Do you find yourself struggling with mood changes depending upon the season? Some people have extreme mood shifts brought on by seasonal shifts. Even the day to day weather might affect you. First, this is not to diagnose anything. Definitely talk to your doctor about any concerns you have about seasonal mood changes. I know […]
Author: Risa Silver
Break out of Victim Mindset
Life is uncertain, nothing is guaranteed except that you will experience disappointment and setbacks. Here are some “symptoms” of a victim mindset: How to Break Out of Victim Mindset: I know that life can throw a curveball. I know that we would rather have everything the way we want. I know because my life hasn’t […]
Knowing When to Change Course
Most likely you have had the experience of things not going as you planned or hoped. It could be a fitness plan, a mental health support plan, an educational plan. Pretty much anything. How do you know when to implement another plan, to change course? I’ll use a couple personal examples: Now, these aren’t earth […]
Feeling Safe
Recently I had a conversation with a friend/colleague about feeling safe. We did a little experiment: I asked him, “Do you feel safe right now?”. At first he answered, “Yes, of course!”, but after a few moments he noticed that he had thoughts that bubbled up that definitely countered his original answer. Thoughts like, “What […]
3 Ways to Calm Anxiety
When you’re feeling anxiety you know those symptoms…rapid breathing, sometimes even holding your breath, increased heart rate. Your autonomic nervous system kicked in. It’s natural and helpful at times. But what to do when you don’t need to be in fight/flight/freeze and all that cortisol and adrenaline pumping through your system? Try these 3 things: […]
Intrusive Thoughts? Try this.
You might think that you’re alone on this experience of intrusive thoughts, but guess what? It’s really common. So common, in fact, that even my previous therapist told me he experienced intrusive thoughts. He once said to me, “The difference between me and you is not about having intrusive thoughts. It’s that I know how […]
Elevate the Good
It dawned on me a few weeks ago that I developed a habit of scanning for something to “heal”…I look for a physical or emotional symptom. When I had that realization I paused. In that silent pause I shifted my focus with the intention of looking for what’s positive/good/right (these seem like judgment words, but […]
A Quick Word on Coping Skills
We’ve written about coping skills on our blog and we’ve gone deeper about coping skills in our book Hope Awakened. I want to say a little more in general about coping skills. Let me share this: A few years ago I experienced several impactful traumas in a very short period of time. I was overwhelmed […]
Virginia Year of the Peer Award!
We are excited to announce that the Trillium Center has received an award. Here, in the words of Savannah Frye, MA, R-CPRS, Regional Coordinator for Peer Recovery Specialists and Family Support Partners; Northern Virginia Regional Projects Office: On behalf of Jalna Harris, Region 2 Recovery Oriented Services Coordinator with DBHDS, and myself, Region 2 PRS […]
Emotions and Your Body
Think, feel. Feel, think. I’m sure you’ve noticed that when you have an emotion you feel it somewhere in your body. For example, if you’re angry you might feel tension in your jaw. If you’re sad you might feel it in your heart area. Science has shown that there is a mind/body connection. So, how […]