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Oasis Counseling in the Media
TV Commercial Winter 2021
Oasis Counseling is currently providing Telehealth Therapy, Psychiatry Medication Management and In-Person Therapy Services.
Mental Health and the Pandemic
Mercedes from Mix 94.1 sat down and spoke with Davey Schraeder from Oasis Counseling to find out how finding that mental heath professional can change everything. Read more at www.mix941fm.radio.comTV Commercial Spring & Summer 2020
Oasis Counseling is currently providing Telehealth Therapy and In-Person Therapy Services.
Oasis Counseling Radio Public Service Show
A big thank you goes out to the Entercom Las Vegas Radio Group! For several weekends Oasis Counseling was featured on the weekends for “The Public Service Show”.
We talk about Mental Health Awareness and the effects that COVID has had on many American’s so far this year! If you missed it please take a listen now.
Oasis Counseling discusses youth mental health and social media.
Cyndi Lundeberg of KVVU Fox 5 stopped by our Green Valley location to talk about how social media plays a role in how youth view themselves, and how this is a bigger issue when it comes to higher rates of youth elective surgery.
Why businesses should allow employees to take “mental health days” from work.
KVVU Fox 5 visited our Green Valley location to ask us about why “mental health days” are beneficial to businesses after an employee told her boss she was taking a few days off to focus on her mental health.
Blog: Mental Health and You
Major Depression is a major illness as significant as cancer and heart disease and just as debilitating.
According to a study by the World Health Organization, by 2020 Major Depression will be the number 2 killer, just behind tobacco related deaths. At any given time about 10% of the population has Major Depression. Because of the nature of the illness, we feel very isolated and alone. People with this illness experience symptoms of: extreme sadness, lethargy, concentration difficulties, sleep and appetite disturbances, nothing is fun, isolating from others, and reduced functioning on all levels.
Someone suffering from depression doesn’t “look sick”. They do, however, “act sick”. They have an angry overreaction to an innocuous remark or a sobbing response to a minor mishap. What mentally healthy people react to with a shrug, depression sufferers react with a raw, uncontrolled emotion.
Depression is not caused by a bad attitude, but a chemical imbalance in the brain. It is believed to be hereditary. It is often triggered by an upsetting situation such as a death in the family, significant financial loss, divorce, trauma, etc. Eliminating the stigma of Major Depression will reduce unneeded suffering.
Medication is used to treat depression in helping restore chemical balance in the brain. However, medication alone is incomplete treatment. Research shows that psychotherapy, especially cognitive therapy, is significant in treating Major Depression and preventing future reoccurrences— at a level of over a standard deviation higher than medication.
Unfortunately, our “fast food” mentality has created a method of using medication while ignoring the problem. The standard protocol is psychotherapy and medication.
Hypnosis is one of the most misunderstood methods used in mental healthcare.
Part of it is versed in mysticism associated with snake oil salesmen and pretenders. These people have tried to use hypnosis as a way to entertain or manipulate an unknowing public. In actuality, hypnosis is really a state of deep focus. If you have ever been lost in thought or daydreaming, you have been hypnotized. The American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (2013) defines hypnosis as: “a state of inner absorption, concentration and focused attention. It is like using a magnifying glass to focus the rays of the sun and make them more powerful. Similarly, when our minds are concentrated and focused, we are able to use our minds more powerfully”. Because hypnosis lets us use more of our potential, learning self-hypnosis is ultimately that highest act of self control.
The mind when it is focused during hypnosis is very susceptible to suggestions. However, these suggestions are only those that the subject allows and accepts. Thus, you won’t cease smoking unless you really want to accept the suggestions. During this time of focus we are able to bypass our defenses and place these suggestions into our subconscious. That is what gives us our extra power when dealing with changes in behavior. Research has found that in hypnosis, suggestions changes and affects the person’s neurological and physiological functioning in a more positive way.
Hypnosis is utilized by practitioners in three ways. First, they encourage the use of imagination. The focus of hypnosis is very powerful with imagery— especially in terms of association with all five senses. An example of this would be having a cancer patient imagine that their white blood cells are like white knights increasing in numbers and strength to eradicate the cancerous cells. Second, during focused attention, suggestions and ideas compatible with patient wants have a powerful impact on the mind.
Finally, hypnosis is used for unconscious exploration. This refers to the need to better understand motivations, past events and experiences associated with the causes of the problem. Hypnosis helps us to avoid our defenses that are the critical censor of the conscious mind— often times defeating what is best for us.
Some people seem to have a better talent and capacity to benefit from hypnosis. It is important to keep in mind that hypnosis is like any other therapeutic modality: It is of major benefit to many patients with some problems, and it is helpful with other patients, but responses vary. It is not magic and does not take the place of hard working therapeutic intervention.
Our body’s fight, flight or freeze response to stress.
The effects of chronic stress are damaging even when short-lived.
A stressful situation — whether something environmental, such as a difficult job interview, or psychological, like a fear of flying — can trigger a surge of hormones that create physiological stress as well as mental stress.
Our body’s fight, flight or freeze response rapidly activates energy stores in order to survive a life-threatening situation. It evolved as an automatic response, a key survival mechanism known as the “fight-or-flight” response. In recent years it has been termed the “fight, flight, or freeze” response. However, a variety of circumstances can also trigger this response. This occurs when the body exaggerates stressful events that are in fact, not life-threatening.
Fight – The body prepares for battle by delivering energy to larger muscles
Flight – The surge in hormones and energy prepares the body for a fast escape
Freeze – If no escape route is perceived, the subject may experience the freeze response
What’s the physiological process?
- A threat is perceived
- The nervous system alerts the body
- The adrenal cortex releases stress hormones
- The heart beats more rapidly and harder
- Breathing quickens
- The thyroid gland increases metabolic activity
- Larger muscles get more oxygenated blood
Research has identified significant effects of prolonged chronic stress in relation to both physical and psychological well-being. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), when the muscles in the body become taut and tense for long periods of time, this may trigger other reactions as well as stress-related disorders. For example, both tension-type headache and migraine headache are associated with chronic muscle tension of the shoulders, neck and head. It can also promote rapid breathing which may lead to hyperventilation or panic attacks. Long-term ongoing stress is linked to an increased risk for hypertension, heart attack or stroke, and cholesterol levels may be also affected by the response to stress. These are just some examples of many in relation to stress and the body.
The reason the fight, flight or freeze response is significant to overall well-being is due to the changes in hormones, neurotransmitters, and physiology it creates. It’s a survival mechanism that serves its purpose in extremely dangerous scenarios, however, when it malfunctions, it can wreak havoc on the mind and body.
One proven cause of anxiety is inactivity. Our bodies are designed for activity, so a lack of exercise may contribute to malfunctioning stress responses. The modern world has many demands that create daily acute stress situations for humans. However, dysfunctional thought processes, or an inability to cope can severely impact the quality of life one experiences.
Simple ways to manage excessive Fight, Flight, or Freeze Response
- Recognize anxiety-provoking thoughts and consider how much real danger is present.
What fear creates your anxiety? Is it realistic, or are you jumping to conclusions by thinking of the worst-case scenario?
- Try to look at it from an external perspective.
What words of advice would you give your son/daughter, or sibling if they had similar fears in order to ease their anxiety?
The important thing is to find out what works for you when you are feeling distressed.
How do you manage your difficult emotions and restore a sense of calm?
If you feel overwhelmed by anxiety and you have difficulty managing it by yourself, we have a team of experienced clinical psychologists available to help. To learn more about our practices, contact Oasis Counseling at 702.294.0433 (locations throughout Southern Nevada). https://oasiscounselingtoday.com
7 Ways Anxiety Sabotages your Happiness & Well Being.
Anxiety disorders can range in severity from mild to agonizing. Anxiety affects everyone to varying degrees during their lives. It’s a natural emotion that protects us from danger, however, an anxiety disorder which is dysfunctional in nature can be debilitating. It can lead to chaos in the family unit, as well as preventing sufferers from achieving personal happiness and wellbeing. In most cases, an anxiety disorder is a prolonged period of intense stress where symptoms persist for six months or longer.
There are numerous ways that anxiety leads to self-sabotage. Some of these include poor quality of life, substance abuse, nutritional deficiencies, and anger or conflict in relationships.
Let’s look at how anxiety can sabotage happiness and well-being in more detail.
Here are 7 examples.
- Emotion Regulation
Anxiety can disrupt how information is processed. The subconscious mind can pinpoint the most obscure, illogical thoughts or memories during its path to manifesting anxiety. Accordingly, it can upset emotion regulation, inhibit concentration, and create unhealthy behaviors. Because anxiety can negatively impact rational thinking and decision-making, it can leave us vulnerable to extreme emotions and impulsive behavior.
- Poor Quality of Life
Anxiety can prevent individuals from participating in their communities or attending social events. People suffering from anxiety tend to avoid situations that could trigger an anxiety attack. A coping mechanism of avoidance can prevent people from having potentially rewarding experiences that create happy thoughts and positive feelings and emotions.
- Insomnia
Anxiety frequently leads to insomnia. This can cause irritability and fatigue resulting in errors of judgment and increased risk of accidents. Whether a car accident, a fall, or an accident involving machinery—it’s clear that insomnia presents serious safety risks to the individual and others. Additionally, insomnia can affect the quality of interpersonal relationships, work productivity, and it may also lead to depression.
- Simple tasks become difficult
Anxiety may affect a person’s ability to complete simple tasks by staying home instead of doing chores like food shopping. This can lead to unhealthy eating habits by substituting take-outs for home cooked meals, which can in turn lead to poor nutrition, health issues and financial stress.
- Fear of taking risks – fear of failure
Those who suffer with an anxiety disorder are less likely to take educated risks in life. A profound fear of failure often dominates the minds of people who suffer with chronic anxiety because they feel out of control of their lives. This can result in a lack of risk-taking, or playing-it-safe which hinders meaningful progress in life.
- Fear of recovery – fear of relapse
A fear of relapse after recovery can be a common concern for people with an anxiety disorder who’ve considered seeing a mental health therapist. Rather than the fear of success, the fear of maintaining that success can seem overwhelming, which prevents them seeking professional help at all.
- Diminished Mental & Physiological Health
Chronic anxiety disorders may trigger other mental health issues like depression or suicidal thoughts. In addition, the surge of hormones that the body produces in response to stress have a physiological impact when prolonged and recurring. Symptoms may include muscle tension and pain, migraines, and tension headaches, as well as increased risk of artery deposits, inflammation, heart attack and stroke.
One of the most common anxious experiences in life is feeling nervous about a situation. A common reaction is to avoid the situation that may trigger symptoms. Also, a major fear of suffering an anxiety attack is frequently experienced by individuals. But avoiding the situation gives credence to the fear itself and this can make things worse in the long-term. Each time the individual faces a similar situation and avoids it, they’re telling their subconscious mind that it’s an incredibly dangerous scenario.
People who suffer with extreme anxiety may have experienced incidents in their childhood that lead to developing a particular negative self-belief. Then, subsequent experiences echoed and intensified the negative self-belief during their childhood and into adulthood.
Doing nothing about severe anxiety deprives individuals from pursuing the ultimate goal of happiness and wellbeing. Everyone deserves to be mentally well, and to feel happy. There are benefits to seeking support from helpful family members and friends who can offer comfort at times of chronic stress or anxiety.
When an individual with an anxiety disorder begins to face their fears, they start to break down the barriers to achieving their goals. Each time they face the scary situation in question, their anxiety levels lessen. Recovery is a journey, not a destination.
If you’re affected by mental health issues and you’d like to begin, or continue your journey to recovery, please reach out to a member of our experienced team at Oasis Counseling Today on 702.294.0433 (locations throughout Southern Nevada). https://oasiscounselingtoday.com