Sound Mind 1/3 Ministries

August calendar of Events

8.4.22-Suicide & Aftermath....
Children of su***de victims speak out on loss

8.11.22-Unforgiveness-Pam Caylor

8.18.22-Health & Wellness-Pastor Andrews

8.25.22-Mental Health Break

7.7.22-Is Age Just A Number?

7.14.22-
To Be Announced

7.21.22-
Health & Wellness

7.28.22-
Mental Health Break

6.2.2022- Texas Shooting

6.9.2022
Prenuptial Agreements
"
6.16.2022
Health & Wellness
with Pastor Carol Andrews

6.23.2022
Book Club Meeting with Author, Theresa Reed.

6.30.22
Mental Health Break

Segments for April;

4.7.22-Pastor Larry Minor-"Examine Yourself"-Part 2

4.14.22-"Envy"-Bishop Taylor

4.21.22-Health & Wellness-Pastor Carol Andrews

4.28.22-(No Meeting) Mental Health Break

2/24/2022- (No meeting) Mental Health Break

3/3/2022-"Examine Yourself"-Pastor Larry Minor

3/10/2022-
"LGBTQ"-Pastor Cordell Clark

3/17/2022-Health & Wellness-Pastor Carol Andrews

3/24/2022-Support Group/Book Club Meeting-Discussion of book, "A Beautiful Mind" by Sylvia Nasar

3/31/2022-(No meeting) Mental Health Break

Sound Mind 1/3 Ministries
2022 Calendar

***We meet every Thursday except the last Thursday of the month (Mental Health Break)
6 p.m. (PST)
(551) 258-6967 (No access code required).

1/6/2022-Mental Health Winter Break

1/13/2022- "Word Faith Doctrine"-Pastor Cordell Clark

1/20/2022-Health & Wellness-Pastor Carol Andrews

1/27/2022-(No meeting) Mental Health Break

2/3/2022-Faith Over Fear"-Pastor Jason Ramsey

2/10/2022-"Personality Disorders"-Dr. Maurice Carter, Ph.D

2/17/2022-Health & Wellness-Pastor Carol Andrews

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD): Is it fatal?
Medically reviewed by Raj Dasgupta, MD — Written by Zia Sherrell, MPH on January 20, 2022
Fatality
Life expectancy
Cure
Treatment
Living with COPD
Finding support
Summary
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an umbrella term for long-term, progressive lung diseases that cause breathing difficulties. COPD shares some similarities with asthma.

Cigarette smoke is the leading causeTrusted Source of COPD. About 75% of individuals with the condition smoke or have smoked in the past. In nonsmokers with COPD, exposure to lung irritants such as air pollution, dust, and fumes may be responsible for the condition. Genetics may also play a role.

COPD is the third leading causeTrusted Source of death worldwide. However, although it is a severe disease, treatments and lifestyle changes can reduce a person’s symptoms and extend their life.

This article answers the question of whether COPD is fatal. It also looks at how COPD affects daily life, the treatment options, and the life expectancy for people with this condition.

Does COPD cause death?
Zeyu Wang/Getty Images
COPD can be fatal. In 2019, it contributed to about 3.23 millionTrusted Source deaths worldwide, making it the third leading cause of death globally.

More than 80% of these deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries. However, COPD is a significant causeTrusted Source of disability and the fourth leading cause of death in the United States.

Doctors typically diagnose COPD in middle-aged or older adults. About 16 million people in the U.S. currently live with a COPD diagnosis, and experts believe that many more people have the condition without realizing it.

Although COPD is a serious condition, lifestyle changes and treatment can prevent complications and slow the progression of the disease.

What is the average life expectancy?
The life expectancy of a person with COPD depends on various factors, including the severity and stage of the disease.

The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) publishes guidelines for assessing COPD severity. It recommends using a measurement called the forced expiratory volume (FEV1) percentage.

The FEV1 test measures how much air someone can expel from their lungs in 1 second. This test is a strong predictor of life expectancy. The results are a percentage of the predicted airflow for an individual, according to their weight, height, and race.

GOLD has four grades that also consider a person’s breathing difficulties and number of symptom flare-ups:

1: FEV1 more than or equal to 80% predicted.
2: FEV1 50–80% predicted.
3: FEV1 30–50% predicted.
4: FEV1 less than 30% predicted.
As the GOLD stage increases, life expectancy decreases. For this reason, people should take steps to manage their symptoms and seek appropriate treatment to limit damage to their lungs.

However, the FEV1 only captures one component of COPD severity and life expectancy. Due to this, two individuals with the same FEV1 can have a substantially different exercise tolerance and outlook.

Therefore, other aspects of the disease, such as the severity of symptoms, the risk of COPD exacerbations, and the presence of comorbidities, are important to the person’s outlook. Newer staging systems, such as the revised GOLD classification, take these factors into account.

Another system that doctors may use to assess COPD severity and survival is the BODE index. This score is based on the person’s:

weight
FEV1
symptoms of shortness of breath
exercise capacity
This index provides better information relating to outlook than the FEV1 alone. Doctors can use it to assess how well a person is responding to medications, pulmonary rehabilitation therapy, and other interventions.

Is there a cure?
Currently, there is no cureTrusted Source for COPD.

However, it is a treatable chronic disease. With the help of a healthcare team, a person can manage the symptoms and ease their breathing difficulties.

COPD treatment
The most crucial step in COPD management is stopping smoking and reducing exposure to lung irritants such as secondhand smoke, air pollution, fumes, and dust.

Doctors may also recommend various medical treatmentsTrusted Source or home remedies to address a person’s symptoms.

Bronchodilators
These inhaled medications relax the muscles surrounding the airways, which opens them and eases breathing.

There are two types of bronchodilators. A person with mild COPD may only require a short-acting bronchodilator that lasts 4–6 hoursTrusted Source.

However, a person with moderate or severe COPD may also need long-acting bronchodilators appropriate for daily use. The effects of long-acting bronchodilators last about 12 hours or more.

Combination bronchodilators with inhaled glucocorticosteroids
If a person has severe COPD, a doctor may recommend these combined medications. Typically, doctors do not advise using an inhaled steroid alone, but it can help reduce airway inflammation.

A person may use inhaled steroids with the bronchodilator for an initial trial period of up to 3 monthsTrusted Source to see whether the additional steroid helps ease breathing problems.

Vaccines
Doctors may recommendTrusted Source that people receive the yearly influenza vaccine and stay up to date with current COVID-19 vaccination guidelines, since these respiratory diseases can cause severe issues for those living with COPD.

Likewise, doctors may recommend the pneumococcal vaccine to reduce the risk of pneumococcal pneumonia — another disease that can cause serious complications in people with COPD.

Pulmonary rehabilitation
Pulmonary rehabilitation is a therapy program that helps improveTrusted Source the lives of those with chronic breathing issues.

Rehabilitation may involve:

a physical activity program
disease management training
nutritional information
psychological counseling
The rehabilitation team may include doctors, nurses, physical and respiratory therapists, dietitians, and exercise specialists. Together, these experts tailor a program to help the person remain active and carry out necessary daily activities.

Oxygen therapy
People with severe COPD may benefitTrusted Source from oxygen therapy to help increase blood oxygen, facilitate breathing, improve alertness in the day, and promote better sleep at night.

A person uses an oxygen tank and a mask or nasal prongs to breathe. They may need oxygen for most of the day or only at certain times, such as during physical activity.

Surgery
A doctor may recommendTrusted Source surgery for individuals with severe COPD that does not improve with medications.

However, a pulmonologist may consider evaluating the person for one of the newest treatment options for severe emphysema. This is a minimally invasive, nonsurgical procedure called bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR).

BLVR is a procedure that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)Trusted Source has approved for selected individuals with severe emphysema and hyperinflation. The procedure involves the insertion of one-way valves into the most affected lobe, thereby allowing air to exit but not re-enter.

Potential surgical options include:

Bullectomy: During this procedure, a surgeon removes large bullae from the lungs. These are large air spaces that form due to the destruction of the walls of the air sacs.
Lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS): Surgeons remove damaged lung tissue in this procedure, helping the lungs function better to improve breathing.
Lung transplant: This involves replacing damaged lungs with healthy lungs from a donor. However, although the surgery can improve a person’s quality of life, there are various risks, such as organ rejection and infections.

HEALTHLINE NEWSLETTER
Healthline's COPD newsletter can help
When dealing with COPD, it can be hard to filter out the noise and navigate your inbox. Healthline gives you actionable advice from doctors that's inclusive and rooted in medical expertise.

Living with COPD
For most people, a COPD diagnosis is life-changing. Daily tasks may become more challenging, and there are also emotional factors to consider.

However, while this diagnosis may feel overwhelming, it is important to note that most people with COPD can maintain a good quality of life. Here are some tips to staying as healthy as possible while managing the disease:

Protect the lungs: COPD weakens the lungs, so it is essential to reduce exposure to any substances that could worsen the symptoms. These include cigarette smoke, workplace dust and fumes, and environmental pollution.
Adjust diet: Although it may seem unlikely, foods can affect breathing. For example, fat metabolism produces the least amount of carbon dioxide for the oxygen that the body uses, and carbohydrate produces the most. Therefore, the right combination of nutrients can help ease breathing difficulties.
Exercise: People living with COPD should aim to keep active, as exercise has many health benefits.
Take care of mental health: It is advisable to find emotional support through friends and family or support groups to help navigate any fear, anxiety, or depression that a person may experience.
Where to find support
People living with COPD and their caregivers can benefit from a support system that allows them to share experiences and tips.

The American Lung Association (ALA) provides a free lung helpline that provides information and support from lung health experts. A person can connect by calling 800-LUNGUSA (800-586-4872 and press 2), submitting a question through the form, or using live chat.

The ALA also has an online support community, where a person can reach out to other individuals having the same experience.

For people who prefer face-to-face meetings, the Better Breathers Club program offers national events.

Summary
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a long-term lung condition that affects a person’s breathing ability.

COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S. and a significant cause of disability worldwide.

Although the condition is serious, it is essential to understand that with the correct medication and treatment, people living with COPD can minimize their symptoms and the impact of the disease.

Last medically reviewed on January 20, 2022

COPDPulmonary SystemRespiratorySmoking / Quit SmokingEnvironment / Water / Pollution
5 sourcescollapsed

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A Sign Of Borderline Personality Disorder
spring.org.uk - 2021.10.17

The childhood experience that is linked to borderline personality disorder.

People who experienced a trauma as children are 13 times more likely to have borderline personality disorder, research reveals.

Physical neglect was the most common form of trauma experienced, followed by emotional abuse and sexual abuse.

Borderline personality disorder is characterised by impulsive and unstable emotions.

One of the most telling signs of the disorder is having a long history of instability in personal relationships.

People with borderline personality disorder often experience overwhelming emotions over what can appear to others like minor issues.

Dr Filippo Varese, study co-author, said:

“During childhood and adolescence, our brain is still undergoing considerable development and we are also refining strategies to deal with the challenges of everyday life, and the negative feelings that come with them.

In some people who have experienced chronic, overwhelming stress in childhood, it is likely that these responses do not develop in the same way.

People can become more sensitive to ‘normal’ stress.

They are sometimes unable to deal with intense negative thoughts and feelings, and they might resort to dangerous or unhelpful measures to feel better, such as taking drugs or self-harming.

This can lead to various mental health difficulties, including the problems commonly seen in people who receive a diagnosis of BPD.”

The research drew together the results of 42 separate studies including over 5,000 people.

It found that 71 percent of those diagnosed with borderline personality disorder had experienced at least one childhood trauma.

The most common trauma, experience by almost half was physical neglect, followed by emotional abuse (42.5 percent), physical abuse (36.4 percent), sexual abuse (32.1 percent) and emotional neglect (25.3 percent).

Dr Filippo Varese, study co-author, said:

“Borderline is a slightly misleading term—as it implies that this condition only has a mild impact.

Far from that, BPD can be very distressing and difficult to treat.

The term BPD was originally used to indicate mental health problems that were not a psychosis nor an anxiety or depressive disorder—but something in the middle.

Another term used in modern times is ’emotionally unstable personality disorder,’ which perhaps gives a clearer picture of the kind of problems typically described by these people.”

The study was published in the journal Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavia (Porter et al., 2019).

PsyBlog Understand your mind with the science of psychology -

5 Signs You Might Be Guilty of Emotional Abuse

Wasfi Aka/Flickr
It isn't always easy to recognize. Here's how to understand the signs — and if you're guilty of it in some way.
By
Jeremy Brown
Sep 27 2019, 4:45 PM
There’s a tendency to think of abusive relationships in physical terms — but physical abuse and the threat of violence are not the only signs of a potentially abusive relationship. Emotional abuse can be a destructive force even in the absence of violence. There may be no external signs of the damage being done, but ongoing mental and emotional abuse does real harm, both psychological and physical.

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An emotionally abusive relationship often involves subtle but pernicious forms of mental abuse, including gaslighting, control, manipulation, and invalidation — intentional or otherwise. These tactics are often disguised as concern or a professed desire to be together. But when persistent, they amount to emotional abuse and are silent killers of marriages.

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The source of emotional abuse or mental abuse tends to be, as with so many relational behaviors, rooted in a person’s past. Very often they may have been the victims of abuse themselves, or witnessed it in their own family, and see that as the “normal” way that couples relate to each other.

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“What’s happening psychologically is that the abuser has low self-esteem themselves, are insecure, and they seek power over their partner,” says Diane Strachowski, Ed.D, a licensed psychologist in Menlo Park, California. “They invalidate their partner or silence them altogether. They make unreasonable demands and expect that their partner put everything aside in order to meet their needs. They can be defensive and discount how bad emotional abuse is.”

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Though specific examples of emotional abuse may be unique to each relationship, there are patterns of behavior to watch for. “Emotional abuse is much more prevalent than physical abuse, but we really can’t get accurate statistics on it because it is so rarely reported in a systematic manner,” says Dr. Ramani Durvasula, a licensed clinical psychologist, professor of psychology, and author of Don’t You Know Who I Am?: How to Stay Sane in an Era of Narcissism, Entitlement and Incivility. “Interestingly, emotional abuse is a pattern that is pretty much present from the beginning, but it may be embedded in so much other ‘new’ and ‘exciting’ stuff that shows up in a courtship that excuses can often be written for it.”

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Whether it’s yelling, insults, or condescending behaviors, she adds, the signs of an abusive relationship become more complicated because the person doesn’t take responsibility. Often, instead of admitting their behavior might be wrong, they try to make it look like their partner’s fault.

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Emotional abuse can be hard to define within a relationship, and difficult to express to those outside of it. Offenders may see accusations of emotional abuse as a sign that a spouse is a nag or too sensitive. But even if acts of emotional abuse in a relationship are unintentional, it’s essential they are acknowledged, confronted, and corrected. There are some common signs that a relationship may be emotionally abusive.

5 Warning Signs of an Emotionally Abusive Relationship
1. One Partner Is Always Controlling the Other
If a spouse is constantly checking up on their significant other, asking for updates of their whereabouts, demanding that they answer texts immediately, and bullying them for information, this is often emotional abuse. This behavior, per Durvasala is often accompanied by a caveat, such as “I was just worried about you!” or “I just want us to be together all the time” that serves to deflect blame from the abuser.

“Wanting to spend some quality time with your partner is one thing, but it’s another thing entirely to completely monopolize them,” says Adina Mahalli, a certified mental health consultant and family care specialist. “Monitoring your partner’s whereabouts, whom they spend time with, and making ‘joint’ decisions on your own are all signs of controlling behavior. This can also present itself in the form of gift-giving that is dependent on compliance.”

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2. One Partner Always Tries to Manipulate the Other
An emotional abuser knows how to get what they want from their partner, and has amassed a wide array of tools in order to do it. According to Durvasala, these include: twisting the truth to their advantage, coercing the person to do things, and then guilting them when they do not, frequently bringing up events from the past to rationalize certain “asks,” and playing upon a partner’s vulnerabilities to get them to relent to whatever the abuser wants. Additionally, someone who is emotionally abusive knows how to play with their partner’s emotions, creating situations where they come off as the one who is being abused. “Playing the victim role and pushing a partner’s buttons until they blow creates an emotionally manipulative situation for your partner,” says Mahalli

3. One Partner Is Constantly Undermining, Invalidating, or Insulting the Other
Insults might sound like an obvious sign of emotional abuse. But when emotional abuse is present, the insults come masked as little jabs and backhanded compliments. A spouse might say, “You obviously love my cooking, look how fat you’re getting!” Or, “Did you see how good his wife looked? You could look like that if you tried.” And, when the “joke” falls flat, the abuser turns it back on the other person by undermining or invalidating their emotions with such phrases as “I was just teasing! You’re too sensitive!” That way the pattern of abuse continues unabated.

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4. One Partner Tries to Gaslight the Other
“Gaslighting” is a term that has only come into the popular parlance more recently, but it refers to a pattern of abuse that has existed for a long time. Inspired by the 1944 film Gaslight, the term refers to psychological manipulation in which one person is consistently lead to believe that their thoughts and feelings are incorrect — an oft-used tactic of emotional abusers. In a relationship, gaslighting can present itself as denying wrongdoing (“I never did that!”) or challenging the person’s interpretation of events, (“You’re remembering wrong”). Durvasala says to look out for such warning signs as, “saying and doing things that question the reality of another person, leaving the other person confused, lost, and feeling ‘crazy,’ claiming that their social media behavior is appropriate when it is not, and then deleting posts.”

5. One Partner Tries to Isolate the Other
When an emotionally abusive partner constantly tells their spouse that their friends and family are not good for them, that they’re the only person they need, this is dangerous territory indeed. Keeping a spouse completely cut off from outside influences is another form of control and manipulation. Darvusala lists other warning signs, such as: “never being willing to join on events or activities with friends, family, or perhaps children’s friends, demanding that a spouse not work or volunteer.”

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The big problem with such scenarios is, absent of actual physical harm, the victim gets lulled into complacency and deluded into believing that things could be worse. This is not the case.

If you or someone you know is experiencing any kind of abuse, then you have to make a change.

“Often times people try to cope or justify staying, saying things like, ‘I know he loves me he just doesn’t know how to show it. It’s not that bad or I love him.’ Because he is not all bad you still look for the good and if you have children with him, you may not think you have other options,” Strachowski says. “But the question is what are relationships for? Ideally, a good relationship makes you feel loved, cherished and protected. If you believe you are in an emotionally abusive relationship get the professional help you when you are stronger you can decide to leave. You deserve better.”

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Why Emotional Abuse Can Cause a Nervous Breakdown and How You Can Recover
January 16, 2018, Elisabet Kvarnstrom
Emotional Abuse Can Cause Nervous Breakdown
Emotional abuse in an intimate relationship can cause profound psychological damage that persists long after the relationship has ended. In some cases, emotional abuse can even cause nervous breakdown. In these cases, residential mental health treatment may be necessary to find resolution and recovery.

Quick Links
What is Emotional Abuse?
Emotional Abuse Can Cause Nervous Breakdown
Finding Resolution and Recovery
Treatment at Bridges to Recovery
Courtney’s ex-boyfriend never hit her. He never pushed her down or pulled her hair. He never sexually assaulted her. And, yet, for four years Courtney lived in a constant state of fear. She lost count of number of affairs he had accused her of having and the number of names she had been called as a result. She got used to keeping her eyes down in public so he wouldn’t think she was flirting with other men. Even as she slept, she would recognize his weight settling on the bed as he prepared to interrogate her about a co-worker, a friend’s husband, strangers who said hello on the street. In the dark, her body would grow numb and cold, and she wondered if it was possible to feel your spirit disappearing.

Of course, it didn’t start that way. In the beginning, she could never have imagined that this kind, generous, lovely man would one day be monitoring her text messages or threatening to kill himself because she came home 10 minutes later than planned. In the beginning, it didn’t occur to her body would stay in a state of hypervigilance for months after they broke up, always ready for a one-sided fight, slammed doors, the kind of screaming that makes your ears ache. She never considered that, years later, the residual effects of emotional abuse would cause a nervous breakdown.

What is Emotional Abuse?
When we talk about abuse in an intimate relationship, physical abuse is often the first thing to come to mind. In a way, this makes sense; physical abuse is overt and its damage is often readily apparent. Emotional abuse, however, can be harder to see, both while it’s happening and afterward. After all, emotional abuse can take a virtually endless variety of forms and it can be difficult to determine exactly when it begins. Its effects don’t manifest in bruised skin or broken bones, those undeniable signs that something has gone terribly wrong. Instead, psychological violence often remains invisible even to its victim. But emotional abuse can create deep damage that is every bit as serious as the emotional wounds of physical violence.

There is no one true definition of emotional abuse. However, as ReachOut Australia says, “The aim of the emotional abuser is to chip away at your feelings of self-worth and independence.” There are many ways abusers seek to accomplish this, including:

Belittling Behaviors
Yelling at you
Calling you names
Constantly criticizing you and putting you down
Dismissing or mocking your feelings, opinions, or experiences
Blaming you for things that are not your fault or blowing your mistakes out of proportion
Humiliating you, including in front of others
Ignoring you or your accomplishments
Controlling Behaviors
Instilling fear in you by making threats, whether overt or implied. This includes threats of self-harm, harm to you, and harm to your loved ones, including pets.
Acting jealous and possessive, including accusing you of infidelity
Preventing or discouraging contact with family, friends, colleagues, or strangers
Controlling your finances
Telling you what you can and can’t do
Monitoring your activities. This may include demanding to know where you are and what you are doing, checking your phone and internet history, putting a keylogger on your computer, installing security cameras in your house, or putting a GPS tracking device on your car.
Preventing you from seeing a doctor or therapist
It’s important to recognize that each person’s experience of emotional abuse is unique and each is valid. It can be tempting to try to minimize the severity of your experiences in an attempt to protect yourself from facing the reality of your trauma or to protect your partner, particularly if you have formed a traumatic bond. This desire to protect the abuser is common, even if you are no longer together. However, all forms of emotional abuse are unacceptable and can profoundly impact your psychological well-being. No one deserves it.

Experiencing a Nervous Breakdown?
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Emotional Abuse Can Cause Nervous Breakdown
The effects of emotional abuse can be painful and destructive, both in the short and long-term. Survivors are often plagued by low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and feelings of helplessness. Many experience deep shame, guilt, and self-loathing, in part because these are feelings the abuser has deliberately cultivated in you and as a result of of the stigmas and misunderstanding that surround abusive relationships. Often, shame and guilt drive you to stay silent about your experiences and may act as a barrier to leaving the relationship. Even if you have already walked away from the relationship, psychological pain can remain pervasive, shaping your understanding of yourself and the world around you. This may be particularly true in the absence of a strong social support network, which abusers so often strip from you in order to fuel your dependence.

For some, emotional abuse eventually leads to nervous breakdown. While there is no clinical definition of this phenomenon, it typically refers to the point at which psychological distress disrupts functionality. This loss of function occurs when the effects of emotional abuse become too much to bear. Dr. Philip Timms describes a common trajectory of breakdown:

A person would begin to feel more on edge, find it more difficult to sleep, find themselves thinking more negatively about themselves, feel increasingly hopeless and incompetent in what they’re doing, and then there comes a day when they just can’t face going to work, or getting out of bed, perhaps. Breakdown occurs if [distress] is not dealt with—it builds up and it’s part of a process.
The exact features of nervous breakdown may vary from person to person, but usually involves losing the ability to participate in social and professional activities as well as diminished self-care (including eating and personal hygiene). In addition to feelings of depression and anxiety, you may experience sleep disturbances, paranoia, hallucinations, obsessive thoughts, and physical symptoms such as gastrointestinal upset, trembling, and muscle tension. Sometimes, the most troubling symptoms lie not in the presence of overt distress, but in their absence—you may simply cease to feel anything at all.

Nervous breakdowns do not necessarily occur while you are in the abusive relationship. In fact, it is common for survivors to experience nervous breakdown only after the relationship has ended, sometimes even years later, especially if you have never had the opportunity to process your experiences in a healthy way.

Finding Resolution and Recovery
If you are experiencing or feel as if you will experience a nervous breakdown, it is imperative that you seek intensive mental health treatment as soon as possible. Due to the severity of distress inherent to nervous breakdowns, comprehensive care in a residential facility is often the best option to ensure rapid healing in a safe environment.

The goal of a comprehensive mental health treatment program is both to alleviate acute symptoms of psychological disturbance and to investigate the roots of that disturbance in order to create lasting recovery. Through an interdisciplinary curriculum of therapies, you will be able to deeply explore your experiences, give voice to your pain, and identify any damaging patterns of thought and behavior that fuel your emotional turmoil. For people who have experienced abuse, these patterns often involve the internalization of your abuser’s words and actions toward you and it is imperative to replace such patterns with healthier, more realistic alternatives in order to psychologically free you from your abuser. At the same time, it is important to remember that, while a nervous breakdown is not mental health diagnosis, it can indicate that you have a mental health disorder, whether caused by or independent from your experiences of abuse. As such, appropriate treatment will depend on accurately assessing the presence of a mental health disorder and ensuring that your treatment plan addresses both the illness and its connection to your trauma.

Of course, talking about trauma can be difficult. Recalling memories of abuse can be deeply painful and elicit profound fear, anxiety, and sadness. Survivors often have complicated feelings about their experiences, including love and longing for the abuser, which you may be reluctant to discuss. You may also feel ashamed to disclose the details of your abuse, particularly if you believe you are to blame or if you have experienced traumatic bonding. Clinicians with experience treating survivors understand these challenges and will work with you to ensure that you are able to participate in treatment in a way and at a pace that is safe and meaningful to you. This includes modeling a trusting relationship by establishing a positive therapeutic alliance and guiding you toward honest and nonjudgmental explorations of complex feelings. It also means giving you the opportunity to participate in therapeutic modalities suited to your needs and abilities. For many, non-verbal, somatic, and holistic therapies can open up space for you to begin the healing process without having to directly talk about your experiences before you are ready.

One of the most powerful aspects of residential mental health treatment for survivors of emotional abuse is often the feeling of belonging. Emotional abuse is an isolating and lonely experience that can keep you feeling alienated even from those closest to you. In a residential treatment program, you are able to immerse yourself in social experience both through group therapies and everyday living, helping you quickly connect to compassionate peers who will be your allies in healing. That feeling of connection can be transformative and instrumental in your recovery process, giving you the ability to imagine a social world outside of the abusive relationship and the strength you need to move toward the life you truly want.

Treatment at Bridges to Recovery
At Bridges to Recovery, we specialize in diagnosing and treating psychiatric and emotional issues such as trauma and nervous breakdowns. We provide compassionate and effective care in a serene residential setting so clients can focus on their treatment and recovery without the worries of external pressures and stressors.

Nervous Breakdown Treatment

Contact us to learn more about our renowned Los Angeles programs. We can help you or your loved one start on the path to healing.


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