Sign Up To Receive Our Latest Blog Posts!
Learn more tips on living well and understanding mental illness. Help to end the stigma, and hear inspiring stories of recovery. Sign up here!
Author: Danielle Beckwith
Sometimes the news is just plain scary.
For most everyone, events of terror shake our foundations and change the way we view our safety and well-being. That’s the point of terror. Anxiety happens to everyone, some more than others. I would be lying if I said I didn’t worry and let my mind move into the “what if’s”. Any good worrier can move easily from scenario to scenario, each one worse than the other.
Worry can be a gutter ball of a thought that always moves us to the negative, the scary and the catastrophic. This “catastrophizing” can be no joke. Here are some strategies to manage your anxiety about terrorism, if you find yourself in a dark and negative place over events in the world or just your own corner of it.
- Stay In The Day
First, stay in the day, the “what if’s are all about things you can’t control. Try to learn when you are doing this and listen for your voice saying “what if”. That doesn’t mean don’t plan or strategize if you need to, but doing the “what if’s” is that same as spinning and going nowhere. When you find it happening, remind yourself to only focus on the here and now…the things you can control. The Serenity Prayer is great for calling you back to helpful thinking.
- Consider The Odds
Another helpful strategy is to consider the odds. With all the chaos in the world people are still living long, productive and reasonably happy lives, putting one foot in front of the other. Odds are that things we do every day like driving, working, or even eating a sandwich can be dangerous, and more likely to affect us than an act of terror in our town.
- Find Comfort in Connecting
Lastly, in uncertain times people often find great comfort connection to those things that bring their lives meaning; faith, family and interests. Don’t worry alone. Share your concerns and allow others to help. Some people, both children, and adults, sometimes find that they can’t stop the spinning “What if’s… the Gutterball Thoughts… or the Catastrophizing. That’s exactly when a counselor can help. Everyone worries, but the worries don’t need to control your life.
Author: Luanne Starr Rhoades, LCPC, LADC, CCS, Health Affiliates Maine
Sign Up To Receive Our Latest Blog Posts!
Learn more tips on living well and understanding mental illness. Help to end the stigma, and hear inspiring stories of recovery. Sign up here!
According to Maine’s Attorney General’s Office, the evident opiate epidemic in Maine has resulted in 50 more deaths in 2014 from just 4 years ago.
In response to WMTW’s series on Maine’s Heroin Epidemic this month, Outpatient Therapy Director Luanne Starr Rhoades of Health Affiliates Maine comments, “There are a lot of reasons Maine is struggling with this epidemic. In the not too distant past, physicians felt freer to treat their patient’s pain with opiates. In many cases, it was too much, for too long; and some people became addicted.”
Rhoades elaborates, “Now, with increased scrutiny of prescribing practices, physicians are hesitant to prescribe opiates for pain. Left to their own devices, some people in pain have turned to Heroin and opiate medications sold on the street. Criminal activity of stealing and diverting prescribed medications also happens. Street drugs, and especially heroin, are abundant and relatively inexpensive. The supply of opiates and other drugs come into Maine right up the 95 corridor from Boston and New York. As a result, we are now seeing our neighbors, co-workers and friends impacted by these drugs like never before”.
According to the Maine Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services, in 2014, nearly seven out of ten overdose deaths involved an opiate. And since 2012, the numbers of deaths involving heroin and or morphine have more than doubled.
Getting help.
These are very alarming statistics, and many are wondering what we can do to combat this. For those families who want to know how to help their loved one overcome this, there are some options they can consider. For instance, doing an online search of Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP) is a likely first step towards getting clean.
There are also Medication Assisted Treatment options for opiate addiction which are available in Maine in the form of Methodone and Saboxone prescribed by a physician. Nevertheless, even after moving beyond the physical dependency and the cravings the reasons behind the abuse often are still there. Seeking therapy from a substance abuse counselor can help individuals work through all of the struggles that lead them to using.
What to watch for.
Some signs and signals we can all watch for, that might mean someone is struggling with an opiate addiction:
- Social withdrawal from family & loved ones
- Extreme alterations in mood
- Weight loss, nausea, diarrhea & vomiting
- Continued use of the opiate, even after pain has subsided
You can get a complete list of warning signs and other useful information on opiate addiction at: http://www.addictionhope.com/opiates
Sign Up To Receive Our Latest Blog Posts!
Learn more tips on living well and understanding mental illness. Help to end the stigma, and hear inspiring stories of recovery. Sign up here!
“To those feeling hopeless, no matter how bad you are hurting, we want you to know …you are not alone and you matter.”
In light of the recent news from the Brunswick Police Department regarding missing 30 year old Lisa Cox, who is believed to have committed suicide, Executive Director Andrea Krebs of Health Affiliates Maine reflects on her tragic passing “While we do not understand all the facts that lead up to someone choosing to take their own life, we do understand the struggle and bleakness one may feel.. Painful events or feelings of despair, can cause individuals to feel like there is no other option” says Krebs. “To those feeling hopeless, no matter how bad you are hurting, we want you to know …you are not alone and you matter.”
According to the Maine CDC, 24% of all deaths in Maine are considered to be suicide and is the 11th leading cause of death in the nation. Despite the dire statistics, there is help out there and warning signs to help prevent suicide. “Speaking to a supportive person or professional and developing a safety plan for those more challenging times, are important first steps” says Krebs.
Signs that all of us can pay attention to that may mean someone is at risk of suicide include talking about:
- wanting to die or kill oneself
- feeling hopeless or having no reason to live
- feeling trapped or in unbearable pain
- being a burden to others
You can get a complete list of warning signs and other useful information at Suicide Prevention Life line: www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
If you or someone you know is at risk of harming themselves, please contact the statewide crisis hotline at 1-888-568-1112 or the suicide prevention lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
Based in Auburn, Health Affiliates Maine is a growing statewide substance abuse and mental health agency providing therapy, case management and psychiatric assessment and treatment services. To learn more about Health Affiliates Maine visit: www.HealthAffiliatesMaine.com
Andrea Krebs is available for further comment – she can be reached at (207) 333-3278
Sign Up To Receive Our Latest Blog Posts!
Learn more tips on living well and understanding mental illness. Help to end the stigma, and hear inspiring stories of recovery. Sign up here!
(Auburn/Lewiston, Maine) October 4 – October 10, 2015 is Mental Illness Awareness Week. Health Affiliates Maine a statewide substance abuse and mental health agency, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Maine are both calling on the public to learn the symptoms of mental illnesses such as depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia and to “go stigma free”.
To “go stigma free”, is to see the person, not the illness; to listen and to understand. “It is also a time to free everyone from stereotypes that too often discourages people from getting help when they need it.” says Executive Director, Andrea Krebs of Health Affiliates Maine.
One in five adults experience mental illness every year; however, 50 percent of chronic mental illness begins by age 14 and three-quarters by age 24. Although many people today understand that mental illness is a medical condition, individuals and families affected by mental illness are still often subjected to stigma and discrimination. “This is a time to raise public awareness about mental illness,” says Krebs, “NAMI and Health Affiliates Maine hope everyone will educate themselves about mental illness and share what they learn with family, friends and others.”
NAMI Maine provides support, education and advocacy for any individual affected by mental health concerns. Find out more by visiting www.namimaine.org or by contacting the Help Line at (800) 464-5767. Health Affiliates Maine offers a variety of mental health services, to make a referral, an appointment or for more information about Health Affiliates Maine call 1-877-888-4304 or visit www.healthaffiliatesmaine.com.
Sign Up To Receive Our Latest Blog Posts!
Learn more tips on living well and understanding mental illness. Help to end the stigma, and hear inspiring stories of recovery. Sign up here!
(Auburn, Maine) Health Affiliates Maine a statewide substance abuse and mental health agency is thrilled to announce they exceeded this year’s fundraising goal for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in Maine by over $400. With the help of their staff and clinicians, a total of $2,411 was raised to support NAMI Maine.
Health Affiliates Maine also had a walk team of more than 30 participants at the recent NAMI Maine Walk held at Spring Point in Portland. Friend and fellow mental illness awareness supporter, Kevin Mannix News Center forecaster and author of Weathering Shame, joined the HAM team. “Mental health struggles, like depression, can impact anyone” says Andrea Krebs, Executive Director of Health Affiliates Maine. “Contrary to popular belief, seeing a therapist is not something to be ashamed of. Everyone needs help now and then and you are not alone”.
HAM has been both a long time sponsor and fundraiser for the annual NAMI Maine Walk, where both agencies share a commitment to raising awareness and ending the stigma associated with mental illness.
Based in Auburn, Health Affiliates Maine offers a variety of mental health services, including therapy, case management and psychiatric assessment and treatment services. To make a referral, an appointment or for more information about Health Affiliates Maine call: 1-877-888-4304 or visit www.healthaffiliatesmaine.com.
NAMI Maine provides support, education and advocacy for any individual affected by mental health concerns. Find out more by visiting www.namimaine.org or by contacting the Help Line at (800) 464-5767.
Sign Up To Receive Our Latest Blog Posts!
Learn more tips on living well and understanding mental illness. Help to end the stigma, and hear inspiring stories of recovery. Sign up here!
Services Available to the Maine National Guard
Health Affiliates Maine Awarded Contract to Provide Services to Maine National Guard
(Auburn, Maine) Health Affiliates Maine (HAM) is proud and honored to announce it has been awarded a contract with the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to provide services to members of the Maine National Guard. This is provided through the Maine Suicide Prevention Program’s Building Caring Connections in Maine grant. The aim of the grant is to increase suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention efforts in at-risk youth and young adult populations. The Department of Defense (DoD) has statistically higher numbers of suicides among service members. HAM has been selected by the CDC to provide services to the Maine National Guard as a component of the DoD.
Health Affiliates Maine is a growing statewide substance abuse and mental health agency, providing mental health and substance abuse counseling, case management and psychiatric assessment and treatment services. Through this contract mental health and substance abuse services will be available at no cost to active members of the Maine National Guard who are without health insurance or who cannot find a provider for their insurance in their area. Another aspect of the contract will enable HAM to provide suicide awareness training for Guard family members. “Building Caring Connections in Maine” is a three year Garrett Lee Smith grant funded through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
HAM was awarded this contract by the CDC based on their statewide network of clinicians, case managers and psychiatric providers. HAM has an established relationship with the Maine National Guard and has made strong efforts to provide their affiliate clinicians with opportunities to increase their understanding of the unique challenges military service members and their families face. As a result, HAM will help reduce the obstacles and barriers for service members in receiving much needed mental health and substance abuse treatment.
To make a referral, an appointment or for more information call 1-877-888-4304 or visit www.healthaffiliatesmaine.com/referral
Sign Up To Receive Our Latest Blog Posts!
Learn more tips on living well and understanding mental illness. Help to end the stigma, and hear inspiring stories of recovery. Sign up here!
Health Affiliates Maine (HAM) recently celebrated their 4th Annual Consortium, which honored HAM’s fifth year as an Agency and was a time to celebrate all of HAM’s nearly 400 mental health professionals and staff.
The event kicked off with a Keynote address from Kevin Mannix and his social worker wife Linda Rota. Together they courageously spoke about their book Weathering Shame, which addresses their experiences with shame & stigma around mental illness. Their goal being to raise awareness and be inspired to benefit from self discovery. The event included over 30 door prizes, several awards, training’s, networking opportunities and tons of delicious food.
Sign Up To Receive Our Latest Blog Posts!
Learn more tips on living well and understanding mental illness. Help to end the stigma, and hear inspiring stories of recovery. Sign up here!
HAM to have smoke-free campus'
New Tobacco-Free Policy at Health Affiliates Maine Paves the Way for Health and Wellness
(Auburn/Lewiston, Maine) on July 1st 2015, Health Affiliates Maine (HAM) a statewide substance abuse and mental health agency, will take an important step in supporting the health of its employees, clients, vendors and visitors by ensuring a clean air environment through the adoption of a tobacco-free campus policy.
Tobacco use remains the leading cause of death and disease in this country with over 443,000 deaths per year, almost half of those from smokers with mental illness. The behavioral health population consumes 44% of all cigarettes consumed in the U.S. This population experiences high rates of chronic disease and on average dies 25 years prematurely.
As HAM transitions to being a tobacco-free environment, they will offer a tobacco treatment program for clients and employees. Additional assistance for employees will include several staff meetings and trainings to present the new policy information, as well as making available “Quit Kits”, stress reducing exercises, fresh air breaks and healthy snacks during the transition. The policy change will be effective on July 1st, 2015.
To make a referral, an appointment or for more information call 1-877-888-4304 or visit www.healthaffiliatesmaine.com.
Sign Up To Receive Our Latest Blog Posts!
Learn more tips on living well and understanding mental illness. Help to end the stigma, and hear inspiring stories of recovery. Sign up here!
Have you ever heard of Equine Assisted Therapy? Horses can really connect to human emotions, which is why this approach helps multiple mental health disorders, such as eating disorders and drug/alcohol abuse. One of our clinicians, Åsa Gustavsson, was featured in an amazing piece for WCSH 6, giving us an inside look on how the horses help her clients.
Watch the story WCSH 6 did on Asa:
http://www.wcsh6.com/story/news/health/2015/05/07/the-beauty-within-equine-psychotherapy/70916320/
For more information on the Asa’s practice, or if you know someone who may benefit from Equine Therapy, please visit Healing Through Horses Facebook page. Or to make a referral or an appointment call Health Affiliates Maine at 1-877-888-4304 or visit: www.healthaffiliatesmaine.com/referral
Sign Up To Receive Our Latest Blog Posts!
Learn more tips on living well and understanding mental illness. Help to end the stigma, and hear inspiring stories of recovery. Sign up here!