3 Hidden Effects of Trauma in Relationships

If you are struggling with untreated trauma, you might not realize the hidden effects of trauma in relationships. Untreated or unprocessed trauma can make its way into your personal relationships and even impact professional relationships.  The Hidden Effects of Trauma in Relationships So, what are the three hidden effects of trauma in relationships? #1: Trust Issues Perhaps the biggest and most obvious are trust issues. Previous traumatic experiences can make it very difficult for an individual to fully trust their partner, even when their partner shows genuine love and concern. This can have a creeping effect on relationships, making one partner constantly suspicious in their relationship. For example: John was happily married to his high school sweetheart for ten years when he learned that she had been cheating on him for half that time and that all of her ‘business trips’ were actually trips to meet up with his best friend, who was also the best man at their wedding. So now, when John’s new girlfriend says she has to travel for business, he becomes suspicious immediately. This causes him to become irritable and lash out at her before she leaves, and when she comes back, he calls and texts repeatedly and demands that she keep in constant contact while she is away.  #2: Overreactions Trauma can lead to the development of triggers. Triggers refer to any situation, person, or location that cause emotional distress. This distress can be severe enough that it results in emotional outbursts or overreactions that are disproportionate to the event or circumstance. For example: Mary was the victim of sexual assault when she was younger, so now, one of her triggers is men physically trapping her.  When at a church function, Mary opened her car door to grab something but when she turned around, there were two other men, a father and his teenage son, standing about two feet away from her, the father with his hand on her open car door as they had approached her to talk about joining the choir. Mary, triggered, immediately screamed for them to move out of her way and ran off.  To the father and son, this seemed like an overreaction to them approaching her in a crowded church parking lot full of other church members.  #3: Intimacy Issues Unprocessed trauma can also lead to intimacy issues. It is not uncommon for someone with trauma in their past to want intimacy but to subconsciously sabotage any attempts at intimacy by either physically or emotionally withdrawing because they don’t want to get hurt again. For example: Tina wants nothing more than to be close to her partner. Whenever her partner starts to open up emotionally, though, Tina makes fun of them, calls them names, or makes other belittling comments to stay in control. Tina doesn’t realize why she’s doing this, but she knows that she doesn’t want to get hurt again, and if she can get the other person to say something sweet or do something intimate, but she doesn’t reciprocate, she ‘wins’ and is therefore slightly more protected than the partner.  EMDR Treatment for Trauma One of the most popular forms of treatment today for trauma and PTSD is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprogramming, or EMDR. Used by the WHO and Department of Veterans Affairs, EMDR has the highest success rate of all trauma treatment.  It works by reprocessing the way in which traumatic memories are stored and, in so doing, overcomes many of the triggers and subsequent symptoms of PTSD. For many, the appeal is not just the success rate but the fact that, unlike traditional trauma therapy, EMDR does not require you to sit and talk about the traumatic event in great detail with a therapist but rather to just recall it in your mind as you follow specific eye movements. This is best when it is part of a comprehensive treatment plan, including other modalities that encourage emotional resilience and coping skill development like CBT, ACT, mindfulness and meditation, art therapy, and music therapy.  Getting Trauma-Treatment with The Differents At The Differents, we give clients a chance to heal from trauma in a remote, beautiful setting with a range of on-and-off-site activities. At our luxury addiction treatment center, we provide a high-level of ancillary services for our clients too including legal case management, financial support, and family support.  When you work with us, we ensure you participate in individual and group therapy each week, with additional activities like: With our EMDR therapy, you can treat unresolved trauma and move beyond the hidden effects of trauma in relationships.

Key Benefits of Exercise in Addiction Recovery

Key Benefits of Exercise in Addiction Recovery

Exercise is not just something you should do regularly to stay fit; it is something that has many benefits for those who are recovering from addiction. Physical activity has been shown as a potential treatment that offers great success for those who are not only in a treatment program but who have finished a treatment program and need to sustain their sobriety. What are the Key Benefits of Exercise in Addiction Recovery? Many scientific studies have examined the use of exercise as a way to help people in recovery.  Dopaminergic Transmission  When an individual becomes addicted to drugs or alcohol, their dopamine responses are compromised by those substances. This means it’s harder to get a positive dopamine response from other activities. However, some research has found that when exercise is used immediately after detox, it can help facilitate what is called a dopaminergic transmission, meaning exercise can help restore your dopamine signals and reverse the changes in your neural reward pathway that drugs and alcohol brought about. Reduced Risk of Relapse On a related note, many people risk a relapse after treatment because of things like cravings. The longer an individual is able to remain abstinent, the more likely they are to continue applying things like coping mechanisms and relapse prevention strategies. A systematic literature review found that people who exercised while receiving treatment at an inpatient clinic and those who participated in regular exercise while attending an outpatient program had a significant change in things like: This means that regular exercise not only during an inpatient or outpatient treatment plan but also after can go a long way toward reducing your risk of relapse. Mood Improvement Regular exercise is known for its ability to change your mood. Exercise triggers the release of endorphins, and these naturally combat depression or anxiety. Research indicates that a significant number of people in recovery also experience depression and anxiety. This can be in the form of a co-occurring disorder where an individual has both conditions, but in most cases, it is simply symptoms of depression or anxiety brought about by the significant change that is getting sober.  Exercise can help manage the difficult emotions and problems with mood by changing the dopamine responses as mentioned, and also by naturally elevating your mood through endorphins.  Cognitive Improvement Your brain is responsible for handling all of your cognitive functions, including reasoning, learning, and memory. Addiction can disrupt these cognitive areas, leading to problems with all of them: difficulty focusing or retaining information, problems storing memory, and issues with impulse control or attention. Exercise actually improves your cognition by increasing blood flow to things like the hippocampus and reducing inflammation that could result from addiction. Regular exercise increases the release of endorphins, which work to minimize cortisol levels or stress hormones and promote good communication in the brain. Both of these factors help you to learn more throughout your life, improve your brain cell development, and improve your memory and your thinking skills. Exercise Therapy with The Differents At The Differents, we pride ourselves on doing things differently. Nestled in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, our treatment center is just minutes from Lake Tahoe, something that we heavily incorporate into our innovative approach to finding purpose beyond addiction. Clients have the opportunity to exercise regularly from the minute their programs start, no matter the season. We know that nature can heal, so we combine nature with your individual and group therapy sessions through activities like: The winter adventures at our luxury drug rehab center give you access to scenic snowshoeing trails at Heavenly Mountain or a chance to experience sledding and ice skating at Northstar. We provide activities that are full of exercise, no matter your skill level. We take advantage of Wild Mustang Adventures and offer indoor activities where you can practice on our NBA regulation basketball court or our state-of-the-art two-lane bowling alley.  Our goal is to provide ample indoor and outdoor opportunities throughout the year to reap the key benefits of exercise in addiction recovery.  With each of these activities, you have the opportunity to reap the key benefits of exercise in addiction recovery, restore your connection to nature and your inner self, rediscover your purpose, and connect with other people.  Among the therapies we offer is Equine Therapy where you can focus on building trust and communication by connecting with horses and going horseback riding as another way to reap the key benefits of exercise in addiction recovery.

What is Outdoor Therapy and How Is It Used to Treat Addiction?

What is Outdoor Therapy and How Is It Used to Treat Addiction?

Outdoor therapy refers to therapeutic sessions spent outside. Studies have indicated that time spent outdoors improved symptoms of physical issues like high blood pressure, depression, anxiety, and loneliness. Outdoor therapy: Striped patterns typical of hard concrete buildings and city landscapes can cause things like migraines, headaches, and epilepsy because the gray matter in your brain is designed to process complex organic scenes made of overlapping striping patterns found in nature. The linear borders and contrast found in urban settings requires more oxygen for your brain to process and that can lead to things like headaches. Spending time in nature can alleviate these issues by giving your brain a break from the over processing that comes from city landscapes and helping you to feel mentally recharged. Outdoor Therapy for Addiction There are several types of programs which offer outdoor therapy often in the form of a group activity that takes you on things like hikes so that you have an opportunity to be outdoors every week or two. Mindfulness and Focus on the Present Being outdoors can give a chance to spend meditative time with nature where you absorb your surroundings with all of your senses. This is a highly mindful practice, one that forces you to be present and focused on what’s happening in front of you instead of worrying about the future or contemplating the past. This is essential for people in recovery who are looking for ways to build their resilience and emotional control, avoid unnecessary stress, and learn to prioritize things that matter in recovery. Exercise Another benefit to outdoor therapy for addiction is the fact that it promotes exercise. Most Americans spend 90% or more of their time indoors, and of that, the majority of it is spent sitting and looking at screens. Even in recovery you are more likely to spend the majority of your time indoors, sitting in therapy or reflecting, but otherwise indoors.  You are also likely to encounter excess stress from the recovery process. Too much stress for lengthy time frames can lead to physical symptoms like body aches or headaches, depression, and increased anxiety. Exercising, or just simply spending time in nature can: Being able to regularly exercise is not only good for preventative health but an essential component in substance abuse treatment when damage may have been done through drug and alcohol abuse and now you need to build a routine, improve your mood and your sleep through endorphins, and strengthen your body. Note: The idea of forest bathing or spending time outdoors, can be as simple as spending 10 minutes per day in a local park, or a small area of town that has pockets of nature mixed into the landscape. After your outdoor therapy you can continue this practice and reap the health benefits.  Socialization When you participate in outdoor therapy for addiction treatment, the group setting takes you out of a clinical office and somewhere more relaxing where you aren’t just sitting in a group facing one another and talking but rather socializing. Socializing like this can: You might find people in your same group with whom you enjoy hiking, talking, or exploring. From there, you might continue the practice long after your therapy has ended.  Starting Outdoor Therapy with The Differents At The Differents, our facility is nestled in the Tahoe/Reno area with access to the Tahoe National Forest. We understand the profound impact that being outside in nature can have on an individual, especially on addiction recovery.  That is why all of our programs specialize in recreational therapy or outdoor therapy, with low impact options as well as hikes, snowshoeing, and seasonal activities that cultivate improved exercise levels, socialization, better mood, and increased mindfulness. To learn more about our PHP, IOP, or withdrawal management and outdoor therapy, call us at (844) 407-0461. 

How to Write an Intervention Letter

How to Write an Intervention Letter

If you have someone with whom you are close, a friend or family, and they are struggling with addiction, you might be asked to join an intervention, or you might be in charge of an intervention. An intervention is an opportunity for friends and family to come together and discuss the ways in which addiction has impacted them in their relationships to the individual and urge the individual to get help. During an intervention, participants go around the room reading a letter they have written to the individual. How to Write an Intervention Letter If you have been asked to write such a letter, it can be difficult to know where to start.  The most important thing is to understand that there is no right or wrong way to write an intervention letter. But, before you start the writing process, take some time to put yourself in the shoes of your loved one, and consider things from their perspective. Remember, too, that what you write can be more of a guide; it doesn’t have to be something that you read word for word.  Tip #1 Be compassionate when you start your letter. The beginning is when you are first speaking to your loved one and you need to catch their attention in a way that supports them. They may find the intervention of putting, feeling as though they are being attacked, so starting with compassion can help remind them of the relationship you have and how they have been there for you before addiction. For example: Mom, I know that you have always loved me. You were there for me at every school play and every softball game. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be the hard worker that I am today. You always taught me that I need to rely on others in order to get a job done well and that while I certainly can do things alone, I don’t have to. You gave me the confidence I needed to find a career that I loved and to work with my coworkers the same way I would members of my softball team or other people in a play. Tip #2 Be clear about the impact that their substance abuse has had on you with at least one specific example. Use tangible details, but avoid any words or phrases that might make your loved one feel as though they need to defend themselves or they are under attack. For example: Mom, for the last few years, it has been really hard to talk to you. I feel like I can’t connect to the woman who raised me. When I call to check in, you are intoxicated. On the phone, you are slurring your speech, you’re not really paying attention to what we’re talking about, and you don’t even remember that I called you at the same time last week. Sometimes, you are so drunk you don’t really know who you are talking to. Tip #3 Reinforce that you are coming at this from a place of compassion by taking time to explain to your loved one that you have put yourself in their shoes and that you understand, at least to some degree, a bit more about addiction.  For example: I took a lot of online classes from doctors and psychiatrists so that I could try and understand why you were doing the things you were doing and whether or not I could have my mom back. I realized that dependence and addiction are actually a disease, and it has nothing to do with your ability to just quit whenever you want. It is something that requires professional medical treatment. Tip #4: End your statement reinforcing your love for that person, explaining what types of services you want them to receive and why, and reinforcing that you are here to support them. Tip #5  When you are done writing your draft, have someone else look it over. While you might not think that certain words or phrases come across as particularly aggressive or confrontational, another set of eyes can help you find ways to soften what it is you are trying to say without detracting from the impact. Getting Help with Interventions If you need help with an intervention, specifically finding a luxury addiction treatment center for your loved one, The Differents can help. We offer services like: A big part of our focus is having a 1:3 staff-to-client ratio. Why? We want to make sure each client gets the personalized focus and care they deserve, something that is best achieved with lower ratios.  Our staff have personal experiences with addiction treatment, so they understand things that others might not. When you recommend our services as part of your intervention letter or help a loved one start care with us, you will notice the difference right away.  That’s why we are “the differents” with our holistic treatment, outdoor therapy, IV infusions, motivational interviewing, MeRT/TMS, and energy work.  Reach out today at (844) 407-0461 to learn more about writing an intervention letter and finding personalized addiction treatment. 

Is Cocaine Physically Addictive?

Is Cocaine Physically Addictive?

Historically there was incorrect information regarding cocaine, particularly prior to the 1980s when it was thought that cocaine wasn’t physically addictive but new clinical and preclinical research has sought to answer the question “Is cocaine physically addictive” with modern medical understandings of the brain and the way cocaine regulates an individual’s ability to experience pleasure.  What is Cocaine? Today we know that cocaine is one of the most potent stimulants. It is typically used recreationally, where individuals place it on their gums or snort it through their nose after which they get a short-lived but very intense high. But is cocaine physically addictive? Is Cocaine Physically Addictive? Yes, cocaine is physically addictive. Cocaine use can rather quickly lead to an addiction because of the way cocaine impacts the brain’s reward system. With regular use, cocaine will increase the levels of dopamine in your brain, which causes your brain to no longer produce otherwise normal dopamine levels associated with healthy and safe activities like good food, exercise, or sex. This means an individual who uses cocaine repeatedly will not be able to experience that same pleasurable response from other activities other than cocaine. This change in brain structure and function means an individual is more likely to use cocaine again and again, trying to experience that same pleasure. Cocaine Tolerance One of the biggest problems with continued use is that physical addiction to cocaine happens very quickly.  Cocaine, unlike other drugs, can start to build a tolerance in an individual after a single use. This means you only have to use cocaine once for your body to start developing tolerance.  When you start developing a tolerance that means that you need to use larger and larger amounts each time you use cocaine to get the same effect that you got during your previous times. Long term this puts individuals at a serious risk for health problems as well as overdose. Why Is Cocaine Physically Addictive? Cocaine is physically addictive because it increases the release of dopamine in your brain with each use. Under normal circumstances your body releases dopamine as a reward when you do things that help you survive as a species like eating good food or having sex. That dopamine is typically recycled after it’s been released so you get a short-lived feeling. With cocaine, that recycling process, called reabsorption, doesn’t happen. So, not only do you get higher than normal levels of dopamine but cocaine prevents your body from reabsorbing it which means you have excess dopamine floating around in your neural pathways creating even more intense feelings than you would get elsewhere. This feeling of euphoria is reinforced through your tolerance which means that as you seek to replicate the same feeling you end up using more and more cocaine which furthers the damage to your reabsorption processes. Long term these changes can make it difficult for you to feel good doing any other activity and as soon as you stop using cocaine you’ll experience withdrawal symptoms like cravings, irritability, depression, and anxiety. Thankfully, with the right type of treatment program you can overcome the physical aspects of cocaine addiction. Is Cocaine Physically Addictive? Learn to Overcome Addiction with The Differents The right type of cocaine addiction treatment starts with detox to help you overcome those physical feelings of dependence. From there you’ll participate in ongoing programs that help you overcome the mental aspects of your addiction and to rebuild your brain’s natural dopamine responses.  At our facility we provide daily schedules for our residential cocaine treatment programs that emphasize a human connection, empowering you to make positive lifestyle changes and to discover your passion. When you are able to find purpose, develop human connection, and gain direction for your life, you can find ways to cope with things like stress and trauma without resorting to addiction. With our residential programs, individuals receive one-on-one counseling and group therapy each week, participating in a variety of exercise programs like basketball, bowling, hiking, yoga, and more. We work hard to incorporate exercise with arts and crafts, meditation and journaling time, movie nights, game nights, and other activities that give our luxury drug rehab a more well-rounded change for the mind, body, and soul.

Is Fentanyl More Addictive Than Heroin?

If you or someone close to you is struggling with an addiction to fentanyl, it’s important that you recognize the need to get help. Fentanyl is significantly more potent and addictive than other substances, including natural opioids like morphine and heroin. The right level of care will include comprehensive treatment and supportive detox programs to get you started on the right track.  What is Fentanyl? Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid, one which functions similarly to morphine or heroin, which are naturally derived opioids but which are significantly more addictive. Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are now the most commonly associated drugs in all drug overdose deaths in America. Fentanyl is a prescription drug that can be used as a pain medication, particularly after surgery or with chronic pain. In prescription form, it goes under names like: As a prescription, fentanyl can be provided in the form of cough drops, patches that you put on the skin, or a shot. When used illegally, fentanyl is often sold as a powder, placed into nasal sprays or eye droppers, and mixed with other drugs like methamphetamine and heroin. However, whether it is prescribed or used illegally, fentanyl is highly addictive. Is fentanyl more addictive than heroin? Has that increased the overdose rates? How Fentanyl Works Fentanyl works the same way as other opioids, binding to the opioid receptors in your brain. These receptors are responsible for controlling your pain perceptions and your emotions.  As you take opioids, your brain begins to diminish the sensitivity, which makes it harder to find any type of pleasure or positive emotion from other activities, which encourages the cycle of addiction when fentanyl becomes one of the only sources for limited pain and improved euphoria. Fentanyl can cause things like extreme happiness, but it can also lead to side effects such as nausea, constipation, sedation, drowsiness, and problems breathing. This means there is a higher risk of life-threatening overdose when breathing slows down or stops entirely, something called hypoxia. Hypoxia can cause a coma, permanent brain damage, or death. Is Fentanyl More Addictive than Heroin? Yes, according to the DEA, fentanyl is 100 times more potent than heroin, which means it is also more addictive than heroin. Those who use fentanyl either from a prescription or illegally will quickly develop a tolerance, leading to the need for a higher or more frequent dosing in order to get the same effects. This is especially true if used illegally when fentanyl is more likely to be combined with other highly potent natural opioids like heroin or other drugs like methamphetamine and cocaine. This makes it a cheaper option with higher risks, and if you don’t know how much fentanyl is in the substance you are consuming, it can lead to an overdose and death.  Fentanyl Overdoses Overdoses can occur whether you are taking fentanyl via a prescription or illegally. In 2022, there were nearly 74,000 overdose deaths related specifically to fentanyl.  Given the high rate of illicit fentanyl abuse, particularly when combined with other medications, in addition to overdoses, there are hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations every year related to overdoses that do not result in fatalities as well as other injuries and illnesses as a result of drug abuse.  Getting Treatment for Fentanyl At The Differents, our drug detox center provides comprehensive, luxury treatment for those in need.  For a fentanyl addiction, we start with detox. As fentanyl is a synthetic opioid and has such a high potency, the most recommended course of action for your detox is to undergo what is called medication-assisted treatment (MAT).  Medication-assisted treatment means you are given FDA-approved prescription medications during your detox to help control the withdrawal symptoms, as well as medications during the rest of your treatment to help reduce cravings. This makes it more likely that you will succeed with your long-term recovery by getting you through the most challenging parts of a fentanyl addiction. Participation in this type of program also requires ongoing therapy, something that you can continue at our treatment center with several levels of care. We provide our clients with the opportunity to move through different levels of care as needed, moving down through flexible outpatient programs like IOP or PHP.  Contact our team today for help.

Using Acupuncture For Bipolar Depression

Using Acupuncture For Bipolar Depression

Today, there is a great deal of research focusing on alternative or holistic forms of care that can be used as an adjunct or supplemental form of treatment. This research delves into the use of things like acupuncture, meditation, and yoga as a way to handle symptoms of mental health disorders such as major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder. So, is acupuncture for bipolar depression effective? What is Bipolar Depression? Bipolar disorder can present with severe depressive episodes, and for many people, those episodes are treated with medication. However, medication alone is often inadequate for coping with the variety of symptoms that manifest with chronic bipolar depression. The symptoms associated with bipolar depression are the same as those associated with major depressive disorder. At present, there is no cure, and some people might experience depressive episodes exclusively, while others might experience a combination of depressive and hypomanic or manic episodes. No matter the combination, these episodes can present with symptoms severe enough to disrupt daily life and cause significant problems in important areas of functioning like work or school. This is particularly problematic for people who have developed a resistance to current medications.  Acupuncture for Bipolar Depression: Studies There are several studies investigating the applicability of acupuncture for bipolar depression. One such study found that individuals who participated in an acupuncture intervention saw decreased depression scores and improvements in physical symptoms with no negative interactions with prescribed medication. In these situations, no changes were made to prescribed medication, but acupuncture led to improved quality of life and symptom management. Other randomized trials reviewed the efficacy of adjunctive acupuncture for bipolar depression over the span of 12 weeks. Symptoms found that all patients had improvement over the span of the study with very few negative side effects and no negative interactions with any other medication or treatment. These studies confirmed the safety and acceptability of acupuncture as a way to manage acute symptoms of bipolar depression. Literature reviews assessed the efficacy of acupuncture for depression, finding that it was generally safe and well tolerated, acceptable as an augmented part of treatment for depression symptoms. While this particular literature review did not focus solely on bipolar depression, symptoms of bipolar depressive episodes and depression are the same. In fact, other studies reviewed the efficacy of acupuncture for mood disorders, including major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder with depression, paying close attention to those who had treatment-resistant forms of both. The longitudinal study performed weekly acupuncture treatments for 12 weeks in addition to regular treatment. Findings revealed that physical symptoms improved for things like: Other improvements included: While acupuncture did not necessarily improve all psychiatric symptoms of bipolar depression, it was efficacious enough to alleviate some of the majority of symptoms experienced by patients. This has a great deal of promise for individuals with treatment-resistant forms of bipolar depression who are looking for holistic ways to manage a few, if not a majority, of their symptoms. Starting Acupuncture for Bipolar Depression There are many forms of treatment out there for bipolar depression episodes. At The Differents, we specialize in flexible outpatient programs that allow clients to see the benefits of their treatment in real time, returning home each night to apply the techniques and tools learned during the day. We offer a wide range of evidence-based practices including: With our acupuncture and chiropractic practices, clients who struggle with bipolar depression can find alternative holistic therapies at our luxury drug rehab facility. We work hard to reimagine the rehab process so that individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders can find a holistic program that is most supportive, one that cultivates creativity, and feels as though they are working with staff who not only understand and genuinely care about your recovery. Studies have found that holistic alternatives can prove useful in treating mental health conditions. One of those is acupuncture for bipolar depression. If you want to explore alternative options that can be used in conjunction with individual and group therapy, we are here. Contact The Differents today at (844) 407-0461 to see how our facility can help you.

Activities For Anxiety Group Therapy

Activities For Anxiety Group Therapy

When you struggle with anxiety, it often means worrying about the future. This can take away from your mindfulness in the present. It can take support from others around you to help pull you back toward the present moment, and with activities for anxiety group therapy, this is made much easier.  What are Activities for Anxiety Group Therapy? Activities for anxiety group therapy are things grounded in self care, mindfulness, CBT and DBT. These activities are things that you can do for yourself and then share and reflect upon with the group or things that the entire group can contribute to at the same time. How do Activities for Anxiety Group Therapy Help? The activities you do in a group therapy session can provide tools and techniques that you can employ outside of therapy when your anxiety gets higher. Shifting Your Focus One of these includes mindfulness and meditation exercises that center on breathing and relaxation. These are active techniques that can be employed during group therapy sessions to help you: Better Understanding The exercises used with activities for anxiety group therapy provide you with a deeper understanding of how anxiety works, what it triggers in the body, and what things contribute to your personal symptoms. You might, for example, be asked to keep a diary of how you feel at various points throughout the day so that you can understand when you are most anxious and what circumstances surround those feelings. During group therapy sessions everyone can have an opportunity to share and come to an understanding of more common triggers that affect the whole group versus individual triggers that affect you one-on-one. CBT Exercises Other activities can include writing activities derived from cognitive behavioral therapy. These might include a Worry Tree.  What is a Worry Tree? This is where you take a piece of paper and start with the top of the tree. The top of the tree is where you write down the worries you are having, the anxiety you feel. From there, you branch out in one of two directions, one being whether it’s something within your control and the other being something that is not. More branches come from each of those. If it is not something within your control then you have to utilize relaxation techniques or distraction techniques so that you aren’t focused on it because it’s not something you can deal with or change.  However if it is something within your control then you can set up a plan of action that includes what steps you will take, when you will take them, and what you require to do so. Other techniques include Worry Time.  What is Worry Time? Worry Time is another CBT activity for anxiety group therapy sessions where everyone learns to write down the things about which they are concerned. Remember that anxiety stems from a real place of concern or fear, and sometimes the anxiety you have needs to be tackled, needs to be thought about and needs to be resolved, but it doesn’t need to do all of those things all day, everyday, occupying all of your thoughts. This is where worry time comes into play. With this technique you set a specific time of day which could be during group therapy sessions where you sit down with the things that are of biggest concern to you and you work through them with things like the Worry Tree. When you have a designated time during the day then when those anxious thoughts come back you can remind yourself that you will deal with them during your designated time but not right now.  Starting Anxiety Group Therapy With The Differents, you have an opportunity to participate in a flexible, luxury drug rehab program in the beautiful Tahoe region. With our programs you have access to holistic treatment as well as recreational therapy, outdoor therapy, meditation, yoga, and CBT.  A big part of our programs is the group therapy sessions where you can learn to cope with symptoms of an anxiety disorder in addition to substance abuse. These sessions incorporate different activities that help improve your understanding of substance abuse or dual diagnosis situations with techniques that you can employ long after you leave our treatment center. We work hard to offer a 1:3 staff-to-client ratio with a focus on private, luxury experiences that are unlike other treatments.  Contact us today at (844) 407-0461 to see how our activities for anxiety group therapy programs can give you the tools you need to take charge of your life.