Becoming a new parent brings a range of emotions, including excitement, joy, anger, sadness, anxiety, and fear. Most of these feelings are normal during the transition to parenthood. However, if you consistently don’t feel like yourself, you may have a postpartum mood disorder. Postpartum mood disorders are mental health conditions that occur during or after childbirth. These include postpartum depression (PPD), postpartum anxiety, postpartum rage, and postpartum psychosis. These disorders are different from the “baby blues,” which is a brief period of sadness after childbirth that typically resolves within a month. Understanding these disorders is crucial due to their impact on the parent-child relationship. While the transition to parenthood is challenging, with the right help, symptoms can be managed.
Biological, emotional, and social factors can all contribute to postpartum mood disorders.
It’s important to consider your family and personal history of mental health, as mothers with such histories are often at higher risk. Understanding the hormonal changes that happen both during and post pregnancy can help you make sense of your emotional experiences. Caring for a newborn is incredibly challenging and can significantly increase emotional stress. If you’ve experienced trauma in your past, especially related to parenting, you might feel anxious about raising your child. Birth trauma can also add to these feelings. One of the biggest challenges many new parents face is a lack of a support system, as we live in a world where most of us are disconnected from family and community.
Despite distinctions between postpartum mood disorders, they share common symptoms like persistent sadness, guilt, irritability, sleep disturbances, physical exhaustion, trouble concentrating, racing thoughts, appetite changes, and intrusive thoughts. Determining if symptoms warrant attention can be challenging due to natural changes after having a baby. However, it’s never too early to seek help as symptoms can escalate quickly. Various treatments are available, including support from family and friends, medication, therapy (especially after birth trauma), and support groups.
Understanding your unique risk factors empowers you to prepare and cope effectively. When possible, seek support before pregnancy or birth if you have concerns. Openly discuss your postpartum mental health concerns with loved ones, identify warning signs in advance, and establish a plan. Knowledge is empowering; educate yourself about pregnancy and childbirth to comprehend the physiological changes and take responsibility for your health.
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Call 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262)—The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline
Stress Awareness Month is when we recognize the severity of stress and its impacts on the mind, body, and soul. This month prompts the opportunity to reflect on the stressors we experience and how they affect us both mentally and physically. In this blog, we educate about the potential risks of long-term stress and provide resources on how to manage stress for improved overall well-being.
Stress Affects the Mind, Body, and Soul
To maintain mental and overall well-being, it’s crucial to understand how stress affects us and learn effective ways to manage it. Prolonged intense stress (also known as chronic stress) can be both overwhelming and detrimental to our health. Lower levels of stress or, acute stress, is more digestible for the mind and body. Acute stress consists of day-to-day items that add temporary pressure, like bad traffic or a pop quiz for students. Often in these cases, the body’s “fight or flight” adrenal response helps us perform well in short-term stressful situations.
Smaller stressors are expected in our human experience, however, ongoing life stressors can make our mental and physical health suffer as they pile up quickly and are difficult to manage. Someone who is chronically stressed may have difficulty focusing or remembering things, or they may lack clarity of thought. Someone who functions well under high stress may only realize the amount of pressure they are under when it affects their physical health. The Mayo Clinic found that chronic or ongoing stress can lead to serious mental and physical health issues, like:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Muscle Tension and Pain
- Heart Disease, Heart Attack, High Blood Pressure, and Stroke
When someone is under constant stress, even if they don’t feel stressed, their body is constantly reacting with “fight or flight” responses, which repeatedly over time can lead to health issues. When someone experiences stress, the brain alarms the adrenal and nervous systems to release cortisol, which increases their heart rate and blood pressure and releases sugar into their blood. This creates that “adrenaline rush” sensation some people feel when public speaking or doing different daring or stressful activities.
While this cortisol spike may feel good, prolonged high cortisol levels can negatively impact your immune system, digestive system, and reproductive system. Normally, once the activity causing stress on the mind or body is accomplished, the body lowers its cortisol release and adrenaline levels return back to normal. However, for someone who experiences a series of long-term stressors, this natural brain and body response can end up doing damage. This is why it is important to be able to identify common stressors and learn how to manage them.
The Most Common Stressors
By being aware of the most common stressors, it’s easier to reflect and identify what causes stress in your own life. In fact, with the ongoing pandemic and continual tragic current events, research has confirmed that within the last 5 years, the United States as a whole has experienced higher levels of stress than usual. According to recent research, the top stressors are:
-The COVID-19 Pandemic and its Effects
-Violence and Crime
-Work (or Lack of Work)
-School-Related Stressors (Applying for College/Continued Education, Exams, Requirements, Grades)
-Income or Money-related items (Cost of Living/Finances/Debt)
-Home Upkeep (Mortgage Payments, Repairs, Weekly Shopping, Cooking, Cleaning)
-Family Relations
-Romantic Relations
-Friendships
-The Current State of the Economy or Politics
-Climate Change and Other Current Events
-Current State of Personal Physical or Mental Health
-Chronic Illnesses or Unexpected Health Difficulties
-Caretaking
Symptoms of Stress
It’s common for people not to realize the tie between their physical ailments and their mental state. By knowing the physical and mental symptoms of stress, one can more easily identify how seriously stress is affecting them.
Here are the most common symptoms to lookout for:
| Emotional Symptoms: |
Physical Symptoms: |
Behavioral Symptoms: |
| Irritability |
Digestive problems
|
Changes in appetite or eating habits |
| Constant worry |
Headaches |
Using avoidance tactics, like procrastination |
| Forgetfulness |
Sleep problems |
Unhealthy coping strategies |
| Inability to focus |
Weight gain or loss |
Habits like nail biting, fidgeting and inability to sit still |
| Mental fog |
Low energy |
Menstrual problems |
| Feeling Depressed |
Aches, pains, or muscle tension |
Skin and hair problems |
| Feeling unmotivated |
High heart rate |
Exercising less and/or napping more |
| Fatigue |
Clenched jaw or grinding of the teeth |
Avoiding spending time with others |
|
Frequent colds or signs of a weakened immune system |
|
|
Trembles, ringing in the ears, and/or cold or clammy hands or feet |
|
How to Prevent Becoming Overwhelmed with Stress
If you are struggling with stress symptoms, you can offset its effects in your life with stress management techniques. The easiest stress management technique is to focus on the controllable aspects of your life, such as your schedule or how you spend your time. While you may not have the option to attend work events or required functions, you can still control your free time. If you tend to over-commit yourself, practice minimizing your commitments and maximizing your free time to take care of yourself. If an empty calendar stresses you out as much as a full one does, it may be helpful to schedule time for yourself. For example, schedule a movie night with friends or family, or even just yourself if your social battery is drained. Scheduling intentional rest time, days off, and/or time to do what you enjoy will help your mind and body recharge and decompress from stress.
Try These Simple Stress Management Techniques:
- Breathing exercises or meditation
- Regular light exercise like yoga or walking in nature
- Watching a movie or reading a book
- Spending time with family and friends
- Spend time engaging in one of your hobbies
- Utilize creative outlets like art-making, making or playing music, or building something
- Journaling about what is causing stress or your thoughts and emotions
- Eating a balanced diet
- Getting the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep each night
- Self-care
Some Stress Is Unavoidable, but it Can Be Managed with Support
Life is full of seasons of love and loss, fast pace and slow pace, great joy, and unbearable sorrow. Often an unexpected or uncontrollable stressful life event can leave someone unsure of where to turn for support. The American Psychological Association’s most recent survey showed that 36% of adults don’t know where to start when it comes to managing their stress, and 33% said they feel completely stressed out no matter what they do to manage their stress.
If this resonates with you, the best step to take is to reach out for professional guidance. Support from a licensed counselor or therapist will help you process your stress in a healthy way, learn more in-depth stress management techniques, and equip you to be more adaptive and resilient to current and future stressors. The American Psychological Association confirmed that “Coping with long-term stress requires a different set of skills than adjusting to temporary stressors.” Getting guidance from a mental health professional is the best way to obtain that skill set. Remember, to always reach out for help when you feel too stressed to know what to do.
Wings Recovery Can Help
If you are seeking professional support for your stress, we can help. Wings Recovery has mental health therapists and psychiatrists who are here to help you identify the root causes of your stress and empower you to learn how to cope and overcome it. We ensure that you receive the highest level of support while you tackle obstacles at work and home.
We have various levels of care and staff that can recommend which level is best for you.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed or stressed out, remember you are not alone.
Reach out today for support.
Call 1-(888)-790-9377 or contact us online at: https://wingsrecoverycenter.com/contact-us/
Women’s History Month is a month designated to celebrating women’s contributions in America. This celebration first began in Santa Rosa, California in 1978, as “Women’s History Week” in coordination with International Women’s Day on March 8th. Soon after, other communities around the United States began recognizing “Women’s History Week” annually. After the first presidential proclamation declaring Women’s History Week in 1980, annual proclamations continued until 1987, when Congress passed a law officially recognizing March as Women’s History Month. Now, every year, The National Women’s History Alliance curates and publishes a theme for the month.
This year’s theme is “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.”
Wings Recovery is proud to be a women-founded, women-owned, and women-led organization. Our wonderful women on staff work daily to ensure the atmospheres we create at our facilities foster equal opportunities for all to come and seek healing in their personal walk. We welcome and celebrate diversity and our therapists actively invite everyone to participate freely in our group programming.
As a facility that provides mental health care administered by women, for women, we are joining in the Women’s History Month celebration by recognizing some important female figures of the past, who paved the way for what we do today.
About Dr. Hilde Bruch:
Dr. Hilde Bruch, born in Germany in 1904, received her MD in 1929 and came to the United States in 1933, where she studied psychiatry and began practicing psychoanalysis. Her work led to her pioneering the study of eating disorders with a specific focus on Anorexia Nervosa. Dr. Bruch led a ground-breaking lecture in 1982 that presented her theory of psychopathology on problems like body perception, emotion processing, and interpersonal relationships as core theoretical aspects of eating disorder illnesses. Later, she provided three core targets of treatment: family relationships, patients’ inner confusion, and nutritional restoration.
It’s clear to see how her ideas have shaped the modern treatment of mental health conditions and eating disorders. We are grateful to Dr. Bruch and her research for furthering the treatment of eating disorders as medical problems.
About Dr. Mary Ainsworth:
Dr. Ainsworth earned her Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Toronto in 1939. Shortly after, she researched and practiced both abroad in London and Uganda and in the U.S. at John Hopkins, and later taught at the University of Virginia. Her work was crucial in understanding mother-child bonds, other types of human attachments, and their effects on someone’s life, and has since inspired many other studies on these topics. Dr. Ainsworth’s research contributions played an important role in understanding child development. For her grand accomplishments in the field, Dr. Ainsworth was awarded the American Psychological Foundation’s Gold Medal Award for Life Achievement in the Science of Psychology in 1998. We recognize Dr. Mary Ainsworth as a major player in developmental psychology.
About Dr. Karen Horney:
Dr. Karen Horney (1885-1952) has influenced a variety of psychological theory and practice. Her ideas about personality development are aligned with modern personality psychology, attachment theory, and research findings on the effects traumatic experiences have on the brain. She was best known for boldly challenging Freud’s theories on women through her published book, Feminine Psychology, and developing ideas on inner conflicts, self-analysis, and self-growth. Dr. Horney believed and promoted the idea that people can change, grow, develop, and heal from life experiences through self-reflection. In her writing, she explains, “It is not only the young child who is pliable. All of us retain the capacity to change, even to change in fundamental ways, as long as we live.” Here at Wings Recovery, we know this to be true as we have seen our patients put their minds and efforts toward healing and leave our care changed for the better.
Programs for Women, Designed by Women
The Wings Recovery Staff is led by powerful women who each possess a passion and a personal mission to guide women, transgender women, and non-binary individuals struggling with mental health conditions toward healing. Through the utilization of evidence-based therapy methods and by adjusting treatment plans to meet the needs of each individual, our expert staff meets patients where they are and guides them toward discovering a healthier and more balanced lifestyle.
Wings Recovery has specially designed gender-specific programs where women can find other women who understand what they’ve been through. We know that some past experiences are difficult to work through in the presence of men, which is why we are proud to provide a peaceful, accepting, supportive space for women to find refuge and begin the hard work of addressing the underlying trauma of their mental health conditions.
If you or someone you know are struggling with any aspect of mental health, don’t wait to seek help.
Call us at 1-888-790-9377 or contact us online with any questions or concerns you may have.
Don’t put off living life to the fullest; we can start leading you on the path towards healing today.
Wings Recovery also offers specially designed programs for men as well as military members and first responders.
With the new year comes new opportunities – spending time with friends and family, collaborating with coworkers, achieving personal goals, and much more. Some look forward to making new memories with the people in their lives or tackling exciting challenges. Others may feel anxious about certain social events or interactions that will happen this year.
It’s not uncommon for there to be a conflict of interest or personalities that don’t blend well across your family, friend group, or workplace. Small disagreements can often evolve into hurtful arguments that may take a toll on the well-being of all involved. Start your year off right in your relationships by reducing and managing conflicts using “I” statements and other techniques that prevent unproductive communication. Here, we share therapists’ recommended ways to smooth over friction with others this year while positively maintaining your own personal mental health.
Conflicts Can Be Common – You Can Choose Your Reaction
As individuals, we are all unique with differing beliefs, perspectives, values, opinions, and innate reactions. This is a good thing, as these differences are what make humanity so intricate and wonderful. However, the things that make us “us” can sometimes cause friction within social settings when challenged by someone with opposing viewpoints or a different personality. When this happens, it’s first and foremost important to remember that each of us has the potential to influence a difficult situation by managing our reactions and doing our best to practice self-control in our responses toward someone.
If someone is concerned for you, your health, or your habits, they may ask personal questions or offer suggestions on how to improve or change what they see as “negative” attributes. While their words may come from a good place, they may be triggering and unwelcome nonetheless. When experiencing this, reframe instinctual defensive responses by using “I” statements in order to set firm boundaries in a calm and collected manner with your friends and family.
What Is an “I” Statement?
An “I” statement is a way of rephrasing frustrations to communicate an individual’s feelings, actions, and beliefs, which makes it easier for listeners to accept and work toward a compromise for a dispute. “I” statements are less accusatory expressions that prevent the listener from becoming defensive during the pursuit of a problem that needs to be solved. By using these types of self-affirming words, you are focusing on your own feelings instead of the wrongdoings and behaviors of others. Leading with “I feel” or explaining your point of view allows you to express the hurt caused by the other, without accusing them, which often only invokes defensive responses.
This is a technique often used by therapists in marital, couples, and family counseling, yet it functions beyond romantic and familial relationships. It works by helping to prevent aggressive blaming while promoting understanding of different perspectives, which allows individuals to reach a resolution.
How to Form an “I” Statement
When forming an “I” statement, lead with how you are feeling, like “I feel frustrated when…” Then, try to connect this feeling with the circumstances or a problem that can be solved. This prepares the listener to recognize your emotions and work toward a solution to the problem.
For example, if a messy home is causing problems, you can prompt a productive discussion about it by using “I” statements. Your initial instinct may be to say, “You always make messes and never clean anything!” Instead, take a breath and rephrase this quick accusatory response to be more collected and formatted around an “I” statement for better results, such as “I feel frustrated when I come home and see dirty laundry on the floor that I have to step around. I get overwhelmed when my environment is messy and I have to clean it every day on my own. Can we both make an effort to put everything in the hamper?”
Other examples include:
“You don’t care enough about me to check in with me.”
Reframe as an “I” statement: “I miss being able to share more about my weekly life with you. How can we better stay in touch with one another?”
“You’re always bossing me around and you never ask me what I want to do!”
Reframe as an “I” statement: “I feel as if I don’t get to express my desires often enough. What if I have an idea of what I want to do? I don’t always get to tell you about it, and it puts me down, how can we fix that?”
It can be challenging to rephrase feelings into “I” statements in a productive manner when first learning this technique. Sometimes, statements can still be accusatory in nature, even when they start with “I feel.” For example, if you were to say, “I feel like you never listen to me,” this technically is an “I” statement that focuses on the emotions of the speaker; however, it still ends with an accusation of the other. Statements should continue to focus on the speaker’s feelings and offer a solution.
Using this communication style may take time and practice to implement with ease, especially in moments of frustration. Give yourself and others as much grace as possible as you navigate this new way of expressing yourself. While there is no guarantee that “I” statements will solve all oppositions in relationships, they set the tone for an open dialogue to take place and prevent the discussion from immediately escalating into a heated verbal fight.
There’s No Shame in Setting Healthy Boundaries, or in Sitting It Out
Whether you’re attending a social gathering or going about your daily life, there are bound to be situations you may dread due to difficult people, conversations, or situations. To avoid escalating potential conflicts, prepare yourself with “I” statements that express your boundaries.
For example, a family member may pressure you to enjoy a celebratory drink despite knowing you are in recovery or may pressure you for details on your current treatment. A friend may repeatedly ask you to attend a social gathering where another person not conducive to your well-being will also be present. Or someone you may not know as well will still ask intrusive questions.
Be firm and confident in establishing boundaries in such situations with your “I” statements. These may include:
“I feel uncomfortable with your questions and will not be discussing this topic tonight.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing everyone, but I will be leaving at [set time].”
“I don’t appreciate being pressured after I have said no. Please respect this and do not ask again.”
Above all, remember that, sometimes, choosing what is be best for you is choosing to refrain from attending certain events with certain people. If you think a gathering or situation may lead negatively affect your mental health, you have the power to choose whether or not you attend.
Evaluate Your Energy Output and Your Own Mental Peace
While “I” statements can help reduce heated arguments and uncomfortable conflicts, it’s important to regularly evaluate if their use is improving the relationships in your life.
If you begin to realize you are putting a lot of energy and effort into a relationship with little reciprocation or resolution, there may be something deeper at play. Pay attention to how this person responds to you setting boundaries for yourself. Investigate the root causes of issues present in this relationship by asking yourself if you feel valued by this person.
Do their actions and behaviors overall reflect care and respect toward you? If not, it may be time to set some stronger boundaries or even consider not being in a relationship with this person to protect your mental and emotional well-being.
Wings Recovery Can Help
If you or a loved one is struggling to manage conflicts in their life or are dealing with relational trauma, the Wings Recovery staff is here to help. Our mental health programs provide individuals with the resources they need to understand their difficulties and work to overcome them.
By utilizing a combination of evidence-based and holistic therapy approaches, our therapists help individuals find the method that works best for them.
Wings Recovery can help you find hope and healing in your personal life and relationships, call us at 1-888-790-9377 with questions.
The holiday season is different for everyone. For many, it’s a happy season, filled with family, fun, and festivities they look forward to all year. But for others, the holiday season is difficult to endure and may be dreaded, as for them it’s a time of loneliness and feeling disconnected from others.
If you are among the many Americans who feel more alone during this time of year, know that you’re not as alone as you may feel. Loneliness is a normal human experience, and this emotion has been felt by many before, especially during the holidays. Feelings of loneliness can signal that the body and soul need more care and connectedness. Read on to learn practical ways to bring hope and joy back into the season.
How to Combat Loneliness This Year
While no one wants to feel alone, creating a plan for what to do when loneliness creeps in can help you be more prepared for when these feelings arise. It helps to have activities or mental exercises planned that will keep your mind present, which will combat those feelings of loneliness that are known to start a spiral.
Here are some ways to proactively cope with feelings of isolation this holiday season.
Recognize Your Feelings and Act on Them
When you start feeling down in the dumps and lonely, recognize that emotion. Rather than letting your mind spiral, practice journaling to help yourself be present and understand your emotions. Journaling releases emotions from the mind and body and helps individuals process these emotions in a healthy way.
If journaling may not be right for you, challenge yourself to practice gratitude.
Write down three things you are grateful for and try to think of more. It can be as simple as, “I’m grateful for a heating system in my home during the winter, food in my fridge, and my dog who makes me smile.” By focusing on what you have and are grateful for, you take the focus away from the negative feelings that may come with being alone. Challenge yourself to practice this daily to boost your mental health and well-being during the winter months.
Intentionally Connect with Friends and Family
While it may be difficult, find family members or friends to reach out to during the season. When asked how you are doing, be honest with them, as talking with someone you trust will help you feel better. Remember, they care about you and have felt the same way at some point in their lives too. Being honest with one another and sharing such emotions brings about a sense of connection, so loved ones may be prompted to reach back out to you in the future to further build that relationship.
If you aren’t able to physically meet with friends and family, try some other ways to connect:
- Send cards and gifts to each other via mail
- Schedule calls via Zoom, Facetime, or Skype
- Stream a movie or TV show together
- Schedule a video call to play games together
- Read the same book, listen to the same podcast or the same music album, and then call and share your thoughts about it with one another
Be Around People
Even if you are not specifically with someone you know, being around other people in a public space can help ground someone who is feeling lonely. This also prompts you to leave the house, which removes the physical atmosphere that enforces feelings of isolation. Visit a nearby park, or a local art gallery, museum, or café. Bring a book to read, or simply take in your surroundings. Through this, share in the human experience of life; you never know who you may meet along the way.
Plan to Do Activities You Enjoy
Having a list of activities you enjoy will be helpful when loneliness begins to set in. Planning out activities or events to attend that you can look forward to will bring hope and excitement back to the holiday season.
Examples of activities could be:
- Shopping
- Baking
- Decorating
- Reading
- Watching a movie
- Listening to music
- Doing puzzles
- Ice skating
- Driving around to see Christmas lights
- Visiting the zoo
- Walking in a nearby park
- Starting a personal project, like a craft or a construction project
You can also look up local holiday activities happening in your community. If you can, invite a family member, neighbor, or friend to join you in these activities. Whether it’s a festive parade or a Christmas tree lighting at the mall, attending a festive event can lift your spirits and help you find belonging in your community.
Serve Others by Volunteering
Look for ways to better your community by volunteering at shelters and other community centers. Spending time with those in need reminds us of what we have to be grateful for in life. You may even end up volunteering as a part of a team of people with similar values and interests as you. The act of volunteering shifts someone’s focus on others, which makes service an effective way to fight feelings of isolation. By serving others, you are serving yourself!
Practice Self-Care
Be sure to treat yourself to something special this year. Finding ways to care for yourself physically will help combat the physical and emotional stressors of the season. This could mean enjoying a pedicure or massage, finally splurging on that new home décor or clothing item you’ve had your eye on, or visiting a restaurant you’ve always wanted to try. While everyone’s relationship with food is different, being sure you receive as many nutrients as possible. This will help your mind and body during the hard winter season. A balanced diet and quality sleep will support mood and overall health.
Reduce Your Use of Social Media
Social media can be a great tool to stay connected with friends and family. However, along with this comes challenges. While some social media users are open and honest about their lives, the majority only like to showcase the good times and the “highlights” of life and often leave out the lows that they may be experiencing. Only seeing everything go right for hundreds of people can cause doubt and feelings of envy and frustration with our own lives. It’s important to remember that many times, what we see on social media is often staged or simply not reality. Often, the seemingly perfect family in matching pajamas starts arguing right after the photo is taken. In addition to this, remember that people don’t always look and feel as great as they seem on social media. Many of the friends and family you see on your social media and even influencers have their own struggles.
Overall, social media can be a reminder of what you’re longing for and make someone who is feeling isolated, feel even worse. When this happens, using social media becomes counterproductive. Stay connected with family and friends with calls and text messages and spend your time watching a favorite show instead.
Wings Recovery Is Here for You
Feelings of loneliness can be temporary, but if those feelings persist for months at a time, there might be something deeper causing you strife. Many people have serious mental health conditions that go untreated.
If you or a loved one are feeling overwhelmingly lonely or depressed due to the loss of a partner, family member, or close friend, we encourage you to contact us for professional support this season.
The programs at Wings Recovery include group therapy sessions, which help many to bond with others over similar struggles and not feel so alone. Many of our clients have made lasting friendships in our programs and have found it comforting to meet with others in group sessions. All group sessions are facilitated by a mental health care professional.
Our care teams consist of highly trained professionals who are here to support you through the holiday season and are ready to help you find effective ways to heal your mental health.
Contact us today for a consultation:
https://wingsrecoverycenter.com/contact-us/
