Wellness Wave Wisdom

By Pricilla Carrizosa. Pricilla Carrizosa is a Mental Health Peer Educator, and currently majoring in Social Work, she will be transferring to California State University of San Marcos in the fall as a Graduate Student pursuing her Master’s in Social Work. Holistic therapies, such as green care, are starting to become more well known and suggested by doctors and therapists. Green care is a type of therapy where you are exposing yourself to gardening and plants. I’ve always liked to garden since I was a child, but as an adult I’ve made so many excuses as to why I didn’t have time to do it. That changed a few months ago when I had an appointment with my doctor to discuss my anxiety and mental health. I had recently begun to experience more severe anxiety due to personal life events and my doctor suggested a few holistic treatments to try that included new vitamins, guided meditation, and gardening. She explained how spending more time outside increases your serotonin levels which can hel...

by Michelle Lara-Canlas, LPCC Meet Michelle Lara-Canlas, our new licensed mental health counselor at Health Services who works especially with students who are undocumented or from mixed status families. Below Michelle is sharing her expertise on substance use. Substance use has become integrated into the fabric of our lives for many cultures and people of various ages. Whether it’s alcohol, caffeine, or illicit drugs, many have been exposed or have partaken in its use. When coming to college, there is an added stress of academic pressure while also balancing other responsibilities like work or home life, which can then increase your exposure to using substances. Folx are turning to substances especially now, after the ongoing stress and uncertainty that the pandemic has brought about, to help deal with all the challenges these last two years. Substance Use in a Cultural Context We learn in our households and neighborhoods expectations of what is and is not acceptable when using subst...

  The Student Services building, located on the Oceanside campus, houses MiraCosta's Student Health Services. Your mental health matters; MiraCosta can help By Amy Eager The start of a new school year amidst COVID-19 and the delta variant can be extremely stressful and mental health issues may often get the better of many individuals. MiraCosta College offers many options and pathways to support students during the semester through programs such as Campus Assessment Resources and Education (CARE) and MCC’s mental health services. According to Johns Hopkins Mental Health Disorder statistics, living with mental health issues is not an uncommon occurrence as about 25% of adults in America live with these issues. The Imagine America Foundation found that about 40% of college students live with mental health issues at any given year. The Association for Psychological Science claims that the stigma around mental health and reaching out for help can still be a barrier. MCC encourages i...

  By Abby Burd, LCSW, full time Mental Health Counselor Many adults find alcohol use fun or relaxing. But how much of a good thing is too much? How do you know when something that might work for your friends isn't working for you? Do you know what red flags indicate you could be having a problem? Perhaps you have wondered about some of these questions but have hesitated to explore because you aren't really ready to make a change. Have you ever thought, "If I even bring up the subject, is everyone going to worry I have a problem?" If that's the case, we have something you might like! MiraCosta College Health Services sponsors anonymous, online screenings. Click here  to access all of our mental health screenings and select "worried about my drinking habits - alcohol use screen." Then answer a few questions. We have no way to identify it is you. Only you will see your results. Hopefully it will give you some useful information! Whether or not your results ...