared first on Casa Serena | Women's Treatment Center.

Casa Serena Treatment is a premier women’s drug and alcohol rehab in Santa Barbara, offering addiction and dual diagnosis treatment for women.

How Can Winter Impact Mental Health?

Winter directly impacts how much sunlight is available throughout the day. Reduced sunlight in the winter can cause a decrease in Serotonin. 

Serotonin is the chemical in your brain responsible for maintaining mood. With decreased levels of Serotonin, you are more likely to struggle with seasonal affective disorder and symptoms of depression. 

Seasonal affective disorder, SAD, is a type of depression that begins and ends around the same time each year, spanning the winter months and leaving you with reduced energy and moodiness. Some signs include:

• Having low energy from the end of fall to the beginning of spring, with feelings of sluggishness most days
• Losing any interest in activities you once enjoyed
• Having sleep problems like oversleeping or not sleeping well
• Irritability
• Anxiety
• Experiencing difficulty concentrating
• Feeling sad most of the day, almost every day during the winter months
• Experiencing a change in appetite, craving high carbohydrate foods in particular

Tips For Improving Mental Well-Being in the Winter

Recent studies have found that people tend to have five percent more Serotonin in the summer compared to winter. It’s this five percent reduction that leads to seasonal affective disorder. Thankfully there are tips you can apply for cold weather mental health improvement.

Sunlight

You should get as much sun as possible during the winter. This means opening up the windows to let the sunlight in or stepping outside. Sunlight helps brighten up any room, so you will feel more energized throughout the day. It might be extremely cold and snowy outside, but open windows and sun, even filtered through cloud cover or snowfall, can boost natural serotonin levels.

Don’t be afraid to bundle up, step outside for five or ten minutes, and let the sunshine on your face.

Tip: You can always buy artificial light boxes to help, but natural sunlight, even under cloud cover, is the best way to deal with mental health in winter.

Exercise

It’s common to reduce exercise levels when the weather is cold, especially if you like to exercise outdoors. But a lack of exercise can exacerbate symptoms of seasonal affective disorder. Exercise helps to naturally boost many positive chemicals like Serotonin, so find a way to exercise in your home or go to a gym regularly during the winter weather.

Sleep

Sleep is essential to keeping your circadian rhythm and natural hormone production at the right levels. So make sure you maintain a proper sleep schedule during the winter with the same bedtime and early morning alarms.

Casa Serena Treatment Offers Women’s Treatment in Santa Barbara

Seasonal affective disorder should not be disregarded as a seasonal issue you have to tackle on your own. Women’s mental health treatment programs can help individuals learn coping mechanisms and life skills that can help promote general well-being in the winter months.

When you are still struggling to deal with mental health in the winter, Casa Serena offers mental health treatment. At Casa Serena, we provide gender-specific, women-only levels of care. You can participate in our residential program, taking yourself away from your colder climates and coming to Santa Barbara for a beachfront treatment with additional sunlight. If you live nearby, you can participate in our outpatient programs. 

Both of these levels of care are offered just minutes from the beach with a range of therapies, including mental wellness programs, cognitive behavioral therapy, career counseling, and trauma treatment. We can customize your treatment based on any other underlying mental health disorders you might have or co-occurring substance abuse disorders. 

Call us today to learn more about our women-only therapies and how we can help you deal with winter blues.

The post How to Deal With Mental Health in the Winter appeared first on Casa Serena | Women's Treatment Center.

There are many people that are prone to anxiety, but statistics show that women are twice as likely to be affected. Approximately 14% of men have anxiety disorders compared to 23% of women. This article will look at anxiety symptoms in women and how anxiety can impact genders differently. 

What are the Causes of Anxiety?

Here are some common causes of anxiety for women: 

• Trauma: A traumatic experience that has happened to you at some point in your life, such as neglect, abuse, losing a loved one, and experiencing or witnessing a violent act. 
• Life Factors: Negative situations such as stress at work or at home, money problems, or homelessness.
• Health Issues: Physical and medical health issues can cause anxiety. It can also be brought on by the medication you take to treat those issues. 
• Genetics: People are more likely to develop anxiety, or another type of disorder if a parent or close relative is affected. This could be due to their DNA, or it could be due to the environment they were raised in. 
• A Chemical Imbalance: When anxiety gets to disorder levels, it is typically due to a chemical imbalance in the body. The imbalance can be inherited, or it can come from any of the factors listed above. 

Women are especially prone to anxiety due to the expectations of being a good mother, wife, or maintaining their careers. The risk can also be increased by brain chemistry and hormonal fluctuations. Women have also been shown to ruminate more about stressful situations than men. 

Females are also more likely to be victims of sexual abuse, which can increase anxiety later in life. 

What are Common Anxiety Symptoms in Women? 

While women are more prone to anxiety than men, anxiety disorder symptoms in women do not differ much from the opposite sex. They include the following: 

• Nervousness
• Irritability
• Panic and panic attacks
• Increased heart rate
• Hyperventilation
• Sweating
• Shaking
• Fatigue
• Difficulty sleeping
• Gastrointestinal issues
• Difficulty concentrating
• Sense of impending doom

How Does Anxiety Affect Drug Use? 

Anxiety and drug use are often tied together. Many people who are dealing with anxiety and other mental illnesses are reluctant to reach out for the help they need. This may be due to a fear of stigmas, or they may not have the time or money to deal with the problem. Some may feel their anxiety isn’t that bad. 

Instead of getting the help they need, they use drugs and alcohol to self-medicate. These illicit substances may temporarily relieve symptoms, but they make them worse in the long run. They can lead to addiction, causing the person to deal with two disorders; substance abuse and anxiety. 

Fortunately, many rehab facilities take a dual diagnosis approach. This is a type of therapy that addresses the addiction and the mental illness causing the addiction. It offers a management strategy that’s conducive to long-term recovery. 

How to Find an Anxiety Treatment Center in Southern California

There are several facilities that offer anxiety treatment in Southern California. These include those that will address co-occurring disorders of anxiety and addiction. If you are looking for one that’s right for your anxiety in women symptoms, Casa Serena is highly recommended. 

Casa Serena is a nonprofit treatment facility for women. We are located in the beautiful Santa Barbara, CA area. We have over 60 years of rehab experience under our belt. 

Our nonprofit status allows us to use our funding to find the best treatments available. We offer inpatient and outpatient programs. We integrate a variety of therapies, ensuring you get the customized care you require. 

Anxiety symptoms in women are not pleasant to deal with, but they can be especially difficult if they co-occur alongside an addiction. Casa Serena can provide you with the tools you need to leave your disorders behind you. Contact us to find out how to move forward to a happier, healthier state of being with our mental health and outpatient addiction treatment for women.

The post What are Common Anxiety Symptoms in Women? appeared first on Casa Serena | Women's Treatment Center.

What are the Signs of Anxiety in Women? 

Anxiety symptoms can differ from person to person. They may vary according to your personality and the type of anxiety you are dealing with. Some people may experience more severe symptoms than others. 

However, when it comes to the types of symptoms anxiety produces, there is little difference between those that manifest in men and women. They include:

• Difficulty concentrating
• Irritability
• Sleep problems
• Physical symptoms like muscle aches, stomach aches, headaches, and general unexplained pain
• Fatigue
• Sweating
• Feelings of impending doom
• Nausea
• Trembling 
• Palpitations 
• Fear and being easily startled
• Racing thoughts

Does Anxiety Impact Women More Than Men?

Men and women may experience similar anxiety symptoms, but the disorder is more likely to occur in women. Here are some stats to consider:

• About 3.4% of women have been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, compared to 1.9% of men. 
• Approximately 3% of adolescent girls have been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, compared to 1.5% of adolescent boys.
• Women with anxiety disorder account for about 1.04 of emergency room visits, compared to .59 visits from anxious men. 
• Women with anxiety miss around 2.25 days of work per month, compared with 1.27 days for women who don’t have anxiety, but there were no differences for men.
• There is no difference between the onset and progression of the disorder among the genders.

What Anxiety Disorders Affect Women?

There are several types of anxiety disorder you may be diagnosed with. These include the following: 

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder: This is characterized by ongoing anxiety even if there is little or nothing to cause it. 
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: OCD involves recurrent unpleasant thoughts, and repetitive behavior performed to manage these thoughts. For instance, if someone has a fear their dog might get hurt, they may believe washing their hands a certain way will keep the dog safe. Although the behaviors calm obsessive thoughts temporarily, they increase anxiety long-term. 
• Panic Disorder: People with a panic disorder will experience episodes of intense fear characterized by heart palpitations, chest pain, dizziness, stomachaches, and shortness of breath with little or nothing to bring it on. 
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: PTSD is an anxiety disorder that develops after being exposed to a traumatic event. 
• Social Phobia: People with a social phobia will have a fear of interacting in a social situation. They may avoid all social situations, or they may have issues with a certain social situation, such as public speaking.

Women are more likely than men to develop all the anxiety disorders listed above except for social phobia. Regarding social phobia diagnosis rates, men and women are about equal.

Females are also more likely to develop certain co-occurring disorders alongside anxiety. These include bulimia nervosa, depressive disorder, and agoraphobia. Men are more likely to develop substance abuse or an intermittent explosive disorder.

Women are also more likely to experience a physical condition or illness related to their anxiety.

How to Find Anxiety Treatment for Women in Southern California 

If you are dealing with anxiety, it’s important to reach out for the help you need. The more a person uses drugs to self-medicate, the more likely they are to develop a mental health disorder.

Fortunately, rehab centers address both addiction and underlying causes like anxiety. If you are looking for substance abuse and mental health facility in Southern California, Casa Serena is the ideal solution.

Casa Serena is a Santa Barbara rehab facility specializing in women’s substance abuse and mental health treatment. We take a dual diagnosis approach for women’s treatment, creating customized plans that simultaneously address addiction and its underlying causes. We have been around for over 60 years and have helped thousands of women recover from alcohol and drug dependency issues.
Anxiety can take its toll leading to dangerous substance abuse issues. Casa Serena can help you get the treatment you need to move on to a higher quality of life. Call us today to find out what we have to offer.

The post Does Anxiety Impact Women More Than Men? appeared first on Casa Serena | Women's Treatment Center.

What is Trauma?

The American Psychological Association defines trauma as “an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape or natural disaster.” Trauma symptoms develop in the days, weeks, and months following a traumatic event. Although these symptoms are typical and expected based on the circumstances, some women struggle to overcome their trauma and move on with their lives. In these cases, seeking help at a Southern California women’s treatment center like Casa Serena may help. There are three types of trauma. The severity of your symptoms and how your symptoms evolve or resolve may depend on the kind of trauma you experience.

The three types of trauma are acute trauma, chronic trauma, and complex trauma. Acute trauma describes the type of trauma that results from a single adverse event. Chronic trauma occurs due to repeated and prolonged exposure to harm such as abuse or a violent relationship. Finally, complex trauma describes repeated exposure to different and multiple traumatic events. Often, those who experience complex trauma are witnesses to or victims of invasive and personal trauma.

How Does Trauma Impact Women?

Data from the American Psychological Association shows women are at a greater risk for long-term impacts of trauma. Some studies show women are more than twice as likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder after a traumatic event. Women are also more likely to struggle with trauma symptoms that last far longer than those experienced by men. It takes an average of four years for women to receive a diagnosis and effective trauma treatment. This is compared to closer to one year for men.

The signs and symptoms of trauma are often different based on gender. Women are more likely to have symptoms such as avoidance, emotional numbness, shame, and self-blame. Women also experience high rates of co-occurring anxiety and mood disorders that develop due to trauma.

What Can Cause Trauma?

There are several reasons why women may experience different reactions to trauma. Statistically, women are more likely to be exposed to varying types of trauma than men. A typical example of this is sexual violence. Statistics show one in four women are raped before age 50 compared to 8% of men in the same age group. Women are statistically more likely to experience higher levels of other high-impact traumas such as domestic violence and physical assault.

Other circumstances or events that may cause trauma include:

• Learning about the harm that occurred to a loved one, death or injury to a loved one, or serious illness.
• Accidents.
• Natural disasters.
• Acts of terrorism.
• Witnessing a violent event.

Women who experience trauma from military service are also at risk of developing PTSD, as are men.

How Does Trauma Impact Mental Health and Addiction?

There are several connections between trauma and addiction. The most common is using self-medication. It can quickly become overpowering when you or a loved one struggles with trauma’s painful and often unpleasant symptoms. In some cases, victims of trauma struggle to complete or participate in everyday activities and obligations such as going to work or school, socializing with friends, going to the mall, or taking care of family and loved ones.

It is not uncommon for trauma victims to turn to drugs or alcohol to help reduce emotional and physical pain associated with their trauma. Although substances are successful for a short time, the effects inevitably wear off, leaving you to struggle with your symptoms once more. This leads many to begin using or drinking at higher amounts and more frequent intervals to achieve a lasting escape from symptoms. Unfortunately, this dependency on drugs and alcohol can quickly lead to a substance use disorder and worsening mental and physical health symptoms. The safest and most effective way to overcome struggles with trauma and addiction is to seek support and help at a Santa Barbara women’s treatment program like Casa Serena. Our team of experienced, caring providers understands the unique ways trauma and addiction affect women and are here to help you begin your journey towards wellness. Contact us today to learn more about our Southern California treatment programs and how we can help.

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