May 2018 Newsletter

In This Issue

There's an App for That! //  Loneliness Can Kill
 Bruce's Road to Recovery // At Your Service

There's an App for That!

You probably keep your phone glued to you, so why not use it to improve your wellness? There are tons of apps out there but we found a few (free!) standouts that will help you manage different aspects of your life -- like mental health, finances, and fitness -- and guide you to better overall health.

Loneliness Can Kill

We humans need socialization to survive.

An analysis of 23 scientific studies published in the British journal Heart gives us numbers that reveal just how sick it can really make you.  People with “poor social relationships” had a 29% higher risk of newly diagnosed heart disease and a 32% higher risk of stroke. Research from the Association of Psychological Science indicates that individuals with less social connection have disrupted sleep patterns, altered immune systems, more inflammation and higher levels of stress hormones.

All told, loneliness is as important a risk factor for early death as obesity and smoking.

Sage Publications reports that an analysis that pooled data from 70 studies and 3.4 million people found that socially isolated individuals had a 30 percent higher risk of dying in the next seven years.

Social isolation is a growing epidemic — one that is increasingly recognized as having dire physical, mental and emotional consequences. Since the 1980s, the percentage of American adults who say they’re lonely has doubled from 20 percent to 40 percent.

People are living with and dying from loneliness every day --  A young man abandoned by friends as he struggles with addiction; an older woman, living in filth, no longer able to clean her cluttered apartment; a middle-aged woman isolated as she struggles with depression; or a group of colleagues shunning and excluding the officemate because he is different and viewed as a little “odd.”  People in poorer health — especially those with mood disorders like anxiety and depression — are more likely to feel lonely. 

You can be lonely in a crowd, or you can be by yourself and feel perfectly content. But when your experience is negative — you are not happy with the quality of your social interactions, or you’re grieving a loss — that “can be really disastrous for well-being.”

What You Can Do if You Are Lonely:

According to the Campaign to End Loneliness, if you have been feeling lonely for a while, a first step is to notice and identify it.  Then, consider the following:

Think about yourself

Think about what you would like more of – maybe time with friends or family, if so invite them to visit.

Look after yourself

Self care is important.  Take small steps to eat well, exercise and keep active, and look after your appearance.  You’ll feel better about yourself.

Engage with your community

Find out what local activities are being planned and book them up: walks, singing groups, book clubs, meetup groups, etc.

Speak to a health worker

Long term loneliness could contribute to later depression and other health problems. Your doctor should be able to direct you to local services.  Information about how to look for a therapist can be found at: 

https://adaa.org/finding-help/treatment/choosing-therapist#  and information on specific therapists near you can be found at:  https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/depression

Share your skills and time with others

You can offer time or specific skills by helping out.  There are soup kitchens and other nonprofit agencies that are always looking for volunteer help. The United Way often lists volunteer opportunities:  https://volunteer.uwgnh.org/volunteer/find

And if you know someone who appears lonely, reaching out and helping him or her to feel valued and cared about just might be the start of breaking the loneliness for that person.  You can make a big difference.

Bruce's Road to Recovery

Losing his brother sent Bruce into a deep depression and a 25-year substance use spiral. He came to Continuum’s Crisis Recovery Services (CRS) this past January after an injury exacerbated symptoms of his mental health disorder. Within the 5 months he spent at CRS, Bruce learned the importance of self-care for his mental health and how to maintain his sobriety by managing his proper medications, instead of relying on self-medicating. Staff supported him all the way, and got his family closely involved as part of his treatment plan. It made a huge difference in his ability to truly move forward

Bruce became the go-to guy for housekeeping and other tasks around the program, and quickly embraced all of the activities – music therapy and hiking, for example – and group outings. He even reconnected with his faith. Now Bruce his back at his previous full-time job, and is focusing on his family, mental health and sobriety. His sister says, “I'm thankful to have my old brother back.”

People like Bruce are why we started Crisis Recovery Services. Co-occurring mental health disorders and substance use is a particularly challenging combination, and the recovery process is complex. Our 52 years of experience in mental health care, and 25 years of providing best practices in crisis and addiction treatment services, make Continuum unique.

Continuum Crisis Recovery Services has moved many people on to their next step of recovery.  Visit www.ContinuumCrisisRecovery.com to get started on your recovery journey (CRS takes insured and private pay).

At Your Service