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Sage Neuroscience Center

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Essential Oils For Everyday Life

February 20, 2019 by Johnathon Zamora Leave a Comment

Essential Oil, Oils, Aromatherapy, addiction, disease, essential, oil
Essential Oil Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy has been around for the last 6,000 years but has seen its rise in popularity around 2015 for the United States. Essential oils may relieve anxiety, boost memory, support circulatory systems, and a gamut of other functions. In today’s market, there are over 90 oils that are available for purchase and many people report benefits from their use. Some include peppermint, lavender, and sandalwood. These scents may stimulate the limbic system which is heavily involved in forming memories.

Most popular essential oils like lavender, peppermint, tea tree oil, and eucalyptus are distilled or extracted and can be placed directly on the skin or in a nebulizer or diffuser.  A variety of options are on the market to help people decide how intense, enduring or gentle they want the experience of interacting with the extract to be.

Some essential oils are used as a pesticide to deter rodents, insects, and fungus from invading your home or workspace!  With rodents and insects, the oil can and may overload their senses, causing them to be deterred from entering or interacting with whatever you have placed the essential oils on. Fungi need an almost entirely sterile environment to be able to germinate or grow due to the nature of how they develop. The oil prevents the spores of fungi to bind themselves to the substrate material that has been doused in the liquid.  Fascinating!

Overall essential oils are on the rise in popularity due to just how powerful they are and the variety of application they have to offer.  Also, people have shared that using natural options for health make more sense to them.

If you are interested in learning more about essential oils, go ahead and click this LINK!

Filed Under: Featured, General, Mindfulness, Uncategorized

What is IOP and How Can It Help?

February 15, 2019 by Johnathon Zamora Leave a Comment

Group, Therapy, IOP, Healing, Journey, Recovery, Addiction
Group IOP

IOP stands for “Intensive Outpatient Treatment”. During the duration of an IOP program, individuals attend group therapies and individual counseling above and beyond the traditional cadence of classic once a week therapy. The primary focus of this service is to encourage people to actively practice implementing a host of skills in a supportive, didactic environment.

People enter an IOP program when overcoming substance abuse or have already overcome major hurdles and need help adjusting to life without that substance. The program lasts 12 weeks and sessions are generally 3 hours long, 3-4 days a week for optimal results. People that deeply involve themselves in the program gain the greatest benefit. Sharing personal stories, triggers, and conflict resolutions allow not only the person sharing to heal and grow but also the people around them to do the same.

IOPs are usually covered by insurance. Families and loved ones are encouraged to be a part of the program to generate support and motivation. Highly trained providers work closely with IOP participants in the groups and in the individualized private sessions to ensure that their healing is as beneficial and long lasting as possible. 

In 2014, approximately 21.5 million Americans struggled with addiction, as published by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). This makes addiction one of the most common diseases for people in the United States. IOP programs have been helping people create long-lasting habits and safety nets that prevent them from relapsing back into the crippling arms of substance abuse. We would like to take the time to show gratitude and appreciation for not only the providers and doctors that help clients through their program but also the people who have recovered and are now living rich and fulfilling lives.

 

If you would like to learn more about IOP please click the LINK.

Filed Under: Addiction, Featured, General, Group, Mindfulness, Therapy

Habits For 2019 To Develop

January 31, 2019 by Johnathon Zamora Leave a Comment

 

Exercise, Habits, Habit, Develop, Clinic, Sage, Brain.
Exercise

2019 is finally here and we would like to share some habits we think would help you to triumphantly get through this year. It is time to get to be where you always dreamed you could be but have maybe strayed from the path. In times of great difficulty, you don’t rise to the occasion, you fall to the level of your training. The more training you have the more opportunity you will achieve. Luck is a series of two things coming into fruition at one time, opportunity and preparation. These habits will prepare you for the opportunities that will appear in this New Year.

Say yes more often than saying no. Saying yes to something you previously would have been uninclined to do will move you out of your comfort zone and into new territory. In this landscape, we learn so much more about ourselves and how our insecurities hold us back from the life we were destined to live. The more frequently we can be out of our element the more we will grow. Say yes to asking out your crush, taking on more than your share at work, getting up earlier to go to the gym. We are all so much more capable than we think.

Make your bed in the morning. By performing this simple task you start the day off by having a win. You performed a task that you did not think to be important or having much merit, but in contrast, you have actually trained yourself to go the extra mile. This behavior also gives you ownership over the situation you have created and take pride in rectifying them. The U.S military makes their boot camp soldiers make their bed every morning and is where this philosophy has been developed from.

Take ownership of your problems in life. When you own the problem you also own the win you get from the solution. Playing the victim of your life will not develop any form of success, only hardship, and sorrow. Take some time out of your day whether that be in the shower or in the car on the way to work and state, out loud, 5 things you are thankful for. We all get caught up in the problems that affect us each day and somehow forget the things we have that are positive in our life. Hate your boss? Be happy for your home, your family, or any other sort of benefit you have. No matter what circumstance you find yourself in, just remember how good you actually have it.

A powerful perspective and growth fueled mindset will propel you farther into a more well-developed character than carrying on in the mundane trenches of fear.

Need more motivation? Check the LINK here.

Filed Under: Featured, General, Mindfulness, Therapy

How To Set Goals And Motivate

January 28, 2019 by Johnathon Zamora Leave a Comment

 

Goals, Task, Clinic, Facility. , Set
Setting Goals

 

When you plan a road trip, do you just get in the car and start driving? No, of course not! You determine a place you want to go, the route to get there, and necessary supplies you’ll need to get there. This is the same philosophy we need to have for goal planning. The reason that so many of us feel like a passenger to our life is due to the fact that you are living like that! When you go through your journey without a concrete vision of where you want to be and the goals it will take to get there you end up living the classic American life of monotony and unfulfillment.

It’s time to take hold of your life and be the captain of your ship and not the person rowing someone else’s. Goal planning starts with a vision, where or what do you want to have or to be. This process is sometimes the most difficult because we don’t always know where we want to be and we definitely don’t know how to get there. Start by asking yourself simple questions, when you close your eyes and see the premiere lifestyle you want to live, start with that. Now, what does it take to get there? It’s going to be hard work and many hours of struggle but the feeling of achievement will rival almost any adversary.

Set a few easy goals to get going and build that momentum and motivation for yourself. When a boxer takes a hiatus from bouts and training they usually come back to fight a couple of easy matches to build their confidence and reacclimate to the lifestyle. Think of this as yourself, maybe set a goal of not eating fast food for a month and feel that power you get once it’s complete. There will be moments where your self defeating tendencies rear their ugly faces to you, but just know that you are infinitely powerful and when you are ready to give up, success is just on the other side.

So go out and become the captain, become the person you were always meant to be. Nothing breeds more regret and self-loathing than an unfulfilled life that sits on the foundation of wasted potential. We all have greatness within us, the only difference between someone who has succeeded and someone that hasn’t is that they were more willing to realize it than you were.

 

Still need help with goal planning? Check out this LINK!

Filed Under: Featured, General, Mindfulness

Mindfulness And How It Empowers You

January 21, 2019 by Johnathon Zamora Leave a Comment

 

mindfulness, treatment, behavior, thought,
Mindfulness

 

The dichotomy of life is that in order for there to be light, there must be dark. It is vital to understand that if everything were to be great all of the time then the appreciation for it would dissipate entirely. When darkness is around us we will always have one thing to keep us affixed to help us with struggling through the journey, hope. The practice of mindfulness shows you that there are a tremendous amount of things in your life that are going well, this will help you to center your current perspective.

Starting your journey to living a mindful life will be arguably the hardest part. Shifting your train of thought from only seeing the negative to positive can be achieved in various matters. One is meditation, this will help you identify with your problems in a more objective sense. When ideas enter your mind pretend like you are observing clouds moving in and then out of your mind. Recognize they are there but just let them pass through and out making way for others to enter and pass. Meditating can be performed adequately with only 5-10 minutes and you will be surprised how many thoughts you actually have in that time span.

Intimately knowing the cause of your emotions is important for you to deeply understand on your journey to mindfulness. Anxiety is the response of being too caught up in future events, depression is caused by being too worried about past events. When you are at peace, you have achieved clarity of being in the moment. It is important for us to learn from our previous mistakes and have some ideas of goal planning for the future but it is vital for our mental health to appreciate what we have going for us now. When moving into this state of mind look at your surroundings; see the trees for all their beauty, feel the clothes on your body, and focus more of your vision out of your primary focal point and into your peripheral vision. This state of being pulls anxiety out of your life and centers you in your current situation.

Mindfulness can be one of the greatest tools we have in our toolbox, but it is important to keep it sharpened for those challenging times. Over time you will see a dramatic shift in your perspective as well as prosperity in your life. This is not a superpower but you will feel like you have one after you are done though.

 

Having a hard time with mindfulness? Check out the link for some extra tips.

Filed Under: Featured, General, Mindfulness, Therapy

Your New Years Resolution Goals

January 17, 2019 by Johnathon Zamora Leave a Comment

 

Psychology, Goals, Clinic, Brain, Depression,
Dreams

 

We’ve all been there before, its the third day of your New Year’s resolution and heading to the gym doesn’t sound as appealing as continuing your 2nd week of binge-watching The Office. The psychology behind this is simple, something you have established as a habit has a tremendously higher pull than the new activity you wish to pursue. It is proven that new habits take anywhere between two-three weeks to develop. This is where discipline and mental toughness will be your best partners throughout this trifling journey.

Fewer than 10% of all people that set their resolution follow through for more than a month. One of the most crucial things that you can establish when it comes to sticking with your difficult life change is determining what your goal is. Whether that be losing weight, being more positive, or finally growing into the person you are destined to become. You need to also have an answer set in your mind that is there to confront your internal dialogue when the going gets tough. When your alarm goes off and hitting that snooze button for the 3rd time seems like it’s not that big of a deal, you are wrong. A precedence for the day has been set; you are willing to tap out before the going even begins to get tough. You need to have an answer ready and at attention to go to battle with the snooze button so you can get up and get moving.

A justification for your lack of execution on your resolution will derail you from your goals faster than anything. Saying things like “I’ll work out harder tomorrow to make up for this cake today” is the echo of your previous self pulling you back into your old habits. Put yourself out on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter and check in on those platforms to let people know how you are doing. Making yourself accountable for your actions can help keep you affixed to them because now it’s not just you who will see if you stray from your journey. Make sure to keep that momentum going though. It is one of the most powerful things you could ever have behind you driving you forward.

Sometimes we all need a little help with our resolutions and imagine how far you will be along when a whole year comes to a close. Would you rather be crushing your goals or still on that couch looking for the next T.V show on Netflix?

 

Having trouble finding motivation? Click the link HERE to get fired up!

Filed Under: Featured, General, Mindfulness, Therapy

Nutrition and How it Impacts the Brain

January 14, 2019 by Johnathon Zamora Leave a Comment

 

nutrition, brain, disease, addiction, clinic, depressed
Balance

 

Your brain is an organ that is always on and working to maintain your bodily functions no matter what the circumstance is. It never takes a sick day, calls in late to work, or makes excuses about its performance. For your brain to work at its highest level, you need to give it the nutrients it needs to keep you running at your best. Some people have the idea that running to Starbucks to grab your favorite caramel macchiato will pep you up enough to get through the morning and hopefully squeeze you past that mid-afternoon crash. In all reality though, you are doing more harm than good by depriving the sustenance you would get by actually having a caloric dense breakfast. Quality of nutrition is something that we all need to strive for if we desire the highest level of cognitive performance.

The brains primary source of fuel is fat, so much so in fact that if you were to eat nothing but entirely lean foods you would experience a condition referred to as “Protein Poisoning.” This condition causes diarrhea, headaches, and severe discomfort. In severe cases, it can cause death due to a lack of nutritional requirement being left out of one’s diet. The brain is comprised of 60 percent fat, more than any other organ in the entire body. That is why it is so vital to get at least 20-35 percent of your calories from fat which equals around 44 to 77 grams if you eat a 2,000 calorie diet.

Essential fatty acids are what are the driver for your brains integrity and ability to perform. These acids are so crucial in part because the body cannot make these and are only introduced into the body by consuming them. They are responsible for the; formation of healthy cell membranes, proper development of the young brain and nervous system, as well as a gamut of other incredibly vital functions. There are many essential fatty acids, and each plays their unique role in the body as well as the brain to help aid in homeostasis.

The brain is a pretty important organ that we all have occasionally neglected it by passing on a meal for added productivity at work. This type of prolonged behavior can result in lowered testosterone levels in men and a decrease in estrogen for women. It is imperative for our bodies overall operations to stick to a concise eating schedule that has all of our daily requirements being met.

 

Curious to learn more about fatty acids? Click the link to learn MORE!

Filed Under: Featured, General, Mindfulness

Tips For Dealing With Anxiety

January 7, 2019 by Johnathon Zamora Leave a Comment

 

anxiety, depression, sad, troubled, stress, help
Anxiety

 

Here at Sage Neuroscience, we believe that the first steps in achieving happiness begin with establishing patterns of behavior that aid you in successfully dealing with anxiety. The crippling abyss that anxiety can provoke in your life is generally a construct that is built in your mind due to being too heavily invested in future possibilities that have yet to play themselves out. The chemicals that your body creates for this is; serotonin, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and norepinephrine. Now normally all of these chemicals are adequately balanced, but under normal feelings of anxiety, they become unbalanced. This results in that oh so unpleasant Sunday night terror knowing how you’ve neglected or fear your responsibilities for Monday.

Breathing is the most simple and surprisingly effective tool we keep in the back of our head to combat those early stages of panic. Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose taking at least 3 seconds to pull in air, then exhale through your pursed lips again slowly. This type of exaggerated breathing aids in relaxation and an introduction of more oxygen into your body. If after your breathing exercises you still have that feeling of anxiety we recommend you move onto stretching your body. Let’s say for instance that you are inexperienced, we then suggest a yoga class or go online to view some video tutorials for basic stretching. This process takes more time than the simple breathing strategy stated above but holds more benefit due to the distraction your body now has over your mind and the endorphins released by your body in response to this new stimulus.

Strenuous physical activity plays a significant role in the staving away of anxiety by putting your mind into a state of full concentration. Whether it’s because you are on a long bike ride concerned about your bodies fatigue level or you are skiing on the side of mountain focused on keeping your technique up to par. These arduous types of activities pull us out of our head and into our body to readjust the perspective you are currently viewing the situation through that is causing your anxiety. Exercise is a requirement by the body, and if that area of your life is being neglected, then you might have a higher proclivity towards anxious thoughts than others around you.

Normal feelings of anxiety are an evolutionary response put in place to keep you wary of what the future might hold for you as well as to aid in long-term planning. Fast forward to the day and age we live in, and it is not uncommon for people to feel anxious for entire months before the feeling dissipates. Learning to deal adequately with these situations will put you leaps and bounds ahead of where you would be in the circumstance where you let those anxiety monsters run around unchecked by your mental fortitude and discipline.

Filed Under: Featured, General, Mindfulness, Therapy

Childhood Trauma and Its Lasting Effects

December 26, 2018 by Johnathon Zamora Leave a Comment

 

childhood, trauma, pain, abuse, clinic
Overcoming Trauma

 

During a person’s childhood, they experience a variety of unforeseen traumatic events whether they be abuse, loneliness, or neglect. These manifest themselves in adult life in anxiety disorders, self-sabotage, or any gamut of symptoms. A positive emotional upbringing reinforces in a child’s mind that life can be tough and unfair, but a healthy perspective can make the difference in the way an outcome affects you. A person’s behavior can be seen being established as early as kindergarten in the way they interact with their peers.

Most children that grow up being abused see that type of behavior as normal and accepted behavior, this comfortability in a violent act almost always results in abuse of their spouse and children, unfortunately. A vicious cycle then plays out over generations of that family until one recognizes the fallacy and preposterous nature of that idea, this is only predominantly healed through education for most people. A thorough understanding of a child’s suggestibility is imperative knowledge for parents who struggle with their own emotions and actions to help propel their child into a prosperous life.

Even in high school people are still developing a lot of their life habits, an idea of self, and where they feel they fit into society. A phenomenon that a large majority of high school students see themselves fall into is something referred to as “adolescent pseudomature behavior”. This essentially is acting at a higher maturity level than they currently occupy. This type of social signaling is a claw to the top of the highest echelon in whatever circle they might find themselves in. A social ladder that we climb every day with our peers and our professional relationships acted out all between the ages of 5 to 18 on a smaller scale.

Parents that find themselves being able to adequately handle poor situations in life almost always exhibit children with the same ability to do so. This is why it is so crucial to developing constructive habits for dealing with poor situations so that as we age, we can bring a positive light to those that we interact with and maybe even in some circumstances, our own children.

Filed Under: Featured, General, Mindfulness, Therapy

Resolve To Increase Connections

January 10, 2017 by Reagon Heikes Leave a Comment

two people taking each other's hand.If you make one New Year’s Resolution this year, let it be for more meaningful connections.

Is the yearly resolution to lose 20 pounds already looking bleak and you’re just ten days in? That was my story for a long time too. So, for the past few years, I have made loosely structured goals that I would like to happen. I started thinking of them as things I would like to do instead of things that had to happen… or else. One of my goals this year is to spend more time with friends, old and new. To build up my circle for support, and to find joy in being a support to others.

All of the gurus advise making your goals realistic, measurable and clear. Sound advice but I say revel in the fact that this New Year’s resolution is fun. When did making a phone call, meeting up for dinner or going to a social event become such a chore? I wish that I was in the minority here, but more and more evidence says I’m not. Social isolation is a top emerging public health concern, resulting in shorter life expectancies, increased illness and greater healthcare costs (Read more on isolation becoming a health concern, click here).

From a public health perspective, has psychology got it all wrong? Maybe instead of navigating from the assumption that the single individual is the basic unit of psychological analysis we should extend that to the dyad or group. This slant is hardly groundbreaking, evolutionary psychology, group therapy, community-based work, interpersonal psychology and that little field called sociology have long been rooted in this concept. Is there space for understanding the bigger communal picture in our behavioral and physical healthcare system? I think so. The good news is that we don’t have to wait for a radical shift in ‘the system.’ We can simply shift the waythat we relate to ourselves and others with reference to our need to be socially supported.

The human brain has evolved over the millennia under the conditions of being embedded in a relatively predictable social group that shares goals, is familiar and interdependent. We are wired to belong and to rely on the safety and nurturance of others. Family, friend, romantic partner, child, acquaintances all serve a protective function against life challenges, adjustments, and illnesses. Things that are inevitable, things that you want to be ready for.

It is not realistic to wake up one day and wipe away all of your loneliness, but you can reduce your isolation. Loneliness and depression though can often overlap. Loneliness is the drive to belong; it is motivational. The tactics to employee here are bountiful. Maybe you call up an old friend, invite someone to coffee, maybe you strike up a conversation with a new group of people (Tips on breaking the ice, click here). There is social media that can connect you not only digitally but a face-to-face person just search the events near you on Facebook or join Meet Up. There’s always the tried and true volunteer opportunities, sports teams, civic organizations, religious gatherings. You have angles and options.

The reality is that there are literally seven billion other people in the world seeking the same sense of belonging, to know that they matter. Maybe the New Year will inspire you to reach out for it a little more.

Filed Under: Featured, General, Mindfulness

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Sage Neuroscience Center strives to meet the mental healthcare needs of the community in a comfortable and compassionate environment.
- Reuben Sutter, MD
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Sage Neuroscience Center strives to meet the mental healthcare needs of the community in a comfortable and compassionate environment.
- Reuben Sutter, MD

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