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Man holding a cigarette
By Casey Portner Addiction, Anxiety, Mental Health Care ,

Does Smoking Help With Anxiety?

If there is one thing that smoking is commonly associated with, it is that it is frequently used as a stress reliever during tough situations. All over popular media, like in movies, television shows, and music, smoking cigarettes or other forms of nicotine is seen as a quick relief for spikes in anxiety or nervousness. This could cause many people that suffer from a generalized anxiety disorder or other forms of anxiety to try smoking to quell some of its most annoying symptoms. But does smoking help with anxiety? Counseling of Southwest Florida and our Florida addiction therapy professionals take a closer look in the following article. 

 

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By Casey Portner Addiction, Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Family Counseling, Mental Health Care , ,

Dealing with Grief and Loss in Recovery

Dealing With Grief and Loss in Recovery Tips 

One of the most traumatic and important events that someone has to deal with is the loss of a loved one. Unfortunately, many people have to deal with this event when they are undergoing recovery from drug or alcohol addiction. This could either throw a wrench into their recovery journey or cause a relapse if people do not know how to correctly deal with it. In the following article, Counseling of Southwest Florida details some of the best ways that someone can begin dealing with grief and loss in recovery. Continue reading below to learn more from our Florida addiction therapy professionals. 

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People in Group Therapy
By Casey Portner Addiction, Anxiety, Depression, Family Counseling, Mental Health Care , ,

Group vs. Individual Therapy

Group vs. Individual Therapy in Mental Health 

When it comes to someone that needs therapy, they will often try to discover if either group or individual therapy is best for them. As one of the top Florida addiction therapy centers available, Counseling of Southwest Florida is extremely well-versed in both therapy methods and their advantages and disadvantages. If you do not know which method is best for you, the following article is the perfect place to start. Continue reading below to learn more about group vs. individual therapy. 

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heart made out of hands
By Casey Portner Mental Health Care, Uncategorized

Celebrate World Humanitarian Day

If you want to celebrate World Humanitarian Day, mark your calendar for Friday, August 19th. The United Nations (UN) General Assembly founded this day in 2009 as a way to honor humanitarians across the globe.1 But the day does more than recognize workers who care for the benefit of others. It also reminds us of the many aid workers, volunteers, and others contributing to making life safer and easier. Below, Counseling of Southwest Florida talks about humanitarianism and getting involved.

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Stressed dad sitting at table with child
By Casey Portner Depression, Mental Health Care

Exploring the Mental Health of Fathers

“Walk it off!” “Rub some dirt on it!” “Man up!” These are, unfortunately, some of the phrases highlighting a toxic mindset that are taught to boys from a young age. Whether explicitly or implicitly, boys are taught that if they show emotions, they are weak or “not masculine” enough. They are taught to always act tough and to not show if they are sad or upset. These harmful beliefs about how men in our culture are supposed to behave lead to fathers who struggle to acknowledge, communicate, and handle their emotions once they become fathers.

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Child Hugging Parent
By Casey Portner Addiction, Family Counseling

How Children of Addicts Are Affected

Having an alcohol or substance addiction can be an immensely challenging issue to deal with. It can be a physically, emotionally, and mentally debilitating disease that negatively affects how someone navigates through life. An unintended consequence of having these addictions is how they impact those around you. That is particularly the case when it comes to the children of addicts, where the tumultuous environment these children are raised in causes long-term harm.

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A family sitting close together. The youngest boy is hugging his father while the mother and older daughter look on smiling
By Casey Portner Family Counseling, Mental Health Care

Guide for Talking to Kids About Mental Health

A fact of child-rearing that many parents, guardians, teachers, siblings, and extended family members will have to face is the very real fact that children, just like adults, can experience mental health issues. For this reason, it is very important to understand why talking to kids about mental illness is important and how to explain mental health to a child. To make the process easier, Counseling of Southwest Florida, providers of excellent group, family, and individual counseling in Naples, FL, have created this quick guide to help those looking to learn more about this important aspect of raising a child.

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A woman picking at her arm. Face is out of view
By Casey Portner Addiction

Drugs That Cause Skin Picking and Why It Happens

Drugs and skin sores as a result of skin picking are not only a common stereotype related to the people who have substance abuse issues but are also one of the very real physical side effects of the abuse of certain narcotics. Counseling of Southwest Florida has years of experience providing both group and individual counseling in Naples, FL, and has taken it upon themselves to create this quick overview of drugs that cause skin picking and why picking occurs. If you are worried about drug abuse in somebody you know and love, be sure to keep an eye out for pick marks as it could be a sign that drug abuse is occurring. 

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