Why Trust Luminis Health with Your Inpatient Therapy?Pathways has been at the forefront of substance use recovery for adults for more than 30 years. We treat you with compassionate care. Pathways can help light your path to a healthier, more stable you with.A center dedicated to recovery. Pathways is in a serene, wooded area outside Annapolis. It's a place of calm, peace and quiet reflection, for both you and those who support you.A holistic approach to care. We help you tackle alcoholism and drug addiction. We also help you treat and manage mental health issues related to your substance use. And we'll give you the tools for a life of wellness, focusing on exercise, resilience and nutrition.Specialized experts. You'll be in the best hands — of people trained specifically in substance use disorder.Adventure therapy. Want to learn resilience, gain self-esteem and self-confidence, and work on interpersonal skills? Our on-campus ropes course features more than 20 high and low activities. Obstacles such as a 45-foot climbing tower and a 12-foot climbing wall increase your self-awareness. The course helps you tap into inner strength and behavior changes critical to the healing process.
Treatment
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Inpatient Therapy for Substance Use
What Is Inpatient Therapy for Substance Use?Take the first step to recoverySubstance use disorder can keep you locked in a world you no longer recognize. It can rob you of your ability to make positive decisions. It can affect the relationships you have with those you love.No one ever plans to become addicted. But recovering from addiction requires a solid plan — and a safe place and space where you can learn to trust yourself again.Luminis Health Pathways provides that safe harbor for you or someone you love who is anchored to addiction. With inpatient therapy, you get focused care to help you break the chain of addiction and start on your journey to recovery. It's intensive 24/7 care and medically supervised detoxification.Inpatient therapy is your first step toward your new, brighter tomorrow.
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Cancer Care
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Cancer Treatment Doesn’t Just Have to be Surgery, Chemo and Radiation
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No one ever wants to hear the words, “You have cancer.” Ever. It is, unfortunately, a reality that many people will face at some point in their lifetime. A cancer diagnosis is scary and comes with many uncertainties. Since you need as much support as possible, more and more doctors and patients are embracing integrative oncology. Think of it as using your mind, body, and soul to cope with symptoms and side effects.
What is Integrative Oncology?
Integrative oncology is a field of cancer care that combines conventional cancer treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy with evidence-based complementary therapies to address the physical, emotional and psychological needs of cancer patients to enhance their overall well-being.
Doctors and patients recognize that these treatments go beyond medical interventions and consider the complete needs of the patient. It incorporates a wide range of complementary therapies, such as acupuncture, massage, mind-body techniques (for example: meditation, yoga, and guided imagery), nutritional counseling, and herbal and nutritional supplements.
What Are the Benefits?
The benefits of integrative oncology include:
Management of cancer-related symptoms and treatment of side effects such as pain, fatigue, nausea, nerve pain/numbness and anxiety.By effectively managing these symptoms, patients can possibly tolerate conventional treatments better, allowing them to complete their treatment schedules as planned. Complementary therapies can help improve a patient’s quality of life during and after treatment.
Supporting the immune system and overall well-being.Nutritional counseling focuses on strengthening the body’s natural defenses and improving overall health. This may involve herbal supplements, exercise programs, stress reduction techniques, and other strategies to support the immune system and promote well-being.
Empowering the patient.Integrative oncology underscores patient-centered care and encourages active participation in the treatment process. Patients are provided with information, education and tools to make informed decisions about their care and take an active role in managing their health.
Who Is It For?
Integrative oncology is a good fit for those who value a wide-ranging approach to cancer care since it focuses on the physical, emotional and spiritual well-being of each patient—recognizing the importance of addressing the whole person, not just the disease.
Integrative oncology may be a good fit for cancer patients who:
Desire to actively participate in their cancer treatment: Integrative oncology emphasizes the patient and healthcare providers making decisions together, as a team.
Experience treatment-related side effects: Complementary therapies integrated into oncology care can help manage the side effects of conventional cancer treatments. For example, acupuncture may lessen nausea and pain caused by chemotherapy, naturopathic doctors may help relieve numbness/pain and digestive symptoms, and mind-body techniques like meditation or yoga can help reduce stress and improve overall well-being.
Complete active treatment and wish to focus on living a healthy lifestyle: Integrative oncology can help with lifestyle changes, nutritional support, and stress management to enhance long-term health and well-being.
In Conclusion
A growing number of cancer patients are tapping into the benefits of integrative oncology, with nearly 80 percent using some form of complementary therapies. Integrative oncology is patient-centered and evidence-based, with a goal of maximizing cancer patients’ physical and emotional ability to undergo cancer treatments and improving quality of life. Ask your healthcare provider if integrative medicine might benefit your cancer journey.
Authors
Young Joo Lee, MD, is the medical director for Breast and Integrative Oncology at Luminis Health. Dr. Lee is passionate about providing the most effective cancer therapies with minimal toxicity. She is a strong supporter of integrating the wisdom of other traditional healing practices into modern medicine.
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Men's Health, Women's Health, Wellness, Patient Stories
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Moment Of Truth
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Life has changed for Scott Zimmerman. He has a new attitude and outlook on life. He feels 20 years younger now that he is 70 pounds lighter and no longer needs treatment for diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and sleep apnea.
How did this husband, father of two teens and HVAC specialist at AAMC do it?
Last April, he had weight loss surgery. “The moment of truth came when I thought I wouldn’t wake up to see my kids,” says Scott, who knew his health was going in the wrong direction.
“This wasn’t so much about weight loss as it was about health gain and getting back my energy. Now I want to do things and not just sit around the house,” he says. “I’m enjoying life again.”
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Men's Health, Women's Health, Wellness, Patient Stories
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Mayo Clinic Diet Class Focuses on Lifestyle Changes
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Vivian Clark was 58 years old when she suffered a heart attack, seemingly out of the blue.
Her cardiologist told her she needed to get her weight under control.
So when she received a brochure in the mail for Anne Arundel Medical Center’s (AAMC’s) class on the Mayo Clinic Diet, she was intrigued.
The Mayo Clinic Diet focuses on behavioral changes that can lead to long-term weight loss.
Vivian, a Bowie resident, liked the diet’s strategic approach. So she signed up for last January’s 12-week workshop.
She’s lost 12 pounds since then, a result of making wiser food choices and spending more time preparing meals.
Vivian says she now wakes up in the morning and thinks about her intentions for the day, including what she’s going to eat.
“You owe it to yourself to understand the motivations for why you eat,” Vivian says. “Are you hungry? Are you anxious? Are you depressed? A lot of us mindlessly eat.”
She says AAMC nutritionist and registered dietitian Ann Caldwell helped her think about those things by focusing on how she eats, not just what she eats.
Lifestyle shift
“It really is a head shift,” Ann says. “What choices am I making every day to drive my health in the right direction?”
Ann says these choices are a primary focus of the class, which AAMC has offered since 2013. Each class averages around 25 students.
The class takes a true commitment, Ann says. During the first class, students take a readiness assessment to determine if it’s the right time for them to make these changes. If it’s not, and they decide not to return for a second class, they’ll get a refund.
“It really is about lifestyle,” Ann adds.
Vivian says she and her husband now make it a point to focus on dinner, rather than being distracted by the TV or their phones.
Vivian’s also learned a lot about food itself, including how to read labels to determine exactly what she’s putting into her body. Students took a tour of Giant, where they learned how to select healthy products, from fruits and vegetables to grains and meat.
Moderation is key
And although her husband didn’t take the class with her, Vivian says he’s been able to benefit, as well.
They now spend a lot more time and money in the produce section of the grocery store, focusing on eating a colorful array of fruits and vegetables. A typical meal for the couple these days includes salmon with roasted vegetables, or stuffed peppers with quinoa, black beans and a small portion of Italian sausage.
Vivian also keeps healthy snacks, such as oranges or boiled eggs, around so she’s not tempted to snack on junk food.
But she does still treat herself – just in moderation. She recently made a pan of brownies, but it took her and her husband 10 days to finish them off.
“You can’t deprive yourself,” she says.
Sign up for one of our upcoming Mayo Clinic Diet classes today.
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Behavioral Health
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Protecting Your Teenagers From Sexting Scams
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If you have a teenager, no doubt the world is much different than your childhood. Social media apps have made it easy for teens to communicate with strangers—and sometimes, the people they interact with online are actually scammers.
Parents should prioritize monitoring their children’s online activities, especially their interactions with others. It’s crucial to engage in open and meaningful conversations about the potential risks of living in a social media obsessed world. You may be surprised to learn social media scams are far-reaching, impacting teens around the world. While anyone can fall victim to these sexting scams, teenage boys are often targeted by scammers using blackmail tactics.
What exactly are sexting scams?
Sometimes referred to as sextortion, sexting scams are meant to scare victims into handing over money. While the details can vary, scammers gain the trust of victims before tricking them into sharing compromising photos. The predator threatens to share the photos with the victims’ family and friends unless they pay money.
Strangers pose as interested girls and convince unsuspecting boys to send naked photos of themselves showing their face. After sending the photos, they are immediately blackmailed for money.
The frequency of this scam has prompted federal law enforcement to issue warnings, cautioning that scammers are targeting children as young as ten years old. If our kids aren’t equipped to recognize it as a scam — or don’t feel comfortable coming to their parents when it happens — it can be dangerous. Ranging from anxiety and depression to thoughts of suicide, these scams can have troubling and long-lasting effects on their mental health.
What are the signs my teen may be in trouble?
There are many signals to help you determine if your child may have been victimized. Parents should start asking questions if they discover their teen:
Becomes unwilling to talk about their online interactions with you or anyone else
Exhibits sudden changes in behavior, like moodiness or isolating themselves
Expresses fear or discomfort about someone they met online
Grades suddenly drop
Loses interest in activities
Receives messages from strangers asking for personal information
Uses electronic devices to the point of ignoring things going on around them
Withdraws money from bank accounts or purchases gift cards
How can I help if my teen falls victim to sexting scams?
If your child is in this kind of situation, you should take the following steps:
Let the blackmailer know parents are now involved, you are not afraid, and the harassment needs to stop immediately.
Keep proof of all conversations and make backups.
Don’t send any money. Even if the harasser has potentially damaging photos of your child, there’s no guarantee that sending them money will end the blackmail.
Report the scam to the social media platform.
Contact the police. You can call the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at (800) CALL-FBI or report the harassment online at fbi.gov. You can also report the incident to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force at icactaskforce.org.
Talking to your teen openly and often is your best defense
The more you and your child talk about these situations, the less likely they are to become a victim. Before your child gets a cell phone, talk to them about the importance of keeping personal photos and personal information private, even if they are in a mature relationship. Sharing compromising photos is never a good idea. But if your teen shares nude photos, they should know that they can come to you, or another trusted adult, for help.
The Luminis Health Behavioral Health Clinic in Lanham is a safe space for teens. The urgent care offers services for those needing non-emergency, non-life-threatening behavioral health care. It’s open from 8 am to 5:30 pm, Monday-Friday, for adults and children 4 years of age and older.
Author
Dr. Jesselina Curry is Luminis Health’s regional medical director for Ambulatory Behavioral Health Services
PC: Maureen Porto Photography
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