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High-Functioning Schizophrenia: Coping Strategies and Challenges

Aliya on March 20, 2025

Marked by severe psychosis and other severe symptoms, schizophrenia is often thought of as so debilitating that it’s hard to imagine a different, almost hidden version of it where someone can function well in daily life. A variation of the mental health issue known as high-functioning schizophrenia can make it more difficult to notice.

We often hear the term “high functioning” used in other conditions — much like high functioning autism or alcoholism — but how does it apply exactly to schizophrenia? It doesn’t mean being unaffected or lacking symptoms. Just because someone appears to be functioning well on the surface doesn’t mean they’re not struggling internally. And unfortunately, because they’re less overtly visible, these signs may go overlooked or misunderstood, even by the person suffering.    

What does high-functioning schizophrenia look like, and how does it differ from conventional schizophrenia? Thankfully, while there are challenges unique to both, schizophrenia can be treated, coped with, and managed. 

What Is Schizophrenia?  

Though not as prevalent as other disorders, schizophrenia still maintains a concerning presence in the mental health world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 24 million people (nearly one in 300) are affected by schizophrenia, one in 222 adults.  

Affecting how one universally thinks, feels, and behaves, schizophrenia’s onset is general in one’s teens or twenties, but it’s clinically unclear why it tends to emerge during these formative years. The Mayo Clinic notes that schizophrenia symptoms usually start from the late teens to early 20s in men and in women in their late 20s to early 30s. Schizophrenia is rarely seen in younger children. 

It’s a chronic, long-term condition that causes psychosis characterized by hallucinations, delusions, and cognitive difficulties, plus other impairments that can disrupt and adversely affect virtually every aspect of a person’s life, from their ability to hold down a job, succeed in school, or maintain healthy relationships.  

What Causes Schizophrenia?

There is no single cause of schizophrenia. Research suggests that a combination of genetic reasons and environment are determining factors — but one’s neurological makeup also plays a pivotal role in developing schizophrenia, classified as a brain disease. 

“Changes in certain naturally occurring brain chemicals, including neurotransmitters called dopamine and glutamate, may play a part in schizophrenia,” notes the Mayo Clinic. “Neuroimaging studies show changes in the brain structure and central nervous systems of people with schizophrenia.”  

Is High-Functioning Schizophrenia a Real Thing?  

The mental health community hesitates to use the term “high-functioning schizophrenia” since it isn’t recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). But high-functioning schizophrenia is real. In an official schizophrenia diagnosis, it can be acknowledged in people who need treatment even though their symptoms don’t interfere as badly with managing daily responsibilities. 

Schizophrenia vs High-Functioning Schizophrenia  

Like many mental health and brain disorders, look at schizophrenia as existing on a sort of severity spectrum. The difference may reside in how a person experiencing the debilitating effects of moderate to severe schizophrenia is able to cope and function day to day versus some with milder high-functioning schizophrenia symptoms. 

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What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Schizophrenia?  

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), schizophrenia can be categorized into three areas reflecting psychotic, negative, and cognitive symptoms. 

Psychotic disorder symptoms are a series of severe, adverse changes in the manner in which you think, feel, behave, and experience the world around you, says the NIMH. You may experience persistent hallucinations (seeing things and hearing voices that don’t exist) or delusions (irrational, fixed beliefs you believe are true despite being proven false). “Compared with adults with schizophrenia, teens with the condition may be less likely to have delusions and more likely to have hallucinations,” states the Mayo Clinic. 

Psychosis in schizophrenia may also include disordered thinking, which can include having trouble organizing one’s thoughts, speaking in a confused, tangential manner, or making up nonsense words.  

Negative schizophrenic symptoms convey the absence of positive behaviors consistent with depressive disorder. Here, you might experience a lack of motivation, withdraw socially or act in socially awkward ways, lose interest in the activities you once loved, and show reduced emotional and even verbal expression. “In extreme cases, a person might stop moving or talking for periods of time,” says the NIMH, “which is a rare condition called catatonia.” 

Effect on Cognitive Functioning 

Cognitive troubles due to schizophrenia can impair your ability to utilize information (even after having just learned it), concentrate, and make decisions. “These symptoms can make it hard to follow a conversation, learn new things, or remember appointments,” states the NIMH. Your degree of cognitive functioning, says the NIMH, and how it may impact your daily functioning is one way to determine how low- or high-functioning one’s schizophrenia is. 

Among delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior, and the negative characteristics mentioned above, you must display at least two or more symptoms for at least a month, persistently for six months, to receive a schizophrenia diagnosis.  

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of High-Functioning Schizophrenia? 

Schizophrenic and high-functioning schizophrenia share a great deal of symptomatic crossover. A fundamental difference is how one effectively functions with the condition. Some examples of high-functioning schizophrenia may include:  

  • Masking symptoms: You may harness an ability to suppress hallucinations or paranoia to maintain a job or relationship — even at the most minimal level. 
  • Structure to stay grounded: Many people with high-functioning schizophrenia may develop strict schedules to counteract verbal/mental disorganization or cognitive difficulties. 
  • Relying heavily on coping strategies: Strong social support can often play a significant role in maintaining schizophrenic functionality. 

Research from the American Psychological Association shows that in order for a person suffering from schizophrenia to qualify as high functioning, they must be able to maintain a professional/technical/managerial job, a responsible role as a full-time caretaker, or maintain a full-time academic schedule. 

How Does Living with Schizophrenia Make Life Hard?  

According to the WHO, cultural stigma against schizophrenia harms the people who suffer from it. 

“People with schizophrenia often experience human rights violations both inside mental health institutions and in community settings,” notes the organization. “Stigma against people with this condition is intense and widespread, causing social exclusion and impacting their relationships with others, including family and friends. This contributes to discrimination, which in turn can limit access to general health care, education, housing and employment.”   

Challenges with Relationships  

How do the various symptoms of schizophrenia impact relationships with friends and family? 

  • Maintaining relationships can be difficult when hallucinations or delusions distort reality. For example, a person with schizophrenia may display paranoid behavior, causing them to believe that their loved ones are plotting against them when all evidence suggests otherwise.  
  • Disordered thinking and speech rhythms and difficulty expressing emotion can provoke miscommunications and conflict between romantic partners, placing strain on the relationship. 
  • Social withdrawal is a symptom of schizophrenia that can create distance between you and those who love you — or make it difficult to create new connections. 

Difficulties with Employment  

Holding a job can be easier for a person with high-functioning schizophrenia but can prove challenging for someone with a lower-functioning level of the disorder. Studies show that schizophrenia is linked to higher unemployment rates — up to 90% for people with schizophrenia vs. 10% for those without.   

  • Struggles with remembering details and staying focused can make it hard to follow instructions, complete tasks efficiently, or remember important deadlines. 
  • Disorganized thinking can lead to miscommunications with your colleagues, making it difficult to stay on topic in conversations or meetings or keep track of responsibilities. 
  • Workplace stress may worsen schizophrenic symptoms, especially in environments that call for decision-making or multitasking. 
  • Some of the negative symptoms listed above in this article, such as low motivation and lack of energy, can make it challenging to stay engaged in work. 
  • Hallucinations or delusions may cause distractions and diminish the quality of your work, ultimately jeopardizing your employment standing. 
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Stigmas and Misconceptions about Schizophrenia 

Myths that persist about mental health conditions only serve to minimize the seriousness of disorders like schizophrenia and can create a stigma nearly as damaging as one’s symptoms. Here are some of the most common examples of misinformation that need debunking:  

  • “You’ll 100% get schizophrenia if one of your parents has it.” While there is a hereditary component to schizophrenia, false myths tell us that you will absolutely develop it if a blood relative has it. “Research shows children of a parent with schizophrenia have somewhere around a 10 and 15 percent chance of the same diagnosis; if two parents have the condition, that risk rises to 30 to 40 percent,” notes UCLA. 
  • “You’ll never function or live independently with schizophrenia.” Schizophrenia can be disabling for many people, and high-functioning schizophrenia remains challenging for others — but to say that you’ll never live a normal life is unfortunate and downplays the ability to recover. The truth is that with proper treatment, working, having relationships, and living on your own with schizophrenia is possible.  

How Is Schizophrenia Treated?  

There’s one more myth that couldn’t be further from the truth — that schizophrenia can’t be treated. Through compassionate care from a therapist, others in treatment for the same condition, and your own efforts, recovery from schizophrenia and high-functioning schizophrenia is possible. 

Coping Strategies for Those with High-Functioning Schizophrenia

Support Groups 

Schizophrenia — or any other mental health issue — should not have to be resolved in isolation. You can connect with others who understand your experiences and are going through the same thing. Support groups like the Schizophrenia & Psychosis Action Alliance exist to raise awareness of the condition and bring together others seeking recovery. Click here to find out more about the peer support groups the alliance offers in your area, both in-person and virtual.  

Psychotherapy 

Did you know that one-third of people with schizophrenia experience a complete remission of their symptoms? Behavioral therapy is an effective and invaluable resource when it comes to treating schizophrenic symptoms — examples include tried-and-true therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help you challenge delusions and develop strategies for managing intrusive thoughts, and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) for emotional regulation.  

Lifestyle Changes  

Change can come from within. In addition to therapy, making some easy, accessible choices you can easily achieve in your day-to-day life can help empower you to start living a more fulfilling life, even with schizophrenia. It could be as simple as getting more sleep, eating healthier, getting more exercise, and avoiding drugs and alcohol. When you seek treatment, ask your therapist about holistic therapies like mindfulness meditation — which can help still the mind and garner more mental focus than schizophrenia can dull. In tandem with proper therapy, you can take charge of your own recovery. 

Schizophrenia and high-functioning schizophrenia present challenges that can impact you or a loved one who may struggle with its symptoms, but take heart in knowing that help is available. Our admissions team is available 24/7 to answer your questions about treatment, cost, insurance, and more. You can change your life with one phone call, so reach out to us today. 

Percocet vs Vicodin: What’s the Difference?

Aliya on March 18, 2025

When it comes to opioid pain medication, there are different combinations of active ingredients and different brand names. Percocet and Vicodin are two opioid painkillers that can be prescribed for serious acute or chronic pain. But what is the difference between Percocet vs Vicodin?

Vicodin vs. Percocet: What’s the Difference?

Both Percocet and Vicodin are opioids used to treat moderate to severe pain. They are both carefully monitored by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The composition of each drug is different, so they have varying effects. Percocet contains oxycodone (a semi-synthetic opioid) and acetaminophen (a non-opioid pain reliever). Vicodin contains hydrocodone (a semi-synthetic opioid) and acetaminophen. Thus, they both contain a different active opioid ingredient along with acetaminophen, which is branded as Tylenol. It is generally believed that oxycodone is more powerful than hydrocodone. In the same vein, Percocet is a stronger opioid medication than Vicodin, and is used for more severe pain. This also means it has a higher addiction potential and threat of overdose.

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 Risks of Opioid Medication

Opioid pain medications are powerful substances with high addiction potential. In the United States, using Percocet and Vicodin without a prescription is illicit use. They are closely monitored by the DEA as Schedule II Controlled Substances. Schedule II drugs are medications with beneficial use when used properly as prescribed by a healthcare professional but with a high risk of physical and psychological dependence. Opioid pain medications are closely monitored and only prescribed when needed because of the damage they can cause if abused. Schedule II substances cannot be refilled, yet it’s common for people to misuse, share, or sell prescriptions such as oxycodone and hydrocodone for recreational use. The risk of overdose is even higher for those who smoke or inject prescription pain medication. 

Opioid Addiction

Opioid addiction is a serious condition. The most severe form is opioid use disorder (OUD), a brain condition where an individual cannot quit on their own. Notably, opioids are addictive because they work on the opioid receptors in the brain to target the reward system. Over time, your brain chemistry adapts, and your system requires more substances to function normally.

Potential for Deadly Overdose 

Opioid overdose can be life-threatening. OUD leads individuals down the path of constantly needing more opioids because the pleasurable effects wear off with tolerance. If you overdose on opioids, your central nervous system may slow down to dangerously slow breathing levels. The lack of oxygen leads to brain damage, and within 1-3 hours after the dose, you can die. Markedly, overdose can happen regardless of whether your opioids are natural, like morphine, or come from prescription medications, like Percocet.

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Pain Management Without Opioids

There are other ways besides opioids to treat pain, including mental health pain that often leads individuals to self-medicate with drugs. At our treatment center, we provide holistic treatments that help the whole system heal, from mind, to body, to spirit. Addressing the root causes of your pain gives you greater understanding how to proceed. Traditional therapy for mental disorders and substance use addiction are another alternative to self-medication. Further, your physical pain can be improved with physical therapy, massage therapy, and alternative pain management treatments.

Find Help for Opioid Abuse

If you struggle with opioid abuse, there’s no time to waste in getting help. It can be hard to know where to look, but the best path forward is professional drug rehab. We will help you detox from opioids in our safe medical facility. Through a proven combination of traditional and holistic therapy and counseling, we’ll help you heal your pain and overcome OUD. Taking Vicodin and Percocet for acute pain can lead to dire consequences even if you take them as prescribed due to their addictive nature. If you need help, call us today! 

Can You Pass Out from a Panic Attack?

Aliya on March 17, 2025

Your heart begins to race. There’s a tightening in your chest. Your breathing becomes shallow, and you feel a sense of fright, even terror, wash over you. But can you pass out from a panic attack? 

Having a panic attack — especially for the first time — can leave anyone mistaking the onslaught of these symptoms for a heart attack or make you worry that you could lose consciousness. Can you pass out from a panic attack, or worse, can you die from a panic attack? They’re two of the immediate realizations that might occur, panicking you further.   

Perhaps the most pressing question is why panic attacks happen. They can be an underlying precursor to a panic or anxiety disorder — an amalgam of panic attacks in response to how we perceive and react to stress, lingering trauma, or other issues. 

You may have had a mild panic attack once before, or you’ve had several, and they’ve been intensifying in frequency. If you don’t know how to respond or the practical steps you can take to manage them and address a potential panic disorder diagnosis. 

What Is a Panic Attack?   

A panic attack is an episode of intense fear that triggers severe physical reactions even when no obvious danger is apparent. Panic attacks are sudden, and although they aren’t life-threatening, a panic attack that happens without warning can make it even more distressing — frightening experiences that can leave someone living in constant fear of having another attack.  

“Many people have just one or two panic attacks in their lifetimes, and the problem goes away, perhaps when a stressful situation ends,” notes the Mayo Clinic. But panic attacks, in fact, are more commonplace than we think; according to the Cleveland Clinic, up to 11% of people in the U.S. experience a panic attack each year.   

Can You Pass Out from a Panic Attack?  

One of the scariest aspects of a panic attack is a dizzying, disorienting sensation that you might faint. How long can you pass out after a panic attack? Fainting or passing out during a panic attack is rare, but some physical responses to panic can make it feel like you’re about to lose consciousness. 

Why Panic Attacks Make You Feel Like Passing Out  

Panic attacks begin when our bodies go into fight-or-flight mode, a stress response and survival mechanism that causes the release of adrenaline into the bloodstream — up to two and a half times more than usual — to prompt us to act quickly. 

Your heartbeat and breathing will also increase as a means of sending blood to the muscles and oxygen to your lungs. However, this can also result in hyperventilation since your body perceives these changes as a response to a threat.  

And when you breathe too quickly, your body expels too much carbon dioxide, disrupting the oxygen balance in your blood. This can result in lightheaded faintness, tingling in the hands and face, trembling, and weakness in your extremities (symptoms we’ll explore more below), making it feel like you might black out.  

Why is fainting unlikely during a panic attack? Simply put, this rise in heart rate and blood pressure is contrary to the drop in blood pressure that usually triggers actual fainting. 

Can You Die from a Panic Attack?  

The short answer is no — although frightening, panic attacks are not fatal. A racing heartbeat, respiratory tension, and other severe physiological responses that accompany a panic attack may naturally lead you to fear that you’re having a heart attack for real. But since a panic attack does not inflict the same damage to your heart or surrounding organs as a heart attack can, death from a panic attack is ultimately exceedingly rare. 

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of a Panic Attack?  

Panic attacks are usually short-lived and subside almost as quickly as they began and may usually last no more than 30 minutes, with the most intense symptoms peaking at 10 minutes. A panic attack hangover — once it’s ended — can leave you feeling drained and physically spent.  

When you experience a panic attack, your body sends you a barrage of signals that something is amiss — telltale signs and symptoms that are impossible to ignore:  

  • A racing or pounding heartbeat 
  • Pronounced chest pain 
  • Shortness of breath or hyperventilation 
  • Sweating, trembling, or shaking 
  • A feeling of choking 
  • Nausea 
  • Dizziness, lightheadedness, or feeling faint 
  • Tingling or numbness in your extremities 
  • A sense of unreality or detachment from your surroundings is often referred to as depersonalization 
  • A heightened sense of terror and/or a fear of losing control  

Panic Attack vs Heart Attack 

On the surface, it’s difficult to distinguish the differences between a heart attack and a panic attack since their key symptoms overlap. Panic attacks and heart attacks can happen quickly and intensely, but heart attacks generally begin slowly, and the chest pain or discomfort you may feel will worsen gradually, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). “These episodes might come and go several times before the actual heart attack occurs,” the AHA states.  

While chest pain may originate in the mid-chest region for both panic and heart attacks, a panic attack’s pain will stay localized; a heart attack’s pain will typically gravitate to the left arm and jaw. 

And where a panic attack is a strong physical reaction to a trigger or stressor, heart attacks are an indicator of underlying coronary issues. “A heart attack happens when the blood flow that brings oxygen to the heart muscle is severely reduced or cut off, usually by blockage of coronary arteries,” states the AHA. 

“Although panic attacks are frightening, they’re not dangerous,” the UK National Health Service website states. “An attack will not cause you any physical harm, and it’s unlikely you’ll be admitted to (a) hospital if you have one.” 

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What Causes Panic Attacks? 

There are various reasons why someone is prone to panic attacks cause. Experts contend that the relationship between your neurological and nervous system functions may play a role as well as environmental factors.   

“People are hardwired to experience both anxiety and panic attacks,” states Ricks Warren, a psychologist with the University of Michigan, on the school’s website. “Some are more prone to worry and anxiety because they have a very sensitive nervous system. If they grow up with others who are worriers, they can learn to worry.” 

“Some researchers think panic attacks are like ‘false alarms’ where our body’s typical survival instincts are active either too often, too strongly, or some combination of the two,” says the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).  

But situationally, panic and anxiety attacks happen when what we consider a dangerous situation is triggered. For instance, if you’re squeamish about needles, you might experience panic when getting a vaccination, or if you tend to feel claustrophobic or afraid of heights, the risk of a panic attack increases when stuck in a crowded elevator or atop a high bridge or building. 

“Panic attacks also can be triggered by subtler cues, like certain bodily sensations,” adds Warren. “A person could have a pain in the chest and interpret that as a heart attack. Or they feel lightheaded and think they’re going to pass out or are having a stroke.” 

What Causes Panic Disorder? 

A history of panic attacks is linked to the development of panic disorder. While research hasn’t concluded how panic disorders genuinely develop, the Cleveland Clinic hypothesizes that impairments to the amygdala, the part of your brain that handles fear and other negative emotions, may be partially responsible, as well as imbalances in other neurotransmitters.  

There may also be a genetic component that runs in families. According to the clinic, there’s a 40% increase in inheriting a panic disorder if a first-degree relative has one.  

Traumatic or adverse childhood experiences (known as ACEs) between the ages of 1 and 17 can also contribute to developing panic disorder. Mental illnesses, like depression or anxiety disorder also make one more susceptible to having a panic attack and subsequent possible panic disorder.

How Is Panic Disorder Diagnosed? 

A proper diagnosis of panic disorder needs to be from a mental health provider like a psychologist or psychiatrist. They’ll conduct an evaluation to review:  

  • Your medical history to gauge if you have any conditions that could trigger panic attacks, like heart or thyroid disease or other physical issues 
  • The quantity and frequency of recurrent, unexpected panic attacks 
  • Behavioral symptoms, like avoiding situations or people that might trigger a panic attack or persistent worry about future possible attacks 

According to the NIMH, panic disorder often originates in one’s late teen years or early adulthood, and women have a higher likelihood than men of developing it. 

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What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Panic Disorder? 

Panic disorder can cause:  

  • Chronic panic attacks characterized by feelings of terror, anxiety and panic 
  • Fears of losing control or dying during panic attacks 
  • Avoidance of certain places or situations attached to your panic attacks 
  • The same physical and psychological symptoms of a panic attack are listed in this article 

How to Deal with a Panic Attack When They Happen  

When you sense a panic attack is imminent and coming on or has already started, little can be done to stop it. The best course of action is to take a few steps to mitigate the symptoms until they subside:  

  • Don’t fight it: Panic attacks are like a tense cacophony of disturbing sensations. Focus on them. Be in the moment with what you’re seeing, feeling and thinking. Stay in the present and acknowledge that the experience is happening. Remind yourself — even when the symptoms feel like they’re overwhelming you — that a panic attack is temporary and that you’re safe. You won’t be passing out during a panic attack or die. 
  • Focus on your breathing: “Deep breathing can reduce symptoms of panic during an attack,” says the Cleveland Clinic. Because hyperventilation can exacerbate the shortness of breath and chest pains common to panic attacks, close your eyes and take deep, slow breaths. Try the 4-7-8 breathing technique — breathe for four seconds, hold your breath for seven seconds and exhale for eight seconds.   
  • Relax your muscles: Slowly, concentrate on trying to relax each muscle group that’s tensed up during a panic attack. Practice this in tandem with your deep breathing. 
  • Prepare a calming space: Move to a quieter, more comfortable area where you can sit down and relax until the intensity of the attack diminishes. If you’re driving, pull over and park. If you’re at work or the store, find a place to sit or go to the restroom for some quiet composure.  

How Is Panic Disorder Treated?     

Addressing panic disorder — and by extension, managing panic attacks — is most effective when seeking professional help at a treatment center where you can meet regularly with a counselor or therapist. Here, you can confirm with a diagnosis that you have panic disorder and take the steps to recover from it. 

Evidence-based Psychotherapy for Panic Disorder  

Psychotherapy is a type of talk therapy where you’ll sit one-on-one with a therapist experienced in panic disorders and get to the heart of your condition.   

One of the most commonly employed treatments is cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT for short. CBT is a type of therapy that helps you identify and challenge the negative or anxious thought patterns that might contribute to your panic attacks. Through CBT, you’ll learn to reframe your thoughts, develop healthier, more positive responses, and work to reduce the frequency and intensity of your attacks.   

According to the Mayo Clinic, with therapy, you may see your symptoms reduce within several weeks, with greater reduction within a few months.  

Holistic Treatment for Panic Disorder 

Employing a holistic recovery approach as a complement to psychotherapy is a way of acknowledging that your mind and body are ultimately interconnected — and that natural, holistic therapies work with your internal ability to recover.  

If you’ve had a panic attack and employ the deep breathing we mentioned above, mindfulness meditation, a type of holistic therapy, will feel familiar. You’ll learn techniques to center your thoughts and become aware of the present moment, key skills not only to reduce anxiety but for any time. Yoga is another holistic therapy that combines physical postures, mindful breathing, and meditation to help reduce panic-inducing stress and anxiety.   

Medication for Panic Disorder 

Your doctor or therapist may sometimes prescribe medication if your anxiety, panic attacks, or symptoms are particularly severe: 

  • Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs) are also FDA-approved for depression and panic and anxiety disorders and work to boost serotonin and norepinephrine levels in the brain. As we can see in SSRIs, these neurochemicals are effective in mood regulation.  
  • Benzodiazepines, or benzos for short, are a type of medicine that can help slow down hyperactivity in your brain and nervous system — both of which are on overdrive during a panic attack. Benzos work specifically by releasing a neurochemical called gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA, to help temper your nervous system.  

The Dangers of Benzodiazepines  

Although benzos can help to minimize panic attacks and panic disorder, they are highly addictive if you use more than prescribed — leading to potential physical dependence. Withdrawal symptoms and seizures are also at risk if you stop taking the drug abruptly.  

Moreover, increased anxiety — the problem benzos are meant to treat — can increase from misusing the drug. For these reasons and more, benzos should be prescribed as a last resort for short-term relief of panic disorder.  

Find Professional Treatment for Panic Disorder 

The NIMH dubs panic disorder as a condition when fear overwhelms — and it can create a perception that help is beyond reach or that panic disorder is too strong to treat. But the reality couldn’t be further from the truth.  

Aliya Health Group’s numerous treatment centers across the U.S. offer specialized treatment for panic disorder, with a comprehensive approach to managing symptoms and improving your overall quality of life. Panic attacks or a panic disorder, even when the signs and symptoms are present, don’t need to overtake your sense of self or well-being. 

Don’t hesitate to contact us today with questions or concerns about panic disorder treatment, cost, and insurance coverage. Our admissions team is available 24/7. Change your life with one call. We can help.

How Sober Living Homes Can Help Maintain Long-Term Sobriety

Aliya on March 17, 2025

It takes bravery, courage, and accountability to take the steps to get sober and leave behind addiction. If you’ve been through inpatient or outpatient treatment (or both), you’ll know how obstructed the road to recovery can often be and the hard work it takes to reach that goal. Sober living homes can help.  

Staying sober can be just, if not more, challenging since many people struggle to find their footing from residential rehab back to living independently. The sudden freedom, the pressures of day-to-day living, stress cues — the people, places, or things that may remind you of past substance abuse — or living in an environment unconducive to sobriety can raise one’s risk of relapsing. (Statistics show that two-thirds of people treated for alcohol use disorder relapse within six months.) 

During this transitional time, sober living homes act like a safety net. Sober living housing enables you to rediscover your newfound independence, but in a substance- and drug-free environment free of triggers. But what can you expect from living in a sober home — and what value can it bring to your recovery? 

What Are Sober Living Homes?  

What is a sober home? It’s a type of transitional group housing, free from alcohol or drugs, where you’ll live with other people in recovery committed to maintaining sobriety and supporting each other. It serves as a bridge between intensive inpatient rehab and living back out on your own. 

Studies show that nearly 1% of people concluding substance use disorder treatment choose to stay in a sober home. An extension of the aftercare phase of treatment, it’s a strictly substance-free space, away from potential relapse temptations, where you’ll share chores and responsibilities around the house, pay rent, and continue attending 12-Step peer support groups (such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous).  

There are generally four different types of sober living homes: 

  • Peer-run: Residents manage the sober home themselves. 
  • Partially staffed: A paid staff member provides oversight. 
  • Structured: Trained staff to enforce rules and provide guidance and supervision. 
  • Clinically managed: Licensed, credentialed professionals oversee operations and offer support services. 

Sober House vs. Halfway House 

Sober living homes and halfway houses are often confused, and the two terms get mistakenly used interchangeably. Halfway houses are often government-funded and typically cater to people exiting criminal incarceration or court-mandated treatment. They have stricter rules and a set timeframe for residency. 

On the other hand, a sober home is usually privately owned, and you live there of your own volition. (A luxury sober living home may offer additional amenities and a more comfortable environment, but be mindful that you may need to budget for a higher cost of living.) 

How Does Sober Living Help with Long-Term Sobriety?  

Think of rehab like going to school — once you’ve graduated, a sober home is like an internship to start practicing all the skills and lessons you’ve learned and cultivated during treatment.   

And although your time in sober living is temporary, the experiences you’ll gain will shape your sobriety for the rest of your life.  

Firstly, steering clear of addictive substances is paramount when you leave rehab. You’ll have learned coping skills and made a pledge to yourself to avoid drugs and alcohol, but the triggers don’t magically disappear. In a sober home, you can literally rest your head at night knowing that substances are strictly prohibited in the house — a policy you can take with you once you begin living in your own home again.  

The sober perspective you’ve unearthed in rehab also doesn’t have to be a solo effort. When you live among others equally committed to recovery, you’re constantly reminded of your goals and the importance of staying accountable. Like a team, you’re all in this together, bolstering each other while working toward a common outcome. It’s a safe space to rebuild your confidence and reconnect with yourself. 

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How Does Sober Living Work? 

Here’s a rundown of how living in a sober home works:

Transition from Residential Recovery 

For people with more severe addictions, going from the comfort and security of detox and a subsequent inpatient rehab stay straight back into the rigors of real life can feel like you’ve skipped over a necessary step.   

Sober living is that needed transitional phase to get you prepared for independent living in a more controlled environment — like inpatient rehab, there are no drugs or alcohol permitted on the premises.  

Think of the lessons you learned in treatment — through cognitive behavioral therapy with your counselor, group sessions, or the mindfulness meditation you looked forward to — and look at sober living as a place to carry forward that progress and begin applying it in everyday situations. It’s like getting back in shape after being out of the game for a while. 

Structure and Support 

One added benefit of living with others in recovery is the structure a sober home provides after the unstructured world of substance abuse. The structured space of sober living helps you get back on track by adopting healthy routines in your life, like maintaining a regular sleep schedule, adhering to day-to-day goals, and committing to work or school.  

But more importantly, the residents you’ll live with for a time are like a built-in support system to lean on each other. Together, you can develop healthy routines and encourage each other in moments of weakness or vulnerability, a comradery to help reduce the isolation that too often accompanies addiction — but also to rebuild your sense of independence and self-sufficiency. 

House Responsibilities  

Do sober homes have rules? Residing in a sober living situation means you have a responsibility to hold up your end in the smooth running of the house. There are sober home chores like cleaning, cooking, maintaining things around the house, and sharing expenses.  

Many of these essentials fall by the wayside in one’s own home when alcohol addiction becomes their number one priority. In a sober home, this reacquaintance with managing your time gives you not only a sense of pride and ownership of your living space but also illustrates what’s really important once you’ve shunned drugs and alcohol from your life. 

That doesn’t mean it’s all work. Sober living offers plenty of time for sober, substance-free bonding outside of chore time. Your home may have a house manager who can organize and plan local outings and activities like nature hikes, bowling, ice skating, movie nights, and grocery store runs.  

Learning Life Skills  

Addiction can consume and disrupt the basic, everyday life skills that sober living can help you relearn — so integral to your self-growth and sobriety. Thankfully, you’re not alone.   

Here, you’ll learn better time management to balance work, school, and personal matters with recovery meetings for peer support groups. Financial independence becomes easier as you practice budgeting, paying rent, and managing house expenses responsibly with your roommates (illicit substances cannot be purchased or allowed at home). And just as important, self-care and house upkeep — like cooking and cleaning — are tasks delegated to each resident.  

By the time you say goodbye to your sober home, you’ll have remastered these skills like they’re second nature as you segue back into autonomy. 

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Do Sober Living Homes Have Rules?  

Yes, there are sober home rules and set boundaries that everyone is expected to adhere to, like:  

  • Keep the house sober and maintain that there are no drugs or alcohol on the premises. 
  • Regular sobriety and drug testing may be a rule in your sober house to make sure everyone is staying clean. 
  • Curfews and check-ins are in place to make sure residents return by a set time to keep up with house responsibilities. 
  • There are also guest limitations; individuals who may supply substances or be a bad influence aren’t allowed. 
  • Participation in house meetings and other recovery-centric activities is often required. 
  • Respect for others is another house rule, where everyone is expected to obey quiet hours and resolve conflict to maintain a peaceful, sober home. 

 

How Do I Find Sober Living Homes?   

If you’ve been in inpatient recovery and you’re either transitioning to outpatient treatment or nearing the end of the program, sober living homes become an option before returning home on your own.  

If a stay in a sober home is something you’re interested in, or if it’s suggested to you by your therapist or case manager, ask them some important questions prior to exploring your options:  

  • What are the house rules and expectations? 
  • Is there on-site staff or a house manager? 
  • Is participation in peer support groups/recovery meetings required? 
  • Does it cost anything out of pocket? 
  • Can I continue therapy or outpatient treatment? 
  • What comes next after living in a sober home? 

Can I Use Insurance to Pay for Sober Living?  

Insurance plans vary in their coverage of behavioral health services, and Aliya’s facilities accept both in-network and out-of-network insurance plans. Will insurance cover your stay at a treatment center and sober home? Click here to verify your insurance and see how much your financial obligations can be reduced. 

From the time you enter rehab to the moment you emerge clean and sober, addiction treatment can be the pivotal, life-changing resource you need to change your life. You can make a difference in your sobriety if you’re struggling with drugs or alcohol — but the change begins with you. Contact us today to learn more about how Aliya can help. 

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of BPD in Men?

Aliya on March 11, 2025

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) affects between 0.7% and 2.7% of the U.S. population, but it’s been historically considered more common in women than men. In general, women have a clinically higher rate of BPD than men at 3% vs. 2.4%, respectively — and 75% of all people diagnosed with BPD (about three in four) are women. 

Although these differences aren’t that great, BPD in men is a significant problem in the mental health space. But it’s almost stigmatized in the way it’s culturally perceived — often misunderstood or misdiagnosed in the paradigm of mental illness and personality disorders.   

Yet, because BPD symptoms in men can manifest differently than they do in women, they’re often overlooked because of the misconceptions surrounding how the disorder impacts men. This can result in many men with BPD not recognizing their challenges or struggles as legitimate, diagnosable symptoms of a serious disorder.  

The truth is that BPD in men demands awareness since it can impact your health, well-being and relationships — diminishing your ability to live your best life. Left untreated, BPD can also lead to the development of other mental health conditions.  

Here’s what the symptoms and signs of BPD in men look like and how to get help for yourself or someone you care about.  

What Is Borderline Personality Disorder? 

Like many similar disorders, BPD is a complex, chronic mental health condition that affects the way one’s thoughts, feelings and behaviors are negatively interconnected in every facet of daily life.  

BPD is primarily punctuated by an inability to control and regulate emotions, which can result in developing an unhealthy and unstable identity, radically extreme and unpredictable mood swings, and impulsive behaviors. People with BPD often struggle with their sense of self, fluctuating between feelings of worthlessness and grandiosity.  

“People with borderline personality disorder have a strong fear of abandonment or being left alone,” notes the Mayo Clinic. “Even though they want to have loving and lasting relationships, the fear of being abandoned often leads to mood swings and anger. It also leads to impulsiveness and self-injury that may push others away.”  

Personal relationships may become further complicated since a person with BPD may tend to vacillate their view of a significant other or someone close to them in abrupt, dramatic ways. “They can go from idealizing others to devaluing them quickly and vice versa,” says the Cleveland Clinic. 

Personality Disorder Clusters 

Personality disorders (such as bipolar disorder) exist clinically on a cluster spectrum. BPD is part of Cluster B — classified as dramatic and erratic — alongside other conditions like antisocial and narcissistic personality disorders. BPD often originates in one’s later teenage years or early adulthood. 

“People with borderline personality disorder often feel as though they lacked a certain level of nurturing while growing up,” notes Johns Hopkins Medicine. “As a result, they constantly seek a higher level of caretaking from others as adults. This may be achieved through manipulation of others, leaving them often feeling empty, angry, and abandoned.”  

A person with BPD may react to these feelings through a number of extreme behaviors, like abusing substances, promiscuous/unsafe sex, reckless driving, careless gambling or spending, or suicide attempts.  

According to the Mayo Clinic, many people with BPD are unaware they have it and don’t know of a way to act and relate healthily to others.  

BPD in Men vs Women 

How common is BPD in men? Although BPD is often considered a predominantly female disorder, men can experience its adversely consuming impacts to equal effect. The difference is in the way BPD manifests itself between both genders.  

“There is particular focus on symptoms and comorbid disorders, which shows a tendency of males with BPD to more likely exhibit externalizing symptoms and comorbid disorders, while females with BPD to more likely exhibit internalizing symptoms and comorbid disorders,” notes a 2022 study, Sex differences in borderline personality disorder.  

“BPD females more likely reported affective instability, identity disturbance, chronic feelings of emptiness and unstable relationships, but not self-harm behaviors,” notes a 2024 study. “Conversely, men were significantly more likely to engage in impulsive behaviors and express outbursts of anger.” 

However, that doesn’t mean that signs of BPD in men are entirely overt (despite histrionic behavior typical between both genders). Quiet BPD in men — an internalized form of the disorder and one of four BPD subtypes — is less common than in women, but it can make diagnosing BPD symptoms in men even more difficult than it already is in the clinical world. They may internalize their distress rather than acting out, appearing calm on the surface but all the while battling intense emotional turmoil internally. 

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Signs and Symptoms of BPD in Men 

“An unstable sense of self, anger, aggression, self-harm and substance abuse are common symptoms for men with borderline personality disorder (BPD),” states the National Alliance on Mental Illness. 

The signs of BPD can manifest themselves uniquely depending on a person’s genetics, family history, personality, and environment. But it’s important to recognize symptoms since BPD is treatable.  

Emotional  

BPD is a disorder rooted in emotional dysregulation, and the symptoms can take shape in a similar, yet more volatile, manner than in women:  

  • Extreme, unpredictably shifting mood swings
  • An intense fear of abandonment, even in stable relationships  
  • Difficulty regulating emotions, leading to uncontrollable anger or internal friction  
  • Chronic, deep-seated feelings of emptiness and low self-worth 

Behavioral  

Contrary to the common internalizing behaviors of women with BPD, one study published in Psychiatry Research cites “BPD men evidence elevated substance abuse, and ‘externalizing’ patterns of behavior, antisocial personality traits, violent self-harm and interpersonal aggression.”  

  • Explosive, temperamental anger and aggressive outbursts (“Gender differences have been noted in other studies, with BPD men being more likely to display ‘intensive anger,’” notes the Psychiatry Research study.) 
  • The study cites research profiling general and intimate partner violence from men with BPD, “with the latter associated with negative urgency (regrettable behavior in response to distressing emotions).” 
  • Frequent interpersonal conflicts with loved ones, friends or colleagues, or getting into fights 
  • Self-sabotaging behaviors, such as pushing people away before they can leave  

Physical  

BPD symptoms in men, undiagnosed and neglected, can also begin to arise with other physical — and mental health — ailments: 

  • Chronic stress leading to headaches, stomach issues, or muscle tension 
  • Sleep disturbances, including insomnia or hypersomnia (sleeping too little or too much) 
  • Unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as alcohol or drug abuse or binge eating 
  • Self-harm or suicidal thoughts (“Men with BPD are more impaired and may be at higher risk of dying by suicide compared to women with BPD,” notes a 2018 study.) 

 

How Does BPD in Men Affect Relationships? 

Relationships can become a challenging terrain to traverse when involved with someone living with BPD. The instability that BPD creates can disrupt the intimate equilibrium that every relationship deserves. And men with BPD often have difficulty maintaining healthy, stable connections due to an intense fear of abandonment.

Stormy relationship struggles due to BPD may include: 

  • Jealousy and possessiveness: A deeply ingrained fear of rejection — real or perceived — can lead to controlling behaviors. 
  • Push-pull dynamics: Swinging between intense love and sudden withdrawal, sometimes for no apparent reason, can confuse and hurt one’s partner. (“One defense is called “splitting” — putting some people on a pedestal while devaluing others,” notes Mental Health America.) 
  • Explosive arguments: As difficulty managing emotions is a telltale sign of BPD in men, it can often lead to frequent conflicts and partner violence. 
  • Difficulty trusting others: Men with BPD may assume the worst in relationships, leading to paranoia, insecurity, and lying, which can erode trust and weaken a pair’s bond. 
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Treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder in Men

According to the 2024 BPD study highlighted above, women are known to be more likely to seek mental health help compared to men. And for men, this can prove challenging, even discouraging, due to societal norms frowning on men displaying emotional vulnerability. The misconception that BPD is a “women’s disorder” only exacerbates the problem, preventing many men from receiving an accurate BPD diagnosis. 

But men’s mental health treatment is available for borderline personality disorder in men, and the good news is that you have several avenues to travel down the road to recovery: 

Evidence-Based Psychotherapy 

Talk therapy is touted as the preferred treatment for BPD in men. The goal of therapy with a psychologist or counselor is to give voice to your struggle with BPD, recognize and understand the underlying nature of the disorder (where it originated from and how it’s impacted you) and reconcile your thoughts, feelings and behaviors. 

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one treatment of choice. It’s designed to help you intercept negative thoughts and reframe your mental processes into a more positive narrative that, in turn, translates into healthy coping mechanisms and behaviors with others. Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) is a similar type of therapy, helping you to accept the reality of your BPD and how it’s affected your life, teaching you skills to regulate your emotions better. 

Holistic Treatment Options  

Men’s mental health encompasses so much more than psychotherapy. Holistic therapy exists to address how mental health conditions like BPD in men affect your mind, body and spirit — and by engaging in therapies like yoga, mindfulness meditation, nutritional counseling or neurofeedback, you can begin to heal all three in tandem, creating harmony, balance and emotional stability.  

Holistic treatment is the ideal companion to evidence-based psychotherapy, building on your toolkit for managing your BPD symptoms in men and bolstering your healing and renewal.  

Medication   

There currently is no specific medication for treating BPD, but your doctor or therapist may prescribe it depending on the severity of your symptoms. For instance, if mood swings, anxiety or depression are symptomatic of your BPD, medications such as mood stabilizers, antidepressants or antipsychotics may be recommended in conservative dosages.   

As always, medication is most effective when it’s used in conjunction with talk and holistic therapies.  

Finding BPD Treatment Near Me 

BPD can manifest itself in many unique ways, but that doesn’t make it any less treatable. It takes bravery and courage to take the first step to seek help for a loved one — and we can assist in creating a treatment plan that’s tailored to their needs and what works best for their recovery journey.   

Aliya Health Group’s various treatment centers for mental health and substance use disorders are experienced in addressing borderline personality disorder in men. Our admissions team can answer your questions about therapy, cost, insurance coverage, and more by contacting us today.  

If past attempts to improve your mental health have been unsuccessful, please reach out to us today. You can change your life with one phone call.  

How to Make a Treatment Plan for Depression

Aliya on March 11, 2025

Depression continues to be one of the most common mental health conditions, and its prevalence continues to rise. According to a 2023 Gallup poll, 29% (nearly one-third) of adults in the U.S. have been diagnosed with depression during their lifetimes — nearly a 10% increase within the last decade. 

And while the study shows that more Americans are being treated for depression (a 7% increase), only 17.8% of those 29% receive the help they need. It reminds us how important it is to start a treatment plan for depression, a condition that is fully treatable and wholly manageable with the right help. 

If you’re unsure what therapy is all about, understand how a treatment plan for depressive disorders works or how to take a proactive role in crafting your own, keep reading to learn more.  

What Is Depression?  

We all have moments when we get down or moody, but those sentiments, a normal part of life, usually come to pass. Depression is more than just feeling sad or unmotivated. It’s a complex, multifaceted and very serious mental health condition that affects how you think, feel and function.   

According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), many risk factors can result in developing depression. It can be genetic and handed down through the generations in families. (The APA says that if an identical twin has depression, the other stands a 70% chance of also developing it.) Chemical imbalances in the brain — the APA cites the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, to name a few — may also be a risk factor. 

Negative life events, like trauma, financial or job problems, relationship issues, or chronic stress can also contribute to depression. “Depression can, in turn, lead to more stress and dysfunction and worsen the affected person’s life situation and the depression itself,” states the World Health Organization. 

Depression doesn’t discriminate — it can impact anyone, regardless of age, background or lifestyle. According to studies, depression affects 8.7% of women and 5.3% of men. A 2023 study also showed that the presence of probable depression was 33.3% in transgender people, and in another study, transgender individuals who had undergone gender-affirming surgery were very less likely to seek mental health treatment for depression.  

Depression can also co-occur with various other illnesses and medical conditions, notes the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance:  

  • One-fourth of cancer patients experience depression. 
  • Up to 27% of stroke victims develop depression. 
  • Depression is noted as the second most common mental health disorder among people living with HIV. 
  • 50% of people with Parkinson’s Disease also live with depression. 
  • One-third of people with diabetes also suffer from depression. 
  • More than one-fifth of people with a mood disorder like depression also have a co-occurring substance use disorder. 

 

Depressive Disorders Explained  

There are several different depressive disorders and subtypes, each with their own set of characteristics and challenges: 

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) 

Major depressive disorder is commonly known as clinical depression. It’s characterized by persistent low or depressed mood; anger, irritability or frustration over trivial things; anxiety and agitation; a loss of interest in activities that you once loved; fatigue and loss of mental and physical energy; difficulty concentrating and thinking clearly; feelings of worthlessness or fixating on/blaming yourself for past failures; and sometimes thoughts of self-harm or life not worth living.  

Symptoms of clinical depression must be present for at least two weeks in order to receive a diagnosis. “For many people with depression, symptoms usually are severe enough to cause noticeable problems in day-to-day activities, such as work, school, social activities or relationships with others,” says the Mayo Clinic. “Some people may feel generally miserable or unhappy without really knowing why.”  

Persistent Depressive Disorder (PDD) 

Where clinical depression happens in episodes lasting weeks and sometimes months, persistent depressive disorder gets its name because it’s a chronic, long-term mild-to-moderate type of depression that won’t go away, sometimes lasting for at least two years.  

PDD’s primary symptom is having a mood overshadowed by sadness, hopelessness, and worthlessness. You may have fatigue, limited energy, and difficulty concentrating. Eating or sleeping too much or too little are other signs of PDD as well as having performance issues at school or work. 

According to the Cleveland Clinic, 1.5% of American adults experienced PDD within the past year, with 2.5% having had the disorder at some point during their lives. 

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) 

Suppose you find that your mood dips during certain times of the year, it’s a reminder of how your environment and surroundings can affect your mental health. SAD usually happens during specific seasons of the year, usually in winter months when reduced sunlight, shorter days and colder weather can trigger depression.   

Some of the more common SAD symptoms include severe mood changes (being sullen, grouchy or anxious), fatigue, social withdrawal and loss of interest in things that once brought joy. What causes SAD? Neurochemical imbalances and vitamin D deficiencies are often cited as reasons. In the darker fall and winter months, our bodies may also produce more melatonin and encourage a sluggish, sleep feeling. Shifts in our biological clocks from shorter days may also raise your risk for SAD, and in many people, persistent negative feelings about winter are another contributing factor. 

Post-Partum Depression 

Prevalent in up to 15% of women, this form of depression affects new mothers. But post-partum depression is more than just the typical “baby blues” after giving birth (which also affects 50% to 75% of new moms, says the Cleveland Clinic); it’s a serious depressive disorder that can impact your ability to bond with your newborn and adjust to motherhood. 

Post-partum depression is sometimes called peripartum depression and can start during pregnancy. Symptoms of depression can include an inability to feel close to your baby, too much crying and intense mood swings, feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness or that you’re an inadequate mother, panic attacks and even thoughts of harming oneself or your child. 

Bipolar Disorder 

Episodes of alternating mania and depression typify bipolar disorder (previously clinically named manic-depressive illness or manic depression).  

These wildly vacillating states can range from “up” periods (where energy levels spike and impulsive behaviors increase) with “down” moments — depressive phases that can mirror the symptoms of MDD, such as the same overwhelming sadness and fatigue. “People with bipolar disorder often have other mental disorders, and some people may experience symptoms of psychosis, such as hallucinations or delusions,” notes the National Institute of Mental Health. 

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How Does Depression Make Life Difficult?  

“Depression is different from feeling sad or unhappy,” says Johns Hopkins Medicine. “It is not a sign of personal weakness or a condition that can be willed or wished away.”

Indeed, depression doesn’t just alter your mood. It can touch nearly every aspect of your life, even the parts you never thought would be affected. Severe depression can make even the simplest of tasks of daily life feel insurmountable, like getting out of bed, responding to messages, or even eating or leaving the house. Depression isolates the people it afflicts, and you may find it hard to sustain relationships or maintain your school or work responsibilities. 

These are just a handful of reasons why mental health treatment is so important and why crafting a treatment plan for depression with the help of a therapist sets you on the path to recovery, with clear-cut steps to outline your intended journey. 

What Is a Treatment Plan for Depression? 

If you’ve never been in treatment before, it’s easy to rely on a vague idea that you’re succeeding in therapy when you’re simply “feeling better.” A treatment plan for depressive disorders is essentially and effectively a roadmap outlining and establishing measurable treatment plan goals for depression to guide you through the trajectory of recovery.  

It’s basically a strategy that outlines your symptoms, defines your goals and tracks your progress, allowing for adjustments along the way, considering how dynamic therapy can be. 

How To Make a Treatment Plan for Depression 

What will your treatment plan objectives for depression be? Creating a treatment plan for depression requires some honest self-reflection with your therapist or counselor. This will usually happen during your first session or two as you begin to define your problems, speak to your challenges, set up a treatment timeline and outline what you hope to get out of treatment. 

Establish Goals 

Your goals for a depression treatment plan are what clinicians call the building blocks of the psychotherapeutic work you’ll do together.   

Your goals should be tangible and achievable. For instance, if you suffer from major depressive disorder, your goals may be to minimize your feelings of hopelessness, reduce suicidal thoughts, and build better self-esteem, and start seeing the world and people around you with a more positive, optimistic, and happier lens. You might look to take steps to start enjoying the activities that once enriched your life or increase your social interactions.  

In other cases, you might have a co-occurring disorder, which is the existence of a mental health condition and a substance use disorder. Here, a goal may be not only reducing depressive symptoms but quitting drinking or using drugs. 

For bipolar disorder, goals could be to find some equilibrium in the way you balance the highs and lows you may go through — or for post-partum depression, working on ways to bond with your baby and find joy in motherhood. Establishing specific goals and benchmarks helps to track progress and celebrate your successes. 

Choose a Unique Treatment Path 

Consider two of the most widely used and effective therapies that can be part of your treatment plan objectives for depression: 

Evidence-Based Psychotherapy 

A CBT treatment plan for depression will likely be a primary component of your recovery. CBT stands for cognitive behavioral therapy, a type of talk therapy that works to reconcile your thoughts, feelings and actions — namely, helping you to identify and change negative thought patterns that can be contributing to your depressive symptoms.  

CBT is “evidence-based,” which means it is backed by scientific research and proven effective after being used in the clinical world. Your treatment plan for depression may also include other therapeutic approaches, like dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) or rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT), both of which work to navigate and reframe your mental narrative. The key is choosing a method that resonates with you and addresses the core aspects of your depression.  

Holistic Treatments  

A thoughtful, well-intentioned treatment plan for depressive disorders includes other treatments that serve as a complement to talk therapy.   

Yoga, mindfulness meditation, sound therapy, neurofeedback and life skills training — these are just a few alternative therapies that tap into your true essence that depression can dull, synergistic partners to psychotherapy that support the balance of your mind, body and spirit. Combined, you can emerge from treatment with a clarity, focus and a newfound sense of purpose.  

Medication Management 

Alleviating depressive disorder symptoms is often facilitated through medication in tandem with therapy. Antidepressants like SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) or SNRIs (serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors) are medications often prescribed when depression symptoms may be linked to neurochemical imbalances in one’s brain. 

Of course, implementing medication management into a treatment plan for depression means working with your therapist or doctor to make sure you receive the appropriate medication and dosage for your condition.  

Track Your Progress  

Mental health is a journey — it’s facilitated by therapy, but your progress is an evolution that continues after treatment has concluded. Ultimately, establishing both short-term and long-term milestones allows you to monitor improvements — whether it’s a reduction in the intensity of depressive symptoms or other recovery goals you’ve mapped out.  

The way you track your progress can be deeply personal. Keeping a journal to write down your thoughts as you attend therapy sessions and discuss any changes in symptoms with your counselor keeps you involved and engaged in your progress. 

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Who Can Help Me Make a Treatment Plan for Depression 

A licensed counselor, therapist, psychologist or psychiatrist can help you develop a treatment plan for depressive disorders. Working side-by-side with a clinician makes sure you also have a voice and an active role in making sure your treatment and how it’s mapped out aligns with your needs, your goals and your future.  

Sample Treatment Plan for Depression 

What does an example of a treatment plan for depression resemble? What will the framework look like? A sample treatment for depression might include some of these components: 

  • Diagnoses: A diagnosis of persistent depressive disorder or bipolar disorder, for example, or even a dual diagnosis sets the stage for the type of treatment you may need. 
  • Goals and objectives: Specific, measurable targets, like “minimize depressive disorder so it no longer interferes with daily life,” exemplify treatment plan objectives for depression written out in a treatment plan as a high-level benchmark that you’ll aim to work toward. 
  • Likewise, under the long-term umbrella, your treatment plan for depression may include other, more short-term goals, like “increase engagement in social activities to once a week” or “reduce symptoms of depression by 30% in one month.” 
  • Therapeutic interventions: These may list details of the types of therapies you’ll engage in. For example, your plan might feature a CBT treatment plan for depression aimed at challenging negative thought patterns, plus other holistic sessions like mindfulness to heal destructive thinking or nutritional counseling if your appetite or diet have suffered from depression. 
  • Medication management: If medications are part of your treatment strategy, your plan should outline the specific medications, dosages and scheduled reviews with your doctor.  
  • Follow-ups and adjustments: Regular check-ins and progress reviews allow you to adapt your approach as needed — since your needs and goals may evolve as therapy progresses and you reach goals and arrive at breakthroughs.  

The Value of Professional Depression Treatment 

Treatment for depressive disorders imparts a value that cannot be overstated. Studies show that up to 70% — nearly three-fourths — of people with depression display substantial improvement with the right mental health treatment.  

Seeking treatment from professionals not only experienced in helping people with depressive disorders, but also committed to seeing you to recovery, enables you a helping hand to pull yourself out of depression and begin living life with clarity, focus, happiness, fulfillment, and clear-cut goals for your future. 

“Most people with clinical depression who seek treatment see improvement, usually within weeks,” notes Johns Hopkins Medicine. If you’ve decided it’s time to seek help, or you’ve noticed the telltale signs of depression in a loved one and want to support them, help is readily available, and help is effective.  

Call us today to explore your treatment options. You can change your life with one phone call, and our admissions team is here, 24/7, every day, to help. Depression is treatable, and you can go on to live your best life imaginable. Contact us to learn more. 

REFERENCES

It’s Just Alcohol, How Bad Is It? 

Aliya on March 5, 2025

There’s a reason why alcohol is considered a social lubricant. It’s even backed by scientific evidence, with researchers validating alcohol’s ability to elevate people’s positive emotions, minimize their negative ones and encourage bonding among others.  

Because alcohol is everywhere, from pouring libations at a celebration to a simple glass of wine or beer out with friends, the concept of “It’s just alcohol” makes sense — but can ring harshly for someone struggling with alcohol use disorder, which always starts with a drink here or there. 

The truth is that the profound nature of asking, “Am I an alcoholic?” negates the dismissiveness of a statement like “It’s just alcohol” that undermines the dangers of alcohol abuse. So do other important questions, like, at what point does drinking become dangerous, or how quickly does alcoholism develop? Exploring the answers can help you recognize when it may be time to seek help. 

It’s Just Alcohol, How Bad Can It Be? 

Is alcohol bad for you? It depends on how much and how often you drink. In moderation, responsible drinking doesn’t pose distinctive problems. But “drinking too much — on a single occasion or over time — can take a serious toll on your health,” says the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). 

How bad is alcohol, and how much alcohol is too much? The American Academy of Family Physicians quantifies problem drinking for women who have more than seven drinks per week, or more than three drinks in one setting; for men, 14 drinks per week, or more than four drinks on one occasion; or seven drinks per week for people older than 65 years, or more than three drinks in one sitting.  

When you dig deeper into research, you begin to see that alcohol isn’t as benign as it appears. From impairing your judgment to triggering physiological changes that raise the risk of chronic illnesses, alcohol can disrupt your body’s natural balance — and over time, excessive, binge drinking or chronic alcohol use can lead to dependence and alcohol addiction. 

How Long Does It Take to Get Addicted to Alcohol?  

There is no single timeline for the development of alcohol use disorder. Some people may take years of chronic drinking before forming a dependency, while others might begin showing telltale signs of addiction within months.  

What dictates the differences? Your physiology plays a role — for instance, lower amounts of alcohol consumption may have a stronger effect in people with smaller body compositions compared to someone with larger physical proportions who can tolerate greater amounts of alcohol. 

Apart from one’s drinking patterns, other reasons, like one’s genetic makeup, one’s mental health, or one’s drinking patterns, all contribute to how likely or quickly alcohol addiction may take hold in an individual. Alcohol impacts the brain’s basal ganglia reward system, releasing dopamine and reinforcing drinking behavior. Over time, tolerance builds, meaning you need more alcohol to feel the same effects.  

“As individuals continue to drink alcohol over time, progressive changes may occur in the structure and function of their brains,” says the NIAAA. “These changes can compromise brain function and drive the transition from controlled, occasional use to chronic misuse, which can be difficult to control.”  

The Cycle of Alcohol Addiction 

Alcohol addiction develops in a cyclical fashion, explains the NIAAA: 

  1. The binge/intoxication stage is marked by experiencing the positive, rewarding effects of drinking alcohol. By repeatedly activating that reward system in your basal ganglia, alcohol consumption is reinforced, triggering changes in the way you respond to stimuli linked to drinking, like certain people, environments or cues that remind you of alcohol. 
  2. The negative effect/withdrawal stage happens when you stop drinking. Because the body has become accustomed to a regular intake of alcohol, cutting it off can result in several negative physical and emotional withdrawal symptoms. Negative feelings attached to alcohol withdrawal are linked to a rewards deficit in the basal ganglia and an activation of your brain’s stress systems. 
  3. Lastly, the preoccupation/anticipation stage sees the prefrontal cortex (the “personality center” of the brain responsible for rational decision-making and prioritization) effectively compromised as an addicted individual becomes preoccupied with drinking, seeking out alcohol and relapsing by giving in to their cravings.

Alcohol Addiction Statistics  

Quantifying alcohol addiction emphasizes how widespread the dangers of alcohol abuse can be: 

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What Are the Short-Term Risks of Alcohol Abuse?  

Feeling intoxicated/drunk and having a hangover the next day aren’t the only adverse short-term effects of alcohol abuse. Even if you’re only occasionally binge drinking or imbibing infrequently, consider some of the more immediate health and behavioral risks attached to excessive drinking: 

  • Craving alcohol and becoming preoccupied with obtaining or drinking it 
  • Allowing drinking to interfere and harm your relationships 
  • Physical impairments, like slowed reaction times or loss of coordination 
  • Blackouts and temporary memory loss 
  • Higher risk of injuries — motor vehicle accidents from drunk driving, falls, or drowning 
  • A greater likelihood of alcohol poisoning 
  • Risky behaviors (like unsafe sex or combining drinking with drug use) due to intoxicated/poor choices 
  • Violence or aggressive outbursts, including raised risks of intimate partner violence, homicide and suicide 

What Are the Long-Term Risks of Alcohol Abuse?  

Chronic, long-term alcohol abuse can also pose lasting, dangerous damage. “Alcohol can harm your liver and other organs as it moves through the body,” notes the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The longer alcohol addiction persists, the harder it becomes to reverse these effects: 

  • Cardiovascular issues: Excessive, long-term drinking can weaken the heart, provoking development of high blood pressure, heart disease and risk of stroke. 
  • Neurological damage: We outlined before how addiction manifests in the brain. Over time, the dangers of alcohol abuse can result in cognitive decline, memory problems and brain shrinkage. 
  • Pancreatic problems: Inflammation called pancreatitis, which can produce swelling and pain and affect proper digestion, can be caused by alcohol abuse. 
  • Cancer: Alcoholism raises one’s risk of developing liver, breast, head/neck, colorectal and esophageal cancers. 
  • Weakened immune system: Alcoholism can make you more susceptible to various infections, illnesses and diseases. 
  • Mental health disorders: Having conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety may increase the risk of alcohol abuse, but alcohol use disorder can also worsen these problems. 
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What Is Alcohol Addiction Treatment Like?  

One of the most important things to know if you or a loved one is struggling with alcohol dependence is that help is available — and help is effective to help you conquer alcohol use disorder. Alcohol abuse treatment goes beyond simply helping you quit drinking; it’s meant to help facilitate a total recovery by addressing all the ways alcoholism can affect you, from the physical to the emotional and psychological. 

Here’s what treatment looks like at one of Aliya’s alcohol rehab centers:   

Medical Detox for Alcohol Addiction Treatment  

Many chronic drinkers will attempt to quit cold turkey, alone, but this can create a host of symptoms that can be difficult to weather on one’s own — forcing many people to continue drinking just to avoid the headaches, anxiety, nausea, heart palpitations, even seizures and delirium that accompany withdrawal.  

At one of our alcohol treatment centers, withdrawal can be properly mitigated, monitored, and managed with medical detox. It’s the first step in alcohol abuse treatment where your body is given a chance to clear alcohol from its system. Every step of the way, you’ll have trained medical staff at your side, from doctors and nurses to addiction specialists, to ensure your detox stay is as comfortable as can be.  

Medication-Assisted Treatment for Alcohol Addiction 

Depending on the severity of one’s addiction, alcoholism treatment often includes a medication component. Medication-assisted treatment, or MAT for short, is designed to help assuage withdrawal symptoms, reduce cravings and ultimately prevent relapse.   

One common MAT medication prescribed to guests is acamprosate, which can help restore balance to neurotransmitters like GABA and glutamate that can become compromised with excessive alcohol abuse.  

Naltrexone works to block opioid receptors in the brain’s reward system, effectively eliminating the positive reinforcement that comes with drinking and reducing one’s desire to drink. And disulfiram is an anti-relapse medication meant for people who have stopped drinking and completed detox, working to block a liver enzyme responsible for processing alcohol.  

Inpatient Alcohol Addiction Treatment  

For alcohol abuse treatment, “inpatient” means arranging a stay at one of our alcohol rehab centers, where you’ll live for a predetermined period of time, free of distractions, triggers or temptations to drink so you can commit your full, daily, 24/7 focus to physical recovery and mental health support. Inpatient treatment becomes a safe space where your priority becomes entirely dedicated to getting clean and sober. At Aliya, inpatient programs, which can include individual and group therapy, typically last 30 to 90 days.  

Outpatient Alcohol Addiction Treatment  

How does inpatient treatment differ from outpatient alcohol treatment? The latter offers more flexibility, enabling you to attend therapy and other facets of treatment, on-site, while being able to return home every evening so you can fulfill daily responsibilities like family, work, or school commitments. It’s a balanced type of treatment that allows full focus to treatment and your life without taking away from either one.  

Outpatient alcohol treatment is primarily ideal for people with mild to moderate addictions who don’t require an inpatient rehab stay and who also have strong support systems at home where you won’t risk being triggered into relapsing.  

Aftercare for Alcohol Addiction 

Once rehab is complete, what happens next? The good news is that your recovery can continue in other ways. Aftercare is a phase of treatment that helps bridge the gap between intensive treatment and independent sobriety. We can help connect you with sober living homes, ongoing therapy, outside peer support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous or resources for relapse prevention.   

Look at aftercare as a way of reinforcing the work you need to do to maintain your sobriety out in the real world, equipping you with added coping skills and keeping you accountable.  

Therapies for Alcohol Addiction Recovery  

Aliya’s alcohol treatment centers offer two primary forms of therapy to confront the root causes of addiction and promote healing from within:  

Evidence-Based Psychotherapy 

So much of conquering addiction through therapy involves taking an honest look at your relationship with alcohol. Behavioral therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) focus on helping to reframe negative thought patterns that may have contributed to your alcohol abuse; by creating a new mental narrative, you open new pathways with the clarity to choose not to drink. 

Another effective evidence-based (meaning it’s backed by science) psychotherapy is motivational interviewing (MI), a type of therapy rooted in open-ended dialogues with your therapist. MI is ideal for guests who are resistant to change, helping motivate you to get clean and sober. 

Holistic Recovery Options 

Each of our alcohol rehab centers offers holistic recovery therapies to help heal your whole self — mind, body, and spirit — from the adverse influences of alcohol. Holistic therapies give you additional, complementary tools to manage stress, cravings and emotional distress when the urge to drink arises. 

Here, you can find everything from yoga, mindfulness meditation, massage and sound therapy, nutrition counseling and neurofeedback, each one thoughtfully designed to remain in the present moment, regulate your thoughts and emotions and express emotions that may be difficult to put into words. Thought-provoking and transformative, holistic therapy will change you and help you discover perspective and new talents that existed within you all along. 

Finding an Alcohol Addiction Treatment Facility  

You don’t have to go it alone. After signing up for treatment, you can receive the diagnosis you need and the personalized treatment plan to set you on the path to recovery — from detox to therapy, group support to sober living resources. 

Cost should also never be a barrier to seeking help. By reaching out to us, our admissions team can answer your questions, verify your insurance plan and discuss financing options. You can change your life with alcohol abuse treatment, and that change begins with one phone call. Contact us today — you have the power to defeat alcohol abuse. 

BPD and Lying in Relationships: How to Build Trust 

Aliya on March 4, 2025

Loving a person with borderline personality disorder BPD can make relationships difficult to navigate — like being pulled in different directions at once 

The relationship may be intense and unpredictable. Just as quickly as things seem stable, they can unravel. A small disagreement turns into a crisis. A moment of closeness is followed by distance. And dishonesty towards one’s partner may become common. 

While not all people with BPD lie, BPD and lying can run the risk of weakening trust and placing a relationship in jeopardy, since it’s a mental health condition often marked by emotional volatility, negative self-perception and unhealthy attachment styles, a partner with BPD may not even realize they’re behaving this way. 

Remember that loving someone means loving them unconditionally — getting them the help they need if they struggle with a mental health disorder. The first step is understanding why individuals with BPD may struggle with honesty. Let’s talk about how to build — or rebuild — trust in a relationship worth saving and salvaging.  

What Is Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)?  

Approximately 1.4% of the adult population in the U.S. has BPD, and nearly 75% affected are women, notes the National Alliance on Mental Illness. BPD is a complex, multifaceted mental health condition characterized primarily by an inability to regulate one’s emotions — one reason it’s often coined emotionally unstable personality disorder 

According to the DSM-5-TR, the current version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, this lack of emotional control is often rooted in an unstable self-image and a distressed sense of self that can affect how a person living with BPD relates to others and acts. People with BPD, notes Johns Hopkins Medicine, can have trouble staying ahead of day-to-day responsibilities, obligations and life events. 

When you’re living with BPD, your mood can swing and your emotions can shift rapidly, creating a constant, unpredictable sense of instability. Reckless and destructive behaviors are also common in BPD, combined with anger management issues and a chronic feeling of emptiness, another symptom of BPD. 

“Borderline personality disorder is one of a group of conditions called ‘Cluster B’ personality disorders, which involve dramatic and erratic behaviors,” notes the Cleveland Clinic, adding that many people with BPD are unaware they have it and don’t know about healthier ways to live and interact with other people. 

Why Do People with BPD Struggle with Relationships?

Relationships require consistency, trust, emotional stability, and a healthy amount of love and respect for one’s partner. But for a person with BPD, this can prove difficult since their personal relationships may be fraught with intensity, punctuated with volatility, and vacillating between closeness and anger, and hate-filled.  

People with borderline personality disorder often experience love and connection in an “all or nothing” way. Their partner may feel like the most important person in the world one day and a source of deep betrayal the next.  

This instability may stem from some of the core symptoms of BPD:  

  • Emotional dysregulation in a person with BPD leaves little room for compromise, making every interaction feel like a potential threat to the relationship’s foundation. 
  • The combination of intense emotions and impulsive behavior — like unsafe sex, self-medicating through binge drinking, drug use or reckless spending, or even attempts at self-harm — can lead to misunderstandings and conflict. 
  • Those with BPD often have struggles with identity, causing erratic shifts in desires, goals, values or their opinions of loved ones (e.g., pedestalized one day, discarded the next). 

Some of these challenges may not only cause individuals with BPD to engage in ways that inadvertently undermine a relationship’s stability, but they can also leave their partner unsure of how to respond or react, placing the future of the relationship at risk. 

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Why Do People with BPD Lie? 

What is the connection between BPD and lying? If you’ve ever been lied to, you know how painful it can be, especially if someone you care about hasn’t been truthful with you.  

However, first we must understand the disordered mental state of a person with BPD and how it may compel them to lie within the context of a relationship. People with borderline personality disorder don’t lie out of malice or to deliberately manipulate or deceive. Though it may seem counterintuitive, pathological lying is a coping mechanism — a way to avoid or deflect their deep-seated emotional struggles.  

Fear of Abandonment 

“Lying in BPD is generally not pathological,” writes Dr. Kristalyn Salters-Pedneault, a clinical psychologist. “Instead, it’s a misguided attempt to avoid abandonment.” 

A person with BPD bases a great deal of their own identity on their relationship. The idea of being left alone can be unbearable to them — but they can react with anger or hostility if they believe (however incorrectly) that their partner is abandoning or neglecting them. Driven by a desperate need to avoid being rejected, they might fabricate stories to keep them from leaving.  

To an outsider or their partner, this may seem like an intentional effort to hurt, but in reality, it’s their way of trying, in vain, to keep the relationship intact — even if it wasn’t in danger to begin with. 

Emotional Dysregulation  

People with BPD often experience intense emotions and their subsequent emotional responses, which can distort how they perceive situations, leading them to interpret interactions and events through emotion rather than logic. Emotional dysregulation means they will see people and events only in black-and-white extremes — either completely good or entirely bad — with no room for subtlety. 

In these moments, they may focus and zero in only on aspects that support their current mood while overlooking conflicting details. It’s a type of BPD bias that may look like lying or manipulation, but for someone with BPD, it may feel like the truth in the moment. 

Low Self-Esteem 

A deep sense of inadequacy, shame or guilt can make honesty feel like a risky venture. When someone with BPD believes they aren’t good enough or have a negative opinion of themselves, they may say what they want others to hear, like embellishing details or fabricating stories.  

This symptom of BPD is also not intentional — the person doesn’t set out to deliberately deceive. Like substance abuse as a coping mechanism, it’s an unhealthy way to secure love and approval. But when it becomes chronic, one’s significant other doesn’t know if they’re telling the truth, creating distrust and disconnect in a relationship. 

Struggles with Identity  

We all have moments in life when we question who we are and what our goals, values, and identity represent. But people with BPD are prone to quickly vacillating and shifting their sense of self, never clear on who they are, what they want or what they believe. 

“They may … abruptly and dramatically change their self-image, shown by suddenly changing their goals, opinions, careers or friends,” notes the Cleveland Clinic. “They also tend to sabotage their own progress. For instance, they may fail a test on purpose, ruin relationships or get fired from a job.”  

Here, people with BPD lie as a tool to experiment with different personas in an effort to find one that feels acceptable. This impulsive behavior and ever-changing self-presentation can further complicate relationships and become challenging for loved ones to know who you truly are. 

How Does Lying Harm Relationships?  

Even if lying is not malicious, it still has consequences. In relationships, dishonesty creates fractures that can undermine trust, emotional bonds, and your future together. “In an intimate relationship, emotional honesty includes allowing our partner to know who we are,” says relationship and codependency expert Darlene Lancer. “Honesty is more than simply not lying.”  

Eroding Trust 

Trust is the foundation of any relationship. What does a relationship stand on when partners hide things from each other? Dishonesty — intentional or not — can weaken that foundation. A partner may start questioning what is real and what isn’t, leading to doubt, insecurity, and second-guessing even in ordinary conversations. 

Over time, this erosion of trust can make genuine moments of honesty feel meaningless. Even when a person with BPD is telling the truth, it invites a constant sense of skepticism into the relationship where their partner may be inclined to disbelieve everything they may say. Rebuilding that trust takes cooperation and work on behalf of both partners. 

Increased Conflicts 

“A hallmark of BPD is heightened emotional sensitivity, which can lead to personalizing everyday interactions and conflicts. This often results in misunderstandings, unresolved conflicts and feelings of hurt for both partners,” notes Forbes. Dishonesty in a relationship can exacerbate these outcomes, escalating into arguments or disputes between partners. 

When you repeatedly encounter destructive behaviors, such as lying (even if unintentionally from a person with BPD), it can trigger a cycle of anger and defensive responses, straining any hope of fostering good communication. A small disagreement can spiral into a full-blown argument, with both partners feeling unheard and hurt.  

Emotional Exhaustion 

Chronic lying in a relationship can leave partners emotionally taxed and able to handle only so much before giving up on the relationship. This exhaustion can lead to resentment, detachment or even burnout, making it harder to maintain a strong emotional connection — where a relationship becomes more about survival than sharing a synchronistic, genuine connection. 

It can become further complicated in a relationship with a person with BPD, especially if lying and distrust are involved. They may feel overwhelmed by guilt, fear of abandonment or the pressure to maintain a specific image. Meanwhile, their partner may feel emotionally depleted from trying to decipher what’s true and what’s not. 

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How to Build Trust in a Relationship with Someone with BPD    

Rebuilding trust in a relationship after dishonesty has played an adverse role can seem discouraging. Can the relationship be saved? It won’t be easy, but it is possible, and it needs to be a mutual, reciprocal effort from both partners. Here are some steps to consider that can begin to foster trust and understanding by putting both partners on the same page. 

Find Professional Treatment for BPD  

Sometimes, a couple can only go so far in rebuilding trust through their own efforts. Underlying emotional issues may remain unresolved or unaddressed, but considering support from a therapist or counselor can help both of you break through some of these barriers stemming from dishonesty that has created instability in a relationship. 

Seeking treatment is one of the most effective ways to help a person with BPD. A talk therapy, like dialectical behavioral therapy DBT is one of the most commonly utilized modalities for BPD; designed for those who experience intense emotions and emotional dysregulation, DBT skills encourage cultivating mindfulness and building self-awareness, in turn helping to foster more relationship honesty. “DBT focuses on helping people accept the reality of their lives and their behaviors, as well as helping them learn to change their lives, including their unhelpful behaviors,” notes the Cleveland Clinic.  

Reduce Symptoms of BPD  

By working on emotional regulation, individuals with BPD can slow their reactions, communicate more openly and feel less pressure to use dishonesty as a defense mechanism. Therapy can help you learn to identify triggers that lead to lying and develop strategies to manage those impulses. When you begin to feel and behave more intentionally and less impulsively, it can go a long way to shifting a relationship’s dynamics back to a more positive place. Conversations become more transparent. Misunderstandings decrease. Trust has a better chance to grow. 

For partners of a person with BPD, showing your support through treatment, without shame or blame, creates a space where both people feel respected. 

Work on Communication Skills 

BPD can make communication difficult in the context of a relationship. The way a person with BPD may process intense emotions can prompt misunderstandings or defensive reactions. A neutral comment might be misinterpreted as rejection, or fear of conflict may lead to avoidance or dishonesty.  

Strengthening communication — one skill taught in therapy — helps create a safer space for honesty. Start by establishing open, honest dialogue that avoids blame. Practice active listening, express your needs clearly, set boundaries when needed and validate your loved one’s feelings.  

Practice Patience and Empathy   

Change takes time, and trust isn’t rebuilt overnight. Harness a compassionate, caring approach, with patient resolve and an empathic heart when working to build trust in a relationship with someone with BPD.   

Understand that for a person with BPD, behaviors such as lying may be involuntary responses beyond their initial control. Instead of reacting solely to their behavior, try to understand the emotional reasoning behind it. This doesn’t mean excusing deception but rather approaching it with curiosity. A response like, “I want to understand why you felt you couldn’t be honest with me today,” can open the door to deeper conversations and long-term growth.  

By seeking support from a couple’s counselor experienced in treating BPD within relationship issues, both partners can begin to develop the skills that make you both feel loved and valued. 

Borderline Personality Disorder Treatment at Aliya Health Group  

At our treatment centers, we place compassion and dignity at the forefront of our clinical approach to helping people with BPD and other mental health and personality disorders. That means through a combination of evidence-based therapy, holistic, complementary treatment, medication-assisted treatment and aftercare support, we promote long-term healing from BPD, not just ridding someone of their symptoms. 

Know that recovery from BPD, and all the ways it may manifest, is possible — and so is rebuilding trust in your relationship. The first step is reaching out to us for help. We’re here 24/7 to answer questions. Visit our contact page to speak with a specialist, find our locations and learn more about how Aliya can help. 

Is Farmapram Xanax? The Dangers of Mexican Anti-Anxiety Medication

Aliya on March 4, 2025

Most of us are no stranger to feeling nervous preceding a pivotal personal challenge. Your heart races before that big midterm exam or speaking in front of a huge group. Nervousness prior to an important medical procedure or a job interview is a common emotion we all feel from time to time. 

These moments of unease are a normal part of life — they pass, and you move on. Anxiety is a bit different. When persistent worry becomes constant dread or panic, your mind cycles through worst-case scenarios no matter how irrational, anxiety stops being a passing feeling and becomes a legitimate problem, affecting sleep, relationships, work, and daily life. 

Statistics show that over 18% of adults experience these same types of anxiety symptoms, and that anxiety disorders affect 40 million adults every year, says the Anxiety & Depression Association of America. 

If you’re diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, you may be prescribed an anti-anxiety medication. But what about some off-market alternatives? You may have heard whispers about Farmapram or even come across names like Farmapram alprazolam in conversations or online forums. 

Does a Farmapram drug deliver the same results as Xanax, and more importantly, is Farmapram (Xanax) safe to use when suffering from an anxiety disorder? Let’s look at the differences, how they work and the potential risks. 

What Is Farmapram? 

Farmapram may sound unfamiliar, and you may have never seen it advertised or at the pharmacy in the U.S. That’s because it’s an off-brand name for a prescription medication from Mexico containing alprazolam, the same active ingredient as Xanax, one of the most popular mainstream anti-anxiety medications. 

Farmapram and alprazolam are both benzodiazepines (or “benzo” for short), a medication widely used since the 1960s to treat and counteract symptoms of anxiety and panic disorder that’s risen in popularity over the decades. The Benzodiazepine Information Coalition states that in a 17-year period from the late 1990s to about 2013, the percentage of people who filled a benzo prescription rose by nearly 30%, as the amount of prescription drugs in the benzo class doubled during this time.  

Most noteworthy, according to the coalition, is that anxiety was the most frequent reason for being given the medication, accounting for 56% of all benzo prescriptions. In fact, Xanax is one benzo listed as one of the top 100 most commonly prescribed medications, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).  

Because your central nervous system is taxed, overstressed and overstimulated during an anxiety or panic attack, benzos work by binding to the GABA-A, or gamma-aminobutyric acid receptors in your brain, telling your nervous system to calm down and be less active.  

Benzos closely mimic sedatives and tranquilizers, and in addition to calming your nervous system and reducing anxiety, other Farmapram effects can include the onset of anterograde amnesia (temporarily blocking the formation of new memories) and inducing sleepiness — one reason why benzos are often used to treat insomnia. 

Where Does Farmapram Come From? 

Xanax is manufactured in the U.S. by Pfizer, but Farmapram drug products are made and distributed by a Mexican pharmaceutical company called Ifa Celtics.  

In the U.S., alprazolam is a Schedule 4 Controlled Substance listed by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency due to its risk of misuse and abuse. However, these rules don’t apply in Mexico, which means Farmapram is illegal to bring over the border into the U.S.  

In December 2023, U.S. border patrol agents arrested a U.S. citizen attempting to smuggle 110 bottles of unprescribed, unregulated alprazolam — equivalent to 3,300 pills — at the Falfurrias, Texas checkpoint, notes the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency.  

“On December 5, 2023, at about 5 p.m., agents working at the Falfurrias Checkpoint conducted an inspection of a northbound commercial passenger bus,” notes CBP in a press release. “During an immigration inspection of one of the passengers, agents observed nervous behavior.  The passenger gave consent to search their personal belongings resulting in the discovery of 110 bottles of Farmapram concealed within potato chip bags.”  

Is Farmapram Xanax?  

Both Xanax and Farmapram share the same active ingredient, alprazolam, targeted at addressing anxiety symptoms.  

Yet, while the chemical makeup is identical, differences in manufacturing practices, quality control and even regional regulatory oversight can lead to variations in the medication. More importantly, Xanax tablets are legally regulated by and registered with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), while Farmapram isn’t.  

So, while Farmapram remains regulated under Mexico’s guidelines, it may not meet the same stringent quality control standards as the U.S. system.  

But are Farmapram Xanax safe if you read the box label carefully and inspect the tablets before ingesting them? Even if a tablet is labeled as Farmapram, this can be misleading — you can’t be sure of its actual contents without proper regulation and testing. If you purchased it online, there are chances your Mexican Xanax bars could be fake pills containing dangerous ingredients like fentanyl or other synthetic drugs, which can increase the risk of unwanted Farmapram side effects. 

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Is Farmapram Addictive? 

Since Farmapram is a benzo like Xanax, it has the same high-risk potential for developing dependence and addiction. Even when taking legally regulated and prescribed alprazolam beyond your instructed dosage (of if taken recreationally), over time your body can become reliant on the drug. 

Addiction takes shape when your body needs a drug to function normally, and you can’t stop taking Farmapram Xanax bars even if you want to.  

“Taking too much and running out of your prescription, being overly focused on when you can take the next one and feeling you can’t live without it could be signs that you’re developing a benzodiazepine use disorder,” says a WebMD study. 

What Are the Dangers of Farmapram Addiction? 

When you become reliant on alprazolam, Farmapram or any benzo, legal or not, Farmapram effects can be hard to ignore, in yourself or in others. Long-term misuse of Farmapram alprazolam can lead to a host of symptoms, including: 

  • Increased anxiety — perhaps worse than the anxiety symptoms Farmapram/Xanax was meant to address
  • Insomnia and fatigue (due to the drug’s sedative effects) 
  • Severe appetite or weight loss
  • Headaches 
  • Bodily weakness 

Of course, these symptoms can act as a gateway to other Farmapram side effects, like memory problems, impaired coordination, drowsiness and confusion, personality changes, respiratory depression, skin rashes, weight gain and an increased risk of overdose (especially when mixed with alcohol, since it and benzos pose a double sedating effect). 

“Psychologically,” says the AAFP, “long-term use of benzodiazepines may lead to overreliance on the need for the agent, loss of self-confidence and varying degrees of drug-seeking behavior.” 

What Is Farmapram Withdrawal? 

If you’ve become addicted to benzos and attempt to quit cold turkey, hard stop, withdrawal symptoms can pose too great of a shock to the body and pose serious consequences. When you face withdrawal, your body is essentially readjusting to the absence of a chemical it’s grown dependent on. 

“Withdrawal effects from therapeutic dosages of benzodiazepines are mainly anxiety symptoms,” states the AAFP. “In addition, autonomic instability (i.e., increased heart rate and blood pressure level, tremulousness, diaphoresis), insomnia and sensory hypersensitivity are common. The most serious acute withdrawal symptoms are seizures and delirium tremens, which most commonly occur with abrupt discontinuation.”  

Farmapram withdrawal symptoms may merge between three to four days up to two weeks after last using the drug. 

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Anxiety Treatment Options  

Alprazolam (even Farmapram or Mexican Xanax) has its place in treating anxiety, but it’s not the only option. In fact, there are so many other helpful and effective anxiety or panic disorder treatments available that don’t involve drugs, that medication should be considered only in the most severe cases. 

Here are some addiction treatment programs available at our numerous treatment facilities across eight states: 

Evidence-Based Psychotherapy for Anxiety 

Behavioral therapy, where you sit one-on-one with a counselor or psychologist in a safe, calming space, is one of the most effective ways to get to the heart of your anxieties.

Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT for short, is one of the more popular evidence-based therapies (which means its methods have been scientifically tested). CBT makes the connection between your thoughts (your cognitive abilities) and your actions (your behavior) and helps you to reframe negative thought patterns that may be adversely influencing your emotions and subsequent ways of acting. Your anxiety may be rooted in underlying issues such as childhood trauma, habitual patterns, substance abuse or past or current situational factors.   

CBT aims to explore this by allowing you to dig deep and unpack what drives your anxiety and, ultimately, find the tools and skills within you to cope and re-emerge anxiety-free. 

Holistic Treatment for Anxiety  

Just as CBT and psychotherapy aim to reconcile the connection between disordered thoughts and actions, holistic treatment programs offer you a way to manage anxiety by nurturing your body and mind together. Holistic means “whole,” and this whole-person approach can manifest itself in a variety of complementary, thoughtful therapies: 

  • Meditation and mindfulness practices help to still an anxious mind and help you remain in the present moment, observing your thoughts and feelings without judgment and reducing impulsive reactions to stress. 
  • Yoga and breathwork therapies are like a moving meditation, integrating a series of postures (asanas), breathing exercises (pranayama), meditation and relaxation techniques to calm the body and mind. 
  • Nutritional counseling sees you work with a registered dietitian or licensed nutritionist to assess your dietary needs, identify deficiencies and develop personalized nutrition plans to support your physical and mental recovery in the wake of substance abuse. 
  • Sound therapy is an ancient therapeutic practice utilizing sound frequencies and vibrations to aid in healing anxiety disorder. Sound healing instruments create a sound bath triggering a deep meditative state where physiological and psychosomatic healing can occur. 

Benzodiazepine Addiction Treatment at Aliya Health Group  

Alprazolam and benzo addiction can consume your life and lead you down a challenging path. It doesn’t matter if dependence has started through Xanax or Farmapram pills. The important thing is getting the right treatment to retrain your body and mind to live without the need for substances, to avoid relapsing and to live a clean and sober life — for the rest of your life. 

We specialize in treating many types of drug addictions, and benzo use disorder is no exception. If you or a loved one is struggling with a dependency on alprazolam, consider how we can help. Our treatment centers across the country understand the complexities of healing addiction, which is why we take a comprehensive, compassionate approach, from dual diagnosis to medical detox, to inpatient residential treatment and outpatient, to aftercare and sober living that supports your recovery journey once rehab is complete.  

One thing we can promise: recovery from benzo addiction is possible with the right help. Call us today for a free consultation (or request a callback). Our 24/7 admissions department is here to answer any questions you have. You can change your life with one phone call. 

How to Make a Mental Health Recovery Action Plan

Aliya on February 24, 2025

Mental health recovery action plans ensure you always have the tools and resources you need to stay well. A key component of recovery action plans for mental health is forward-thinking preparedness. Essentially, individuals think ahead to create a wellness plan for themselves whenever they start to spiral. By outlining specific concepts, like your triggers, daily maintenance, and crisis management, you ensure you’re always in good hands. At Aliya Health Group, creating a mental health recovery plan is part of programming. Here’s what it looks like.

What Is a Mental Health Recovery Action Plan?

All in all, a mental health recovery action plan is a self-outlined plan for both maintenance and crisis. When one knows they struggle with a mental disorder, they can prepare an action plan for the bad times. These plans are also frequently called wellness recovery action plans or WRAP for short. You make a WRAP plan based on your intimate knowledge about your mental health, triggers, and early warning signs. Yet, it can be tough to truly know how to help yourself. For this reason, we encourage individuals to invite a trusted person into the creation of their mental health recovery plan.  For instance, we offer WRAP plan creation at our centers, both as part of individual and group counseling.

Why Is Having a Plan for Mental Health Recovery Important?

When you struggle with mental illness, it’s imperative to have certain structures and tools in place to help yourself thrive. It’s difficult to remain outside of your negative thoughts, feelings, and behaviors when you begin to spiral. You might not always find it easy to use the healthy coping mechanisms you’ve been taught. Maybe you don’t yet know what they should be. Thus, a mental health recovery plan reminds you how to pull yourself out of the darkness. Additionally, you can show it to others as a guide on how to help you when you aren’t able to care for yourself. WRAP plans also hold you accountable to help yourself even in the midst of an internal crisis. Because it is made by you for you, you map out the tools and steps that work.

What Can a Mental Health Recovery Action Plan Help With?

An action plan for mental health disorders is beneficial for all people, whether they struggle with mood disorders, behavioral disorders, personality disorders, substance disorders, etc. No matter what kind of mental health challenges you face, a WRAP plan can prepare you for the tough times. Our clients with the following mental health issues have benefitted from making a mental health action plan.

Mental Health Recovery Action Plan for Anxiety

Anxiety disorders can be debilitating, leaving the individual trapped in fear, unease, panic, and dread. They may not be able to concentrate on anything but their anxiety and feel worse and worse. Anxiety has a symptom of distress far beyond the actual scope of the situation. Yet, the individual finds it difficult to think logically in the midst of the circumstance. An anxiety recovery plan should include coping practices, trigger management, and action steps.

Mental Health Recovery Action Plan for Depression

Depressive disorders are mental health disorders that have symptoms of sadness, hopelessness, fatigue, and loss of interest in passions. During a depressive episode, individuals may isolate themselves, sleep too much, eat too little, and have trouble concentrating. Further, they may feel guilt and low self-worth and attempt self-harm or suicide. Thus, it is very important that people have a depression recovery plan to manage their intense thoughts, feelings, and actions. A recovery plan allows them to outline their behaviors when they’re doing well and when they’re not. It also outlines what they need from themself or others to escape the episode.

Mental Health Recovery Action Plan for Trauma

Trauma disorders can have unpredictable symptoms that occur when least expected, even years down the line. Some trauma-related disorders include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), acute stress disorder (ASD), and reactive attachment disorder (RAD). Trauma recovery plans help individuals maintain their wellness through triggers and flashbacks. Many veterans and first responders battle PTSD and trauma. Having a PTSD recovery plan helps them return to civilian life fulfilled and healthy.

Mental Health Recovery Action Plan for Personality Disorders

Personality disorders are mental disorders where a person experiences an unformed identity, unstable relationships, and shifting moods. Many symptoms of personality disorders revolve around the person’s low self-awareness and sense of self, as their thoughts, moods, and behaviors change often. Personality disorders can be tough to diagnose, as some symptoms are similar to those of other disorders. For example, borderline personality disorder can mimic the changing mood swings of bipolar disorder, while schizotypal personality disorder is similar to schizophrenia. When even the individual struggles to understand their symptoms, it’s important for them to create a plan of action.

Mental Health Recovery Action Plan for Mood Disorders

Mood disorders are mental health illnesses that affect one’s moods and emotions. Some mood disorders are depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, and substance-induced mood disorders. People with mood disorders benefit from emotional regulation skills and healthy coping mechanisms, as it’s easy to spiral into insecurity. A mental health recovery plan can outline how to prevent episodes of low mood where they turn to self-harm or substances.

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Working With a Therapist to Create a Mental Health Recovery Action Plan

As mentioned, creating a mental health recovery action plan can be a solo endeavor. Since you know yourself and your symptoms and triggers, you should be heavily involved in making your action plan. Yet, a person can be much better prepared to face their mental illness symptoms when they collaborate with a trusted colleague. We provide recovery action plan meetings between clients and therapists because working with an expert provides clients with more tools.  Additionally, we offer WRAP classes in group therapy, where people work individually on their own plan based on group discussion and teaching. The process of making a mental health plan with a therapist at Aliya is straightforward.

Initial Assessment

Rehabilitation with Aliya Health Group always begins with an initial assessment, regardless of your struggles. This meeting between you and your therapist helps them best understand you and how to help. They may ask questions about your background, mental health, and/or substance abuse challenges, coping patterns, and goals. Together, you will create an individualized service plan for your time in treatment. In connection, this outlines your desire to create a mental health recovery plan.

Insurance Verification

If you wish to use your insurance to pay for treatment, our intake team is knowledgeable about insurance coverage. They will be able to find out the details of your plan and verify your insurance. Your policy provider may cover some or all of your treatment. But if you don’t have insurance, our intake team can walk you through your options.

Making Your Mental Health Recovery Plan

The process of creating your mental health guide consists of several sessions with your therapist to discuss your action plan. Through open conversations about your unhealthy patterns, triggers, coping mechanisms, and warning signs, you’ll determine how to use the plan. Together, you will discuss healthy management techniques and tools. You may participate in group WRAP sessions with a clinical mental health counselor, as well.

Aftercare Planning

After you complete your time in rehab, you will graduate into the aftercare level of care. In this stage, you have gained independence in your recovery but still benefit from connection and support. Speak to your therapist about how you think you can best be supported. It could look like moving into a Sober Living House or joining a peer recovery support group.

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What Is a Mental Health Recovery Action Plan Like?

Now that we’ve outlined why you should create one, what does a mental health recovery plan include? How can you make one? Wellness recovery action plans exist to provide you with the tools and resources to overcome your symptoms when you’re struggling. Thus, you need to outline concrete details about your disorder and how it can be improved in your wellness plan. The following details should be considered and included for a well-rounded action guide.

Daily Routine

A large part of staying healthy and well is having positive routines. Your mental health action plan should not only be utilized when you’re not doing well. In order to maintain your mental health, put into action daily steps that benefit your wellness. These should include holistic wellness tips for your mind, body, and spirit. For example, you might plan for daily movement, nutritious eating, time spent with loved ones, and creative expression.

Identifying and Avoiding Triggers

Another key part of your action plan is identifying your triggers and how to avoid them. You might ask yourself: What triggers me and what are the results in my body and mind? Then consider: How can I limit my exposure to these triggers? Being aware of things that will disturb your mental peace is a good first step to staying healthy.

Learning Coping Mechanisms

Coping mechanisms in your recovery plan act as a wellness toolbox you can reach into and use whenever needed. Individuals can fall into negative coping mechanisms when they feel upset, like using substances, isolating, or instant gratification without long-term rewards. Some positive coping mechanisms you might outline in your action plan are talking with a counselor, journaling, exercising, or creating.

Crisis Planning

Along with daily management practices, your wellness recovery plan will need to outline what to do in a crisis. This can include details on how to help yourself but can also turn the focus onto trusted others. Outline who to contact, who not to contact, what they should do, and which treatment centers you are comfortable with in the case of escalation.

What Are the Benefits of a Mental Health Recovery Action Plan?

Mental health recovery action plans provide you with specific help for your mental illness using behavioral health techniques and tools. They provide you with knowledge that you’ll be ok in the midst of a crisis because you’re caring for yourself in advance. Additionally, it gives you the structure of your daily routine and healthy habits that will benefit you. The act of self-learning that comes from making a recovery plan can have the following positive results.

Increased Self-Awareness

Creating your own wellness recovery action plan requires you to reflect deeply on yourself and your disorder. This can be uncomfortable or distressing, so many people avoid such thoughts. Yet, there is great value in going deep and sitting with the discomfort. Essentially, you are asking yourself what you need in order to be healthy. This leads to greater self-awareness and increased trust in yourself.

Improved Coping Skills

In asking yourself what you need, you are also asking yourself how you can provide for yourself. Thus, having a mental health recovery plan means you’re aware of positive coping skills. You can put these tools into action for the rest of your life.

Improved Emotional Regulation

Part of a WRAP is outlining how to moderate your emotions instead of being controlled by your thoughts and feelings. Overall, your feelings are dependent on your sense of reality in any moment, which can steer you astray. When making your WRAP, you will outline tools to regulate your emotions.

Improved Communication Skills

Poor communication with yourself and others leads to more damage and destruction. In your recovery plan, you’re telling yourself exactly what you need. If you intend to share your mental health action plan with trusted others, you’re also telling them what you need. This ensures all the guidelines are in place and increases your comfort in vulnerability.

Personalization and Flexibility

Your action plan is entirely tailored to you. Since you are the one creating it and following it, you can build flexibility into your plan. For example, if you feel too tired to follow your exercise routine one day, you can prioritize rest instead. As long as you make healthy choices, your recovery plan will benefit you.

Decreased Symptoms of Mental Health Disorders 

Above all, recovery action plans are effective at treating mental health disorders because they address symptoms of illness. The techniques, tools, skills, and resources you outline in your plan will serve you during good and bad times. Your clinical mental health counselor will provide guidance about positive versus negative symptom management to set you on the right path.

Finding a Mental Health Treatment Facility

It’s time to get started on your mental health recovery action plan to improve your mental health and well-being. Although you know yourself best, don’t build your WRAP plan on your own. At Aliya, our mental health therapists and counselors are knowledgeable about how to tackle mental illness symptoms. They can help you create the best, most effective action plan to create a fulfilling future. Please reach out to a mental health provider today to choose which of our mental health facilities is the best fit for you!

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Aliya Health Group is a comprehensive network of addiction and mental health treatment centers, with locations spanning nationwide. 

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