Tranquility Valley Wellness

Tranquility Valley Wellness salutes out Veterans today and every day. We are proud to serve the local men and women in Kern County who have sacrificed for this country.

Does it feel like every time you turn on the tv, open your browser or scroll social media there’s a new crisis going on? Over the last 3 years we have been exposed to a pandemic, social divide, economic downfall, human trafficking everywhere, fentanyl killing people left and right…the list goes on. Our health (physical, mental and emotional) can only take so much. Especially, because that list doesn’t even account for what is going on in your own personal world. We are not meant to remain in a constant state of crisis like this. It’s important to understand what a dysregulated nervous system feels like and how you can adjust it on your own. Here are some simple ways to help calm your nervous system and bring balance back in your life.
• belly breathing, remember to breath and especially to exhale.
• limit screen time, we are overexposed to trauma through the news and media
• meditation and prayer can help center the mind and refocus
• get outside, a ten minute walk in the sunshine and fresh air can help ground you
• affirmation, repeating positive phrases can help redirect negative thoughts
• a cold shower can calm the vagus nerve
• an embrace can release serotonin
Remember these are just tips, research and find what works best for you. Just don’t let the outside world steal your peace.

Educating yourself on what an overdose may look like is key in your home, classroom or place of business. The great thing about narcan is that if it isn’t an overdose it won’t hurt anyone. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Call your kids school and ask if they keep it in the classrooms, keep it somewhere accessible for your home. Don’t allow the fear to overtake you…talk with those you love, have a plan and be prepared.

We understand people are nervous with the Fentanyl scare. Please know that most pharmacies will give out NARCAN nasal spray over the counter. We called a few in Kern county and they do have it on hand. Just go to your nearest pharmacy and ask for it. Then educate yourself (see next post) on the signs of overdose and how/when to administer. Keep it in your purse, glove box or home and know that should you be exposed to an overdose you are prepared. Education and preparation helps decrease fear and anxiety.

Parents • Teachers • Mentors
It’s not too early or too late to talk to your kids. We are in a crisis right now with Fentanyl and we do not have time to waste.
Most teen overdose deaths recorded by the CDC were caused by fentanyl, a synthetic opioid up to 100 times stronger than morphine and 50 times more potent than he**in. According to the research letter, nearly 5 out of every 100,000 adolescents ages 14 to 18, or more than 950 teens, died of an overdose in 2020.
Here are some tips for talking to your kids.
1. Keep it age appropriate. This is not to scare your kids but to open up conversation.
2. Ask them what they are know about drugs and listen; resist the urge to lecture. Use open ended questions like “what have you heard about drugs”?
3. Be clear about values and reasons. Don’t use phrases like “be smart”. Be direct with expectations and the reasons for them.
4. Equip your kids with the tools to use in these situations. Role play what to do if they are approached with drugs. Let them know they can come to you and be open about situations and encourage them to get help if they or someone they know is experiencing overdose. Kids die from no one calling for help.
5. Don’t stop talking. Keep the conversation open and come back it often so that they know how important this topic is.

If you have questions or need more direction check out kidshealth.org.

"My Son's Su***de Note Will Change Your Life Today" | Jason Reid Speech | Goalcast

Parents, teachers, grandparents, ANY person who plays a role in a young persons life…please take 8 minutes to watch this video and share it. Teen su***de has got to be talked about more! If you have questions please ask them in the comments! This needs attention and now is the time!

"My Son's Su***de Note Will Change Your Life Today" | Jason Reid Speech | Goalcast My Son Died By Su***de | Jason Reid Speech | GoalcastJason Reid faced every parent’s worst nightmare when his son Ryan died by su***de at the age of 14. The ...

*SU***DE PREVENTION*
Talking to teens and tweens about su***de can be quite scary; but if you’re not talking to them…who is?? It’s important that teens have a safe place to go to talk about difficult issues. As a parent, be sure to make your home a place that kids can come without judgement to problem solve and work through these issues they’re facing that may lead to suicidal thoughts. If you’re a teacher, coach or mentor, prepare yourself for these difficult conversations. Don’t brush kids off and think it’s just teenage drama.
Su***de is the second (YES! You read that correctly) leading cause of death among adolescents ages 15-24. 20% of high school kids reported serious thoughts about su***de and 9% reported making an attempt to end their life.
Kids are faced with so much that they just might not be equipped to handle and thoughts of su***de may bring them a sense of relief.
So, what can you do?
• Have a conversation with your kids about su***de. Ask open ended questions (Can you tell me about a time that you thought about su***de? Or What do you know about su***de?)
• Give the the information to keep on their phone in case they need someone to talk to you and don’t feel like they can go to you. Teachers, post it in your classroom.
• Talk to them about what to do if a friend tells them they are considering su***de.
• Keep the conversation going. Check in often and show them you can be a safe place to talk about these difficult issues.
• Don’t minimize their concerns. At the stage of life they are in break ups, bad grades, loss of friendship or other social issues feel heavy and confusing.
• If you don’t feel like you can help them with what they’re going through, find them a therapist they can trust.

If you or someone you know are struggling with mental health issues, suicidal thoughts, self harm behaviors or just not understanding how you feel is a great place to start. They have a wealth of information and serve as partners to those who are going through it! ***depreventionawareness

September is National Su***de Prevention Awareness month. TVW will be posting helpful information all month about how to talk about su***de with those you love, what resources are available and how to seek help! There is no shame in talking about su***de and the more open we can be, the less of a secret it becomes. ***deprevwntionawareness

Beginning tomorrow, July 16, 2022, 988 will be the new three-digit dialing code connecting people to the existing National Su***de Prevention Lifeline, where compassionate, accessible care and support are available for anyone experiencing mental health-related distress – whether that is thoughts of su***de, mental health or substance use crisis or any other kind of emotional distress. People can also dial 988 if they are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support.
More information is available directly on the website - https://988lifeline.org/

Do you work for a school or the district? We are trying to make contact with someone about coming to schools and offering mental health education to staff, faculty, and students. September is su***de prevention month so we’d like to start there! Also interested in other topics that are developmentally appropriate such as dating violence, mental health awareness and many others! If you know who we should contact please let us know! Thank you!

Thank you Kern County for trusting us to join you on your healing and growing journey! We are so thankful to our community and all the referrals! We look forward to continuing to provide mental health services for individuals and families in the years ahead!

Let’s talk teens, social media and mental health. Current stats report that 75% of teens have at least one social media account. Do you know which one your kids have? Do you monitor their usage or check in on their posts or who they’re following and interacting with? Would it shock you to hear that 40% of teens feel more judged online than they do in person? Approximately 51% of teens are using their social media daily, which means it’s a relevant part of their life and is influencing their thoughts, feelings and choices . Did you know that 20% of teens who alter their pictures with photo shop or filters develop an eating disorder? So what does all this mean for parents and caregivers? Mainly it’s a reminder to know your child and check in with them. Depending on the age of your child and their developmental maturity, you can decide how much monitoring is appropriate, but some level is always helpful. The ability of hiding conversations on Snapchat, DMs and various applications allows for secrets. Anonymous comments allow for bullying and hurt feelings so easily that can lead to depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. So talk with your kids about the responsibility of social media. Use open ended questions to walk them through hypothetical situations and help them make a plan to deal with difficult comments or feelings. It’s not about limiting necessarily, but more so about guiding them through a time is unlike any before with unlimited access to people through the internet. .

Happy Father’s Day to all you dads out there! It takes all kinds of men to raise up healthy and happy children; dads, granddads, foster dads, adoptive dads “like a dads” uncles, brothers, bonus dads, teachers, mentors, and coaches. Your influence can be life changing and today we celebrate you! If today you’re missing your dad or hurting for the dad you missed, take care of yourself and be gentle with your heart today 💙

Hello! Meet Amy, she’s a recent grad from University of Phoenix and an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist. Amy works with adults, families, couples and now teens/kids that are looking to address various concerns such as depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, domestic violence, and build self-esteem.

In addition to offering therapy, Amy comes from a background of serving the community for the past 8 years at the local homeless shelters, Domestic Violence shelter, and Inpatient Hospitals for Kern County and Non-Profits.

Amy is Bilingual and excited to serve the Spanish-speaking population. She is also trained in EMDR to help you process your trauma. She is taking appointments during the work week and evening appointments. Contact the office to make an appointment, she’s scheduling now.

It’s Men’s health week and we don’t want to let it pass without focusing on the importance of Men’s Mental Health. Somewhere in our polarized world we have label women as “soft” humans who need to process emotions and feelings, meanwhile society decided that men don’t need to talk and are considered weak if they do. Can we be the generation to change that? Men struggle too. Men hold too much in which causes anxiety, depression, suicidality and guardedness. Men represent 78.7% of su***des in the last decade…that should scare you just a little. Men: support each other, be a role model to your children, friends and family by showing up for each other and checking in. How much time do you spend together on the golf course, watching sports, or hanging out…it takes just 10 minutes to have a decent conversation and ask your brothers if they are okay. Ladies: men’s mental health isn’t just a man’s problem; it affects your sons, husbands, fathers, and brothers which ultimately affects the entire family unit and society at large. Let’s encourage men to talk and let’s be real…being vulnerable isn’t easy. So maybe instead of labeling talking as weak, we can honor it for what it really is and call these men who reach out, who seek therapy, who want to do better for themselves and break generational or toxic habits…let’s call them strong, courageous and brave.

Join us!!

Something people ask a lot is “should I be on meds”. When considering medication for mental health there is so much to consider. And before you read any further, please note that medication is a personal choice between you and your physician or psychiatrist. We have to look at the “why” of the medication. What are you taking it for and what are goals or outcomes. Some situations are organic brain issues that are difficult to treat without medication. And other times, the problem is situational and better treated with therapy. The best approach to this is as follows…1) talk to your doctor or therapist about your options. 2) start and stay in therapy. 3) get a full physical with blood work to ensure that everything is in balance. 4) weigh out your options 5) do what you are most comfortable with. We do not recommend just taking a pill and thinking everything is better. The BEST doctors will refer you to therapy at the same time they prescribe. Read, read, read…side effects and withdrawals come with medication. You need to be well informed and weigh all your options; the pros and the cons. We are an instant gratification society who wants whatever the quick fix is and mental health just has no quick fix. We have to get to the root of the issue and build new, healthy coping skills in order to see progress. It will be uncomfortable at times, but so very worth it.

Let’s have the hard talk. Have you been thinking about su***de, taking your own life or not waking up? Maybe a fleeting thought or maybe a plan was in place. Either way, you are not alone in this. We want to equip people with resources so that when this thought comes you have an immediate outlet to reach out for help in between sessions, in the middle of the night or in the heat of the moment. Please save and share this resource. Give it to your kids, spouse, family members and friends! We cannot talk about or share this enough. ***deprevention ***de

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Any time we have a designated “awareness” time, it signals that there’s an issue that needs more attention. Mental Health bears such a stigma that people would rather just avoid it than give it the time and attention it needs. But, with 1 in 4 people experiencing mental health struggles in any given year, it seems it’s time to stop the stigma associated with mental health concerns and normalize them just like we do physical health issues. Anxiety, depression, suicidal ideations, ADHD, schizophrenia, PTSD…don’t go through it alone! There is help to alleviate the heaviness! Reach out and talk to someone!

Are you feeling “not yourself”?

There are some things you can do to improve your overall mood.

Therapy is one way to sort through what might be triggering a change in mood and a great start. Getting a physical and lab work can rule out any possible underlying health issues.

Additionally, we like to look at the whole person and gage what simple changes can be made to help restore the body back to a balanced, homeostatic, baseline.

1. Sleep hygiene - it’s important for the body and brain to get a restorative break. This hustle and repeat society has many people very sleep deprived. A key to depression and anxiety is working on sleep hygiene.
2. Stress levels - the body can only sustain high levels of stress for so long before the sympathetic nervous system can no longer maintain and you end up in a state of depleted exhaustion. Watch those heavy to-do lists and pressures on yourself.
3. Gut health - neurotransmitters that are connected with brain activity, anxiety and mood boosting need a healthy gut to thrive and help you feel well. Take care of this and you will see improvement.
4. Move your body - 30 minutes of any exercise will increase all the “feel good” neurotransmitters that boost mood and help regulate sleep cycles. Get outside, get some sun and move your body!
These are all things that are important to us here at Tranquility and we don’t take a “bandaid” approach to mental health. We like to look at the whole person-whole system and help you make changes so you can thrive and be your best self!