Depression Archives - Page 3 of 3 - Louisville Health & Healing

What is art therapy?

April 19, 2022/0 Comments/in Addiction Treatment, Adolescence, Anxiety, Art Therapy, Depression, Louisville Health and Healing News, Mental Health, Recovery, Spirituality/by Louisville Health & Healing

Art therapy is a true gift to the service of healing and does not require any artistic skill whatsoever; art therapy focuses on the process, not the product. The quality of a client’s art is not the focus, as the experiences and insight gained through the exercise is what informs progress.

Art therapy has been proven to be an extremely effective modality for individuals of all ages, with varying presenting issues. Some issues that art therapy works to treat include, but are not limited to, those actively processing trauma, behavioral/emotional issues, anger/aggression, addiction, grief/loss, depression, anxiety, and ADHD. A major benefit to this expressive modality is that it will often elicit responses that have been challenging to obtain independently or through other therapeutic techniques. An art therapy session can look many different ways. Whether it be painting, wood-working, drawing, sculpting, or any other media used, the creative process offers new perspectives and catharsis that can be paramount to an individual’s treatment.

We have a licensed art therapist that works with children, teens and adults. If your tired of traditional talk therapy, then give art therapy a try! Reach out today. 502.208.9927; [email protected] .

The Very Big Question of “Who am I and who do I want to be?”

April 3, 2022/0 Comments/in Anxiety, Creativity, Depression, Louisville Health and Healing News, Mental Health, Spirituality/by Louisville Health & Healing

By calling attention to this question, by no means do I want to encourage any feelings of “I’m not
good enough”. The fact that any of us has space to grow is not a bad thing in and of itself. If
anything, identifying space for change can be a great thing. Being aware of who you are, how
you act, and how you want to change can be helpful in giving new thoughtfulness and purpose
to your days. Awareness is key to change and change can be good, but change can also be
slow and tiring at times – and that’s okay.

I have been thinking a lot about this idea of how my self, my self perception, and who I want
to be align or maybe don’t align – trying to find room for growth and space to understand myself
better. I recently saw a post on social media where someone said “Be the person you needed
when you were younger”. Wow – what an interesting thing to consider.

Thinking about what our child self or younger self needed from others but didn’t receive, can be
a difficult or even painful thing to recall and think about. But maybe it’s something you’ve never
really thought about in a concrete way before or allowed yourself to consider. I know I hadn’t.
Thinking about this, I have found that the answer has not come to me easily and may take time
for me to truly understand – but I feel like it’s worth it. My child self / younger self deserves that
consideration. And yours does too!

So what about you? What did younger you need? What kind of person would have made a
difference for them? Maybe start by listing words, or thinking about feelings that come up for
you. Once you start to have an image of this “person”, start to consider what needs to change
for you to reflect that “person” better in your life. Maybe the change necessary requires some
healing on your part, first. Maybe it requires some playfulness that you feel out of touch with.
Maybe it requires a community or some structure. Whatever space for change and growth you
see, know that making that change happen is a process and give yourself compassion. Being
patient and encouraging with ourselves can be hard. But we have the ability to grow within us!
All of these things may be easier to consider and work on with some extra support.

Whether that’s from family, friends, a bigger community – or your therapist! Make sure to let your therapist know what your goals are – we are here to support you through your healing and growth!

Transforming Your Negative Thoughts

February 19, 2022/0 Comments/in Addiction Treatment, Anxiety, Depression, Mental Health, Recovery/by Louisville Health & Healing

Having insecurities, worries, or self-doubt is a rather universal experience. Those negative thoughts may look different for each person, but we are not alone in facing them. Whether we find ourselves thinking negatively often or rarely, it can take a toll on our self-image and motivation – and our overall mental health. Learning to consciously engage with these thoughts can transform them into a powerful tool for self-growth and accomplishing our goals – big or small!

Many of our negative thoughts and insecurities are tied to something that we would like to achieve or something we value. For example, feeling nervous and insufficient at a new job might reflect the goal or desire to be successful at your job, to be capable, or to have the respect of those around you. Thinking about problems in our lives or negative self-feelings, especially if there are patterns in them, can help us realize our personal goals and values.

Once you identify the root value or goal at the core of a negative feeling, take a moment to visualize that goal. What might that really look like for you to achieve? Let yourself live in that moment of positivity.

Then, ask yourself, “what might come in the way of me achieving this?” – is it self-doubt? Lack of focus or procrastination? Someone in your life? Something someone told you in the past that you just can’t stop repeating to yourself? Take a moment to sit with this and work through the possible obstacles to your goal. And afterward, consider ways you could overcome each obstacle. Think specifically about when and where you might encounter or experience these obstacles. Create a plan for each possible “what if” – “If ___ happens, then I could ____ to help myself overcome it / refocus on my goal / feel worthy in the face of it”.

By giving our negative thoughts sincere attention, we can learn a lot about our values and goals – and develop more helpful and concrete plans to achieve them! Especially if you are a person who experiences many negative “what if” thoughts, this can be a truly transformative way of engaging with those thoughts and using them to your benefit.

If you have questions about this or find this overwhelming, reach out to your therapist for guidance! We are here to support you!

Meet Your Mood: Yogic Techniques for Mood Management

January 25, 2022/0 Comments/in Anxiety, Creativity, Depression, Spirituality/by Louisville Health & Healing

Changing your entire mood state will not likely happen from just making use of breathing
techniques or yogic practices, but these can be tools to help you better manage mood states
that feel overwhelming. Getting a handle on your mood lays the foundation for you to then take
other steps to help yourself, whether that be: talking with your therapist, reaching out to a friend
or family, doing something that brings you joy or confidence, etc.

It is suggested that when you are in an overwhelming mood state, you should start by meeting
your mood. This begins with growing and developing your awareness of when you are in such a
moment, so that when you are, you can ask, “Am I feeling high or low?”. Are you feeling
heightened stress, anxiety, fear, a rapid heart rate and breath? Or are you feeling low
motivation, low energy, sadness, and apathy? The answer to this question let’s you know what
breathing or yogic techniques to use to best help yourself in that moment.

In yogic philosophy, a person’s psychological state can be understood as the result of the
interplay of the proportions of the three guṇas within them. The guṇas are: sattva
(enlightening, harmonious, uplifting), rãjas (exciting, stimulating, active), and tamas (heaviness,
eveloping). An important part of this, is an understanding that the three guṇas exist inside all of
us and work together to help us achieve a more healthy way of being – or in other words, it is
natural for our lives to be a mix of mood states. It’s a matter of gaining awareness and balance
in navigating them that helps us feel healthier and happier.

“I’m feeling heightened”: Rapid Breathwork

If you find yourself feeling heightened (anxious, stressed, panicked, manic), it could be said you
are in a predominantly rãjasic state. Instead of trying to downplay your mood, meet your mood
with kapālabhāti breath, or ‘skull shining breath’. Meet your inner intensity with energy and
then later move on to calming techniques!

● Sit in a grounding pose – sit cross legged on the floor. Support yourself against a wall, if needed.
Ideally, close your eyes and keep your spine straight and tall.
● Take a shallow breath in through both nostrils.
● Exhale forcefully through both nostrils – feel your stomach move inward toward your spine.
● Repeat this quick breath, aiming for one breath per second. It will sound like a dog panting. This
breath can be difficult for beginners, so start where you can. Practice makes perfect! Keep your
inhale shallow and exhale forceful.

After meeting your body at its heightened state, try to transition into other calming or
self-soothing or self-care tasks/techniques. What might those look like for you?

“I’m feeling low”: Slow, Building Breathwork
If you find yourself feeling low (depressed, apathetic, fatigued, unmotivated), it could be said
you are in a predominantly tamāsic state. Meet your mood with slow breathwork and an active
grounding pose called tādāsana, or mountain pose. Meet your mood with gentleness and
move towards energy slowly!
● Stand tall with your feet below your hips (hip’s/shoulder’s width apart), stretching your toes out flat
on the floor. Stretch your arms out at your sides, with palms forward and fingers out-stretched.
Focus on the feeling of the ground beneath your feet.
● Tighten the muscles in your legs and hips. Feel the energy and strength in your legs. Make sure
not to lock your knees.
● Keep your stomach pulled inward, your chest forward (not in a hunched over position), and
stretch your spine tall. Feel the vertical stretch and remain connected to the strength in your feet
and legs.
● Stand actively in this pose for a few minutes while doing slow repeated breathing (breathe in for 4
counts, hold for 4 counts, breathe out for 4 counts, and hold for 4 counts, repeat).
If you feel you could benefit from some extra invigoration after this, move into ‘bellows breath’.
● Standing in mountain pose, inhale for 4 counts as your raise your arms up over your head. Hold
this for 4 counts and exhale for 4 counts as you bring them out wide at your sides.
● Inhale and raise your arms up again, and exhale while folding over your torso, bending at the
waist, bringing your face down towards your thighs. Loudly say, “HA!”.
● Repeat this at least 10 times and end in mountain pose with your eyes closed. Focus on the
changes you notice in how your body feels.
If you attempt these or other meditative practices and find that it is difficult for you because it
creates a mental space for negative self-talk, speak with your therapist about other coping skill
recommendations or possible alterations!

References:
1. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). Samkhya. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved January 18, 2022, from
2. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Samkhya.
3. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). The Samkhya-Karikas. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved January 18, 2022, from
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Indian-philosophy/The-Samkhya-karikas.
4. Horovitz, E. G. (2021). Head and heart: Yoga therapy and art therapy interventions for mental health. Handspring Publishing.
5. Horovitz, E. G., & Elgelid, S. (2015). Yoga therapy: Theory and practice. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
6. McCorry, L. K. (2007). Physiology of the autonomic nervous system. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 71(4),
78. https://doi.org/10.5688/aj710478

Winter Is Coming….

September 5, 2021/0 Comments/in Depression, Louisville Health and Healing News, Mental Health/by Louisville Health & Healing

Do you ever feel sad when winter is coming? Well so did John Snow, but he probably had different reasons than we do, like evil witches, looney girlfriends, and battle fatigue. For us, it’s often the holidays that bring about the blues; but there is another phenomenon that occurs frequently. Being sad during the winter months can also be part of an actual depressive disorder known as Seasonal Affective Disorder–or, you guessed it–SAD. A closer look at this disorder can give some insight about how to navigate the symptoms.

SAD is a condition that occurs each year around the time the seasons change in preparation for the long, cold, dark winter months. People who have this condition may notice changes in their mood, sleep patterns, energy levels, appetite changes and weight fluctuation. These changes are a result of a specific type of depression that sets in during the winter. Some people may have this condition during the summer months, but this is less common. According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), about 5 percent of adults in the U.S. experience SAD and it lasts about 40 percent of the year. The APA explains that SAD is a result of a “biochemical imbalance in the brain prompted by shorter daylight hours and less sunlight in the winter. As seasons change, people experience a shift in their biological internal clock or circadian rhythm that can cause them to be out of step with their daily schedule. SAD is more common in people living far from the equator where there are few daylight hours in the winter,” (Seasonal Affective Disorder: SAD, 2021).

SAD is more than just feeling down or having the Winter Blues. People who actually have this disorder can feel depressed, lose interest in social events or even their family and friends. They may struggle with fatigue or feeling restless with no purpose, and a lack of concentration. This can make them feel guilty or worthless. Severe cases of this disorder can result in suicidal thinking.

Ways to treat this disorder are similar to how Major Depressive Disorder is treated. Using psychotherapy, or combination of medication and therapy are common. Some therapists may use light therapy to improve symptoms. Light therapy involves using a specific type of light for a set period of time each day. This can affect sleep patterns, however, so it is a good idea to do this under the guidance of a behavioral health professional. Other treatment includes behavior approaches such as increasing physical activity, improving nutrition, and socializing. These activities are simple, but hard to do when you have SAD. A therapist can help you overcome barriers to make these tasks more doable.

So if you begin to feel a drop in your mood and energy around the fall and winter, start with your doctor as there are medical conditions that can mirror the symptoms of SAD. If there are no medical explanations, then it is a good time to consult a mental health therapist to see what treatment options would work best for you. You can also do simple things such as taking a walk when the sun is out, reaching out to friends even when you don’t want to, picking up a new hobby, or creating new routines that you enjoy. Getting ahead of the problem before it gets too big is the key.

Reference:

Seasonal Affective Disorder: SAD. (2021). American Psychiatric Association. https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/seasonal-affective-disorder

What is art therapy?

The Very Big Question of “Who am I and who do I want to be?”

Transforming Your Negative Thoughts

Meet Your Mood: Yogic Techniques for Mood Management

Winter Is Coming….

Begin your journey toward healing today

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