Lotus Rayne Counseling

01/04/2026

The new year often comes with a lot of pressure. Pressure to make resolutions, feel hopeful, and embrace fresh starts and restoration. I love the idea of all of that and I hold space for it. At the same time, 2025 was a difficult year for many of us, and it is okay to acknowledge that.

As we step into 2026, I am also hoping for change. I want to gently remind everyone that uncertainty often brings fear, anxiety, and even depression. That is a very human response. There are ways to cope, even when life feels heavy. Getting outside for a walk 🌿 feeling the sun on your face ☀️ nourishing your body 🥗 calling a friend 📞 or simply pausing to breathe.

These may seem like small or basic things, but they matter deeply when life feels overwhelming.

As we begin this new year, my hope is that we prioritize both our mental and physical health and remember the little things we can be grateful for. Clean water, food to eat, people who care about us, our health, our minds, and our ability to move and function. These are meaningful gifts we can easily lose sight of during difficult seasons.

Wishing everyone a new year filled with gentleness, perspective, and steady healing 💛
Happy New Year ✨

12/23/2025

Happy holidays, everyone! They really are among us. Just a little reminder: please don’t put too much pressure on yourself right now. Everyone is doing their best, even if it doesn’t always feel like it. There’s no need to rush. There’s no need to stress. This season is for joy, for small moments, for taking care of yourself.

12/15/2025

The holidays aren’t joyful for everyone.
For many, this season can bring loneliness, grief, or the quiet ache of spending another Christmas alone or mourning the family, relationships, or life you hoped to have 🎄🤍

If the holidays feel heavy, you don’t have to carry that weight by yourself. You deserve a space where your feelings are met with compassion, not judgment. I offer a warm, supportive place to talk through whatever this season is bringing up for you. 🌿✨

I am currently accepting new clients, have immediate telehealth availability, and offer a free 15-minute consultation. Support is here when you’re ready 🤍🕯️

12/10/2025

Let’s talk about Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Are you feeling it yet? I know I am as this one hits me every year.

With the days getting shorter, the weather colder, and, here in Texas, even a little rain and clouds, it’s no wonder so many of us feel off. Sluggish, low mood, “not quite myself”…Sound familiar? You’re not alone, and you’re not going crazy. This is a common seasonal shift.

Shorter days and holiday stress can hit hard, but this is seasonal and manageable. You’re not losing it; you’re human.

12/04/2025

Are you ready to make meaningful changes in your life as you head into the new year? 🎉

Whether you’re working toward sobriety, navigating depression or anxiety, healing from grief and loss, or adjusting to a job change or major life transition, I offer compassionate, evidence-based counseling for you to feel supported, grounded, and guided at every step.

I’m accepting new clients, and I’d be happy to schedule a free consultation today to help you begin your healing journey. I accept insurance through Headway, offer self-pay options, and provide a sliding scale to ensure care is accessible.

Lotus Rayne, PLLC offers faith-based counseling, sober coaching, and yoga in Austin, TX. Rooted in compassion and Christian values, Rayne supports clients of all faiths in finding healing, balance, and purpose.

08/07/2025

🌸 Just 7 weeks away from our Grace & Grounding Yoga Retreat and we are SO excited! ✨🧘‍♀️

Ready to join us? 💫

Click the link or scan the QR code to sign up today! 🔗📲
https://www.mustardseed-coaching.com/events

This sacred space is designed just for the ladies 💕 Sorry fellas, this one’s not for you! 🙅‍♂️

We can’t wait to see you there! 💖🌿

🌺🌙✨

07/24/2025

Amphetamines are powerful central nervous system stimulants that create a surge of energy, focus, and confidence, but they’re deceptive. Whether prescribed (like Adderall) or used illicitly (like m**h), amphetamines increase dopamine and norepinephrine to unsustainable levels, leading to anxiety, paranoia, aggression, and eventually burnout. Misuse can cause irreversible mental and physical damage.

🧪 COMMON NAMES:
Products: Amphetamine, Dextroamphetamine, Adderall, Vyvanse, Methamphetamine
Street Names: “Speed,” “Uppers,” “Addys,” “Study Buddies,” “Crank,” “Ice,” “Glass,” “Tweak”

💥 Amphetamines spike neurotransmitters to heighten alertness and suppress appetite, but they also strain the heart, crash the brain, and create dependence. Prescription misuse among teens and college students is rising.

🔬 HOW THEY WORK:
Amphetamines hijack brain chemistry:
🧠 Dopamine ↑↑ = Intense focus, euphoria
⚡ Norepinephrine ↑ = Hyperactivity, racing thoughts
💣 Serotonin ↓ (long-term) = Irritability, depression
What feels like clarity quickly becomes obsession, sleep deprivation, and emotional instability.

🧠 MENTAL HEALTH RISKS:
High doses or misuse cause severe anxiety, panic attacks, hallucinations, and aggression.
As a therapist, I’ve seen clients present with manic energy and racing thoughts, only to crash hard into depression or suicidal ideation.
The cycle: Feel tired or anxious ➡️ take an upper ➡️ feel powerful ➡️ can’t sleep ➡️ crash ➡️ repeat.

❤️ HEALTH CONSEQUENCES:
🧠 Psychosis, aggression, delusions
💔 Heart strain, high blood pressure, arrhythmias
🦷 Severe dental decay ("m**h mouth")
⚠️ Seizures, stroke, death from overdose
🌪️ Emotional dysregulation and suicidal thoughts

⚠️ REMEMBER:
In 2022, more than 36 million people globally used amphetamines, and m**hamphetamine overdose deaths in the U.S. have increased over 10x in the last decade.
(Source: UNODC & CDC, 2023)

They may promise productivity, but they rob you of your peace, your sleep, and ultimately your quality of life.

07/23/2025

Sedative-Hypnotics like Ambien and Lunesta are central nervous system depressants used for sleep but they are not without serious risks. Though often marketed as a solution for insomnia, these drugs can cause dependence, amnesia, hallucinations, mood instability, and dangerous behaviors while asleep. What begins as a “good night’s sleep” can end in addiction and mental fog.

🧪 COMMON NAMES: Products: Zolpidem (Ambien), Eszopiclone (Lunesta), Zaleplon (Sonata)
Street Names: “Zombies,” “Sleepers,” “No-Gos,” “Z-bars,” “Forget-me-pills”

💊 Sedative-hypnotics act on GABA receptors to produce calming, sleep-inducing effects but they also impair cognition, suppress REM sleep, and carry a high risk of sleepwalking, blackouts, and bizarre nocturnal behaviors.

🔬 HOW THEY WORK:
These medications enhance GABA, the brain’s main inhibitory neurotransmitter:
🧠 GABA ↑ = Sleepiness, slowed brain activity
🛌 REM ↓ = Disrupted sleep architecture
🕳️ Memory ↓ = Amnesia, dissociation
Many users report doing things they don’t remember: driving, eating, calling exes, or even committing crimes while “asleep.”

🧠 MENTAL HEALTH RISKS:
Long-term use or misuse is associated with depression, suicidal ideation, and paradoxical reactions like aggression or panic.
The cycle: Trouble sleeping ➡️ take Ambien ➡️ fall asleep ➡️ blackouts or strange behavior ➡️ emotional fallout ➡️ more insomnia ➡️ take more.

❤️ HEALTH CONSEQUENCES:
🧠 Impaired memory and cognition
💤 Sleepwalking, sleep-driving, night terrors
😵‍💫 Mood swings, depression, suicidal ideation
⚠️ Risk of overdose, especially when combined with alcohol or opioids
🔄 Rebound insomnia and withdrawal symptoms

⚠️ REMEMBER:
Over 500,000 ER visits each year in the U.S. involve Ambien misuse or side effects many of them due to memory loss, injury, or unintentional overdose. (Source: SAMHSA & CDC, 2023)

These pills don’t restore healthy sleep they simply mimic sedation while robbing you of natural rest and mental clarity.

07/22/2025

To***co and Vapes are central nervous system stimulants with sedative-like side effects. They’re not a sustainable solution for anxiety or stress relief. They disrupt brain chemistry, alter mood, increase heart rate, and when inhaled regularly (especially through v**es), create a highly addictive cycle of false comfort, withdrawal, and emotional dysregulation.

🧪 COMMON FORMS:
Ci******es, Ci**rs, Hookahs, Vapes, E-Cigs, Ni****ne Pouches
Street Names: “Smokes,” “Dip,” “Juul,” “Mods,” “Stigs,” “Elf Bars,” “Zyns”

💨 THE FLAVOR TRAP:
Vapes often come in flavors such as cotton candy, mango, watermelon ice, and vanilla mint, which are deliberately targeted at young people. The flavors mask the addictive nature of ni****ne. It’s no wonder flavored v**es are banned in over 40 countries, including Canada, India, and much of the EU.

🔬 HOW IT WORKS:
Ni****ne floods the brain with dopamine and adrenaline, creating a short-lived “high” followed by a crash.
➡️ Dopamine spike = Quick pleasure
➡️ Heart rate & BP ↑ = Tension mimics anxiety relief
➡️ Reward loop = Brain rewires to crave ni****ne during stress

🧠 MENTAL HEALTH RISKS:
As a clinician, I’ve seen a high correlation between va**ng and chronic anxiety. The most anxious clients I serve often v**e throughout the day and report getting up multiple times throughout the night to hit their v**e. What feels calming in the moment is often just relief from withdrawal, not actual stress relief.
(Truth Initiative, 2024; WHO, CDC)

❤️ HEALTH CONSEQUENCES:
💔 Leading preventable cause of death globally
😵‍💫 Worsens anxiety, especially in adolescents
😷 Increases risk for cancer, lung disease, heart attack, and stroke
🫁 Va**ng linked to “popcorn lung,” lung scarring, and respiratory distress
⚠️ Teens who v**e are 3x more likely to smoke ci******es later in life

⚠️ REMEMBER:
Over 2.5 million U.S. middle and high school students reported using e-ci******es in 2023.
(2023 National Youth To***co Survey)

Ni****ne offers short-term comfort but long-term adverse consequences on multiple levels.

****neAddiction ***coAwareness ****ne

07/22/2025

Opioids are central nervous system depressants and are not a long-term solution for managing pain or emotional trauma. They hijack the brain’s reward system, dull emotional pain, sedate the body, and are highly addictive even when used as prescribed.

🧪 COMMON NAMES:
Generic/Brand: Oxycodone (OxyContin, Percocet), Hydrocodone (Vicodin), Morphine, Codeine, Fentanyl, He**in
Street Names: “Oxy,” “Vikes,” “Smack,” “Percs,” “China White,” “Lean,” “Hillbilly He**in”

💊 Opioids attach to specific receptors in the brain and body to block pain and release a flood of dopamine. While they bring short-term relief, they often lead to long-term destruction.

🔬 HOW THEY WORK:
Opioids chemically mimic natural painkillers in the body:
🔒 Bind to opioid receptors = Pain relief
💥 Dopamine surge = Intense euphoria
🧠 Brain rewiring = Cravings, tolerance, and eventual dependence
Over time, the body stops producing natural opioids, leading to emotional numbness and intense withdrawal when not using.

🧠 MENTAL HEALTH RISKS:
Regular opioid use worsens depression, anxiety, and emotional instability. The cycle: Pain ➡️ opioid ➡️ relief ➡️ craving ➡️ more pain ➡️ more opioid
(*NIDA; Doweiko, Concepts of Chemical Dependency)

❤️ HEALTH CONSEQUENCES:
💔 Heart and lung suppression
😞 Emotional blunting & social withdrawal
🧠 Increased risk of su***de
💉 High potential for overdose, especially with fentanyl
🌪️ Brutal withdrawal symptoms: chills, vomiting, pain, insomnia, anxiety

⚠️ REMEMBER:
More than 80,000 people died from opioid overdoses in the U.S. in 2023 alone. (Source: CDC, 2024) These drugs promise relief but often deliver devastation.

07/22/2025

If you’re looking for resources for mental health or substance use challenges, help is available.

Help yourself & share to help others: http://samhsa.gov/find-help

07/21/2025

Benzodiazepines are central nervous system depressants and are not a sustainable or long-term solution to control anxiety. They slow the brain, dull emotions, disrupt memory and sleep, and are highly addictive, especially when misused for anxiety or emotional pain.

🧪 COMMON NAMES:
Generic/Brand: Diazepam (Va**um), Alprazolam (Xanax), Clonazepam (Klonopin), Lorazepam (Ativan)

Street Names: “Benzos,” “Downers,” “Zannies,” “Bars,” “Totem Poles,” “K-Pins”

💊 Benzodiazepines enhance GABA activity to produce calming effects. They’re prescribed short-term for anxiety, panic, or insomnia, but overuse and misuse can be dangerous and deadly.

🔬 HOW THEY WORK:
Benzodiazepines alter brain chemistry:
GABA ↑ = Sedation, reduced anxiety
Dopamine ↑ = Initial euphoria
Brain activity ↓ = Slowed reflexes, impaired memory
But the "calm" often turns to tolerance, dependence, rebound anxiety, and withdrawal 😵‍💫.

🧠 MENTAL HEALTH RISKS:
Used long-term, benzos can worsen anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
The trap: Feel anxious ➡️ take a benzo ➡️ feel numb ➡️ rebound anxiety ➡️ take more.
(*Doweiko, Concepts of Chemical Dependency)

❤️ HEALTH CONSEQUENCES:
💔 Cognitive decline & memory loss
😴 Sleep disturbances
🧠 Mood swings, depression
🚑 Risk of overdose especially when mixed with alcohol or opioids
🔄 Severe withdrawal symptoms (including seizures)

⚠️ REMEMBER:
Up to 44% of long-term benzodiazepine users may develop some level of dependence or addiction (Ashton, 2005; NIDA). When taken as prescribed for a short duration (2–4 weeks), the risk of addiction is low to moderate. They temporarily quiet the storm, but it can worsen the emotional and physical toll over time.
Seek support, not sedation. 🙏