What Are the Best Ways to Heal From a Personality Disorder at the Cellular Level?
The iconic American author and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, “This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.” When it comes to mental illnesses like personality disorders, it is important to know that there is no better time to recover than the present. This includes someone with a personality disorder who is experiencing a recurrence or someone who is discovering their personality disorder for the first time. The good news is that there have never been more ways to recover and heal at the cellular level from a personality disorder than right now.
What Does “Healing at the Cellular Level” Mean?
Healing at the cellular level involves getting to the root/core causes of one’s issues and finding out what is happening under the surface. These underlying issues are often the primary causes of our issues of mental illness and/or addiction.
Healing at the cellular level also has to do with the way that one heals. Far too many recovery centers and treatment facilities only offer “one-note” “cookie-cutter” recovery plans that don’t help people to fully heal their minds, bodies, souls, and spirits. That is why we here at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab only offer comprehensive, integrated, and individualized recovery plans that utilize all avenues of treatment. This includes treatments ranging from the psychotherapeutic to the experiential to the holistic. These recovery plans are also highly beneficial for individuals struggling with a personality disorder.
What Exactly Is a Personality Disorder?
A personality disorder can be highly debilitating. According to the peer-reviewed thesis, Personality Disorder, by Doctors Fariba, Gupta, and Kass, “Personality disorders are pervasive, maladaptive, and chronic patterns of behavior, cognition, and mood. Persons who have personality disorders experience distorted perceptions of reality and abnormal affective responses, ultimately manifesting in distress across all aspects of the individual’s life, including occupational difficulties, impaired social functioning, and interpersonal hardships.”
Personality disorders also have many other negative side effects that can affect all aspects of life, especially relationships. According to the Upsala Journal of Medical Sciences, “[Personality disorders] are common and are frequently encountered in virtually all forms of health care. [Personality disorders] PDs are associated with an inferior quality of life (QoL), poor health, and premature mortality… The clinical expression varies between different PD types; the most common and core aspect is related to an inability to build and maintain healthy interpersonal relationships.” There are also varying types and degrees of personality disorders.
Understanding the Types of Personality Disorders
“Personality disorder” is not a monolith. The term represents many different types of personality disorders. It is generally agreed upon that there are 12 types of personality disorders.
There are personality disorders that revolve more around bizarre thoughts and behaviors. These are paranoid personality disorder, schizoid personality disorder, and schizotypal personality disorder. Then, there are personality disorders that are more likely to involve “extreme” thoughts and behaviors that are continually changing. These include antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, histrionic personality disorder, and narcissistic personality disorder. The final grouping of personality disorders generally revolves around anxious, nervous, and fearful behaviors and thoughts. These are avoidant personality disorder, dependent personality disorder, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.
Now, while there is a vast array of personality disorders, one of the most common personality disorders is borderline personality disorder. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), “People with borderline personality disorder may experience intense mood swings and feel uncertainty about how they see themselves. Their feelings for others can change quickly, and swing from extreme closeness to extreme dislike. These changing feelings can lead to unstable relationships and emotional pain.” Of course, some of these signs and symptoms are also shared by the other types of personality disorders.
The Signs and Symptoms of a Personality Disorder
While there are many types of personality disorders and thus many varying signs and symptoms, there are some more common symptoms that are shared between them. The following are just a few of those signs and symptoms:
- Not trusting other people and/or feeling like people are conspiring against the individual
- Exhibiting risky behaviors
- Showing unpredictable, irregular behaviors
- Experiencing extreme mood swings
- Having trouble making and maintaining relationships
- Experiencing trouble at work or school
- Looking for instantaneous pleasure or immediate reward or gratification
- Feeling anxious or depressed regularly
- Having issues with eating and/or sleeping
If any, many, or all of these symptoms are present, it is highly recommended that professional help be sought as soon as possible. The good news is that there is a lot of help and treatments available that work extremely well at helping people with personality disorders heal at the cellular level.
What Are the Best Ways to Treat a Personality Disorder at the Cellular Level?
Now, as previously mentioned, perhaps the best way to treat any mental illness (including personality disorders) is via a “multi-angled” comprehensive approach. This approach is going to utilize both Western and Eastern schools of medicine.
These means, methods, and modalities should include psychotherapies like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). They should also include experiential therapies like nature immersion therapy and suf therapy. Finally, they should utilize holistic methods like yoga and meditation.
Also, making sure that a recovery plan is malleable is critical. This means that if one method is not working, a professional recovery team is ready and willing to make any adjustments needed. Of course, they must have the proper staff and tools at their disposal to do so, which we are proud to say we can provide here at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab.
Treating a Personality Disorder With Psychotherapies
Perhaps the most common way that personality disorders are treated is via psychotherapy. One of the reasons for this is that most psychotherapies have extensive research and evidence to show that they can be effective at treating a multitude of mental illnesses (including personality disorders).
The other reason that psychotherapy is often utilized is because it can meld well with other types of therapies. This is because psychotherapy is all about communication (hence, the term “talk therapy”) and this communication can be utilized in other therapies to make them more involved and comprehensive.
Utilizing Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Now, perhaps the most common psychotherapy is CBT. One of the reasons for this is that it is highly effective and highly accessible.
So, what exactly is CBT? According to the journal Cognitive Therapy and Research, “Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) refers to a class of interventions that share the basic premise that mental disorders and psychological distress are maintained by cognitive factors. The core premise of this treatment approach… holds that maladaptive cognitions contribute to the maintenance of emotional distress and behavioral problems… These maladaptive cognitions include general beliefs, or schemas, about the world, the self, and the future, giving rise to specific and automatic thoughts in particular situations.”
Essentially, CBT is a way to get to the underlying issues (the thoughts and emotions) that are causing the negative behaviors and damaging actions. Once these underlying issues are identified, they can be positively adjusted to help both with the way one views oneself and the way that one interacts with the outside world.
Utilizing Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Now, a variation that came out of the school of CBT is DBT. This therapy has been shown to be particularly effective at treating personality disorders, especially borderline personality disorder.
According to the peer-reviewed journal Psychiatry (Edgmont), “Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a comprehensive, evidence-based treatment for borderline personality disorder (BPD). The patient populations for which DBT has the most empirical support include parasuicidal women with borderline personality disorder (BPD), but there have been promising findings for patients with BPD and substance use disorders (SUDs), persons who meet criteria for binge-eating disorder, and depressed elderly patients.” A big part of the DBT is helping individuals work through difficult feelings of change and a lack of acceptance.
According to the journal The Mental Health Clinician, “The term ‘dialectical’ means the interaction of conflicting ideas. Within DBT, ‘dialectical’ refers to the integration of both acceptance and change as necessities for improvement. Dialectical behavior therapy aims to address the symptoms of BPD by replacing maladaptive behaviors with healthier coping skills, such as mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance.” These are also some of the therapeutic aims of experiential therapies.
Treating a Personality Disorder With Experiential Therapies
Experiential therapies can be highly beneficial for people struggling with personality disorders. One of the primary reasons is that it allows people to interact with the outside world in safe, secure, and healthy ways.
Experiential therapy can also be highly beneficial in that it makes recovery more interactive and exciting. This can be particularly true with nature immersion therapy on the Hamakua Coast of Hawaii’s Big Island.
Utilizing Nature Immersion Therapy
The Hamakua Coast of Hawaii’s Big Island offers an ideal setting to engage in many types of outdoor therapies. Its beaches allow for exceptional meditation and yoga. The beautiful Pacific Ocean allows for amazing surf therapy. Then, the amazing forests, waterfalls, and mountains allow for exceptional nature immersion.
Many people don’t realize just how beneficial getting outside and experiencing nature can really be. According to the National Park Service, “5 minutes walking in nature improves mood, self-esteem, and relaxation. Frequent exposure to nature reduces anxiety and depression while promoting a sense of well-being and fulfillment.” Also, “Physical activity in a green space can reduce stress and lower cortisol levels by 15%.”
There are also many other benefits to nature immersion therapy. According to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, “Besides physical health improvements, nature exposure can bring about positive influence upon psychological constructs such as boredom, friendliness, well-being, and liveliness. However, across more than one hundred studies on nature/wildlife exposure, stress mitigation has been shown to be one of the most consistent and important psychological benefits.” Also, “Besides improvements to physical and psychological well-being, exposure to natural environments has been shown to bring about positive impacts on cognitive functioning.” Similar benefits can also be had when engaging in surf therapy.
Utilizing Surf Therapy
Surfing is part of the amazing culture of Hawaii. At Exclusive Hawaii Rehab, we are proud to be part of that culture. A mere 15-minute journey from our luxury 30-acre property is one of the most amazing surf breaks on Hawaii’s Big Island, Honoli’i. Here, individuals can both catch some of the most amazing waves and mediate between breaks as green sea turtles swim below.
Surf therapy offers many benefits that can help heal personality disorders at the cellular level. According to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, “Carefully planned water activities tailored to the needs of the individual can contribute to correct psychosocial and cognitive development. The International Surf Therapy Organization summarizes the benefits of adequately indicated surf therapy as follows: improved physical health and mobility; improved mental health, including reduction of specific symptoms, such as posttraumatic stress and depression; improved well-being (strengthening of trust and confidence, encouragement of independence, resilience and protective coping strategies) and improved social skills.” These are similar benefits that can be found in many holistic wellness methods.
Treating a Personality Disorder Utilizing Holistic Methods
Holistic wellness is essential for recovering at the cellular level. It also helps to ensure the essential connectedness between the mind, body, and soul.
Holistic wellness is also a perfect contrast to other therapies because it brings a greater sense of the “self” into recovery. Finding this sense of self via meditation is one way to better get to the underlying issues of personality disorders.
Utilizing Meditation
Meditation has been utilized for thousands of years as a means of quieting the mind and finding a greater purpose in the world. These are both essential for the whole mind-body treatment of personality disorders.
Of course, as with the other modalities discussed, there are many vital benefits that one can gain from meditation. According to the International Journal of Ayurveda (AYU), “During the process of meditation, accumulated stresses are removed, energy is increased, and health is positively affected overall. Research has confirmed a myriad of health benefits associated with the practice of meditation. These include stress reduction, decreased anxiety, decreased depression, reduction in pain (both physical and psychological), improved memory, and increased efficiency.” Now, these benefits become even more heightened when yoga is integrated into a meditation-integrated recovery plan.
Utilizing Yoga
The renowned yogi, innovator, and philosopher B.K.S. Iyengar famously said, “Yoga does not just change the way we see things; it transforms the person who sees.” Yes, yoga can change the entire way we view ourselves and the world around us. Precisely, some of the issues that are present in those struggling with personality disorders.
The benefits of yoga can be vast and varied. According to the International Journal of Yoga (IJOY), “Regular practice of yoga promotes strength, endurance, flexibility and facilitates characteristics of friendliness, compassion, and greater self-control, while cultivating a sense of calmness and well-being. Sustained practice also leads to important outcomes such as changes in life perspective, self-awareness, and an improved sense of energy to live life fully and with genuine enjoyment. The practice of yoga produces a physiological state opposite to that of the flight-or-fight stress response and with that interruption in the stress response, a sense of balance and union between the mind and body can be achieved.”
A recovery plan that utilizes all of the means, methods, and modalities discussed can go a long way toward treating personality disorders at the cellular level. Also, at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab, these options are just some of many.
Healing at the Cellular Level With Exclusive Hawaii Rehab
Ralph Waldo Emerson also famously said, “Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.” Now, when that decision is to recover from issues of mental illness and/or addiction, we here at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab are ready to make it happen.
When it comes to recovery, it is important to remember that it is about the journey, never the destination. There is perhaps no better place to start that journey than with Exclusive Hawaii Rehab on the Hamakua Coast of Hawaii’s Big Island.
Many people struggle with personality disorders in the U.S. Unfortunately, not as many people get the help that they need. At Exclusive Hawaii Rehab, we focus on helping our clients treat their personality disorders at the cellular level. This includes a wide array of therapies that range from the psychotherapeutic to the experiential to the holistic. If you feel like you or a loved one are struggling with issues of mental illness, addiction, or both, we can help get you on the positive path toward recovery. For more information about how to best treat personality disorders at the cellular level, please reach out to Exclusive Hawaii Rehab at (808) 775-0200.