Suffering Too Long
Many times, when folks first come to see us asking for help, they have been suffering for too long. The first appointment at Mindful Health is called an Intake Assessment; it is a consultation where we discuss history and what is happening currently.
Often, people come to me describing a constant feeling of dread, sadness or numbness. Sometimes people tell me they don’t feel much of anything at all…not joy…not anger…just this awareness of discouragement, wondering what this life is for and if it is worth it.
And Things Start Piling Up
Many people tell me they aren’t sleeping because at night all the disappointments or the worries about All The Things come crashing in. Many times people find they have lost interest in eating, especially when their anxiety is high and their tummy is in knots. Other times, people use food or alcohol or other substances to distract themselves for a little while.
Sometimes, when people have been suffering long enough or deeply enough, thoughts about death as an escape come up. They may be thinking about how their families would be better off without them…and then feel a crushing guilt or shame for even thinking those thoughts. It is not uncommon too for people to describe a feeling of being weighed down…constant fatigue and just kinda white knuckling through it.
Job performance suffers; many times folks will start calling in and spending the day in bed. Taking a shower or doing the dishes feels like a monumental effort. Sometimes these things are simply skipped or ignored. It’s also not uncommon for people to tell me they didn’t really realize all of this was happening with them until they were talking to me about it; they’ve just been existing in a fog.
But There Is Help For You
If this resonates with you, we can help. Mindful Health offers an intense treatment program called Partial Hospitalization Program, or PHP for short. The program is Monday through Friday from 9am to 1pm. It is intense for a reason; science and research shows us that the more intense the treatment is initially, the better off the client is for the long term.
In PHP, our clients also see a provider for medication management once a week; this way if we have any side effects come up, we can make changes quickly and safely. PHP is group therapy based. In groups, we get to talk about what has been happening, our thoughts about it all, and a therapist coaches each client using therapeutic interventions that helps folks understand why this is happening and how to heal and recover.
Groups also include activities such as art therapy, music therapy, mindfulness sessions, yoga, aromatherapy, and more. Each of these are included with purpose – to promote wellness, lower stress, and help people feel better.
Courage Is the First Step
The first step in healing is courage. Sometimes people think courage means not feeling fear, or somehow being sure of the outcome.
It’s not.
It’s simply willingness. Be unsure and try it anyway.
Willingness to be honest about where you are with your mental state of being.
Willingness to try group therapy even if that makes you uncomfortable; so many people tell me they don’t want group therapy, and then they end up making connections so deep we created an Alumni group for graduates to meet and touch base once a month.
We make attending the program as simple and easy as possible. We help with FMLA or Short Term Disability paperwork for your job. We can help with flexible payment plans if you need one. We can help with transportation if you need that as well.
If you’re willing, we can help.
Blessings,
Elaine Stahl
This blog post was written by:
Elaine Stahl, MS & LPC
Clinical Director, Mindful Health – San Antonio
