Entries by Alter Health

How Can Alter Behavioral Health Help Me Replace Negative Behavioral Patterns With Healthy Ones?

People’s emotions and behavior are connected. Negative thoughts and emotions can lead to inappropriate coping methods, such as using substances or having unsafe sex. However, with the proper skills and tools, you can manage your emotions and control your behavior. Why Treat Negative Patterns of Behavior? Stigmas, or negative attitudes and beliefs, against people with […]

How Can CBT Help Me Prioritize My Mental Health?

Before COVID, it was not uncommon for a person to be told they could only take a certain number of sick days. It was a bit taboo to use those days for mental health care. Since the pandemic has exposed everyone to new viruses and stressors, it has also revealed the need to care for […]

What Is Stress Response Syndrome?

For many people, stress is a daily issue. However, there are times in our lives when something causes us so much stress that our response may feel overwhelming. That is when people may develop stress response syndrome. How Does Stress Affect the Mind and Body? Stress has a much higher impact on the mind and […]

The Myths and Realities of Bipolar Disorder and Its Treatments

Bipolar disorder is a mental health disorder characterized by extreme shifts in mood, energy, and patterns of behavior. These shifts are unusual and disorganized, contributing to increased stigma and judgment toward those with this disorder. Research by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) estimates that 4.4% of adults in the U.S. will experience bipolar […]

Managing the Co-Occurring Disorders Associated With OCD

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder that affects an estimated 1.2% of Americans annually. Anxiety disorders are known to co-occur with other mental health disorders and substance use disorders (SUD). When one condition exists with another in tandem, it is known as a co-occurring disorder. Learning how to manage the co-occurring disorders of OCD […]

How Can Anxiety Influence Co-Occurring Disorders?

For people with anxiety, the concept of a co-occurring disorder can be a very real issue. When people are faced with insurmountable and untreated anxiety, there may be a need to quell the issues on one’s own. Alter Behavioral Health understands that this can lead to disastrous results. What Is a Co-Occurring Disorder? When a […]

Understanding the Difference Between PTSD and Trauma

The American Psychological Association (APA) defines trauma as “an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape, or natural disaster.” It often results in anxiety, dread, and tension. Whether witnessing or personally experiencing it, these reactions are normal. Circumstances that can cause the response of trauma can be a single event or multiple […]

Understanding the Difference Between Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Persistent Depressive Disorder (PDD)

The dark cloud of depression affects millions of individuals every single day. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 280 million people face a depressive disorder worldwide. There are several forms of depression, some of which appear very similar and can be challenging to differentiate from one another. One example of this is […]