It’s late August. Interstate 95 in the Northeast is actually moving during morning and evening rush hours as workers ditch the daily commute for one last vacation of summer. Meanwhile, the stores are full of parents and their children shopping for new clothes and school supplies. Labor Day is late this year, but in […]
Our Latest Blogs
30
Jul
Jul
Treatment of a mental health disorder begins with an assessment and a diagnosis. Unfortunately, there are no foolproof tests for mental illness. A CAT scan might alert doctors to a neurological problem that allows them to rule out schizophrenia. But schizophrenia itself will not turn up in a CAT scan, blood test, x-ray, or […]
16
Jul
Jul
Vacations are supposed to be a time for rest and relaxation in the company of those we love. So why does “vacation” appear as a stress-inducing event on the Life Change Index Scale, otherwise known as “The Stress Test?” As much as we cherish the memories of family vacations past, the actual experience of going […]
22
Jun
Jun
Less than twenty-four hours after the horrific racially-motivated murders at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, armchair psychiatrists on the Internet were speculating whether the alleged killer has a mental illness. Among the first responses to an online article in the Wall Street Journal announcing the arrest of a suspect, 21-year […]
18
Jun
Jun
An RtoR SmackDown of the Generations – Millennial vs. Baby Boomer! The metaphor of mental illness as a kind of living hell within the mind is nothing new. But Hellblade, the Game? When I first read that gaming company Ninja Theory wants to provide an “accurate and sensitive” portrayal of mental illness in its combat-based […]
31
May
May
At last! The end of May is here and I can write the final post of the day for this year’s Mental Health Awareness Month. It isn’t easy posting on a new mental health topic every day and now I have a much better appreciation for what it is like to be in the […]
29
May
May
How common is mental illness? The answer depends on what you mean by “mental illness.” The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) reports that 18.6% of adult Americans experienced mental illness in the last year (call this the “1-in-5 definition”). The rate for children is slightly higher, although the childhood statistics from NIMH refer to […]
27
May
May
On Saturday, May 23, mathematician and subject of the book and film “A Beautiful Mind” John Nash, Jr. died with his wife Alicia in a car crash on the New Jersey Turnpike. He was 86 years old and had just received the prestigious Abel Prize from the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, when […]
25
May
May
Robert Graves in his poem “Recalling War” reflects on the experience of war in human memory. The poem was written twenty years after the end of World War I, in which Graves served as an officer in the Royal Welch Fusiliers. In the opening lines, he could be describing a typical Memorial Day as most […]
22
May
May
A few years ago, I consulted with a colleague about a man I worked with who was having a hard time accepting that he might have schizophrenia. He was a deep thinker with a very rich and interesting past. His life had become increasingly restricted due to symptoms of his illness which he would not […]
21
May
May
There are many mental health websites for families. So why did we at www.rtor.org create a new one? The answer is our Directory of Family-Endorsed Providers. The Directory is a listing of mental health providers that have been recommended by a family member of someone who has used their services and vetted by rtor.org’s Advisory Board of […]
19
May
May
A few months ago, I wrote about recovery as it relates to mental health (Time to Start Walking the Walk). In that piece, I described a scientific approach to recovery that is based on two measurable conditions: human agency – the ability to exert control over oneself and one’s environment – and self-efficacy – a […]
17
May
May
Some of you may be wondering why I use that funny word for the title of my blog… Eunoia. Here’s my very first blog post from May 2, 2014, with the answer. Eunoia: Thoughts on Healthy Thinking EUNOIA [yoo-noy-uh]. This little known word comes from the Greek εὔνοια, meaning “well mind” or “beautiful thinking.” It is also […]
16
May
May
There are few things worse than watching a loved one’s mental health steadily decline because he is too sick to recognize he has a problem. The feeling is even worse when the loved one lives halfway across the country: you know he’s in trouble, but can’t be there to help and have no idea of […]
15
May
May
Although RtoR’s Directory of Family-Endorsed Providers focuses on the northeastern states of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts, our Resource Specialists receive calls from people across the nation looking for help for a loved one with a mental health concern. A website’s reach does not stop at the state line. At rtor.org we try […]
14
May
May
For Mental Health Awareness Month, Resources to Recover kicks off its new Family Resource Collection with the one book that is indispensable to any family facing serious mental health concerns. Dr. Lloyd I. Sederer’s The Family Guide to Mental Health Care is a comprehensive guide to the identification, care and treatment of mental illness. There may […]
11
May
May
Last Month, the National Council for Behavioral Health presented the winners of its annual Awards of Excellence at the 2015 NATCON Conference in Orlando. This year’s winner of the Inspiring Hope award for Reintegration Lifetime Achievement was Alice Medalia, Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Director of Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Columbia University Medical Center, and Director of […]
08
May
May
The story of the Judgement of Solomon from the Biblical Book of Kings is one of the first recorded cases of legal jurisprudence. You have probably heard of King Solomon’s famous ruling to literally split a child in half to share him between the two women claiming to be his mother. The wisdom of […]
07
May
May
One of the benefits of running a Facebook page for your cause or business is that you get to see data on the age and gender of the people who like, share or comment on your page and posts. Facebook calls the people who like your page “fans.” According to the website zephoria.com, 53% of […]
05
May
May
These days, you could be forgiven for thinking that Cinco de Mayo is a new holiday celebrating Americans’ freedom to drink Mexican beer and enjoy delicious Mexican-American cuisine. If you think it is the celebration of Mexican Independence Day, you would also be wrong. In fact, the 5th of May is not even a national holiday […]
03
May
May
Last night, about 175 Laurel House supporters gathered at the Woodway Country Club in Darien, CT to watch the 141st running of the Kentucky Derby, bid on items to benefit the Stamford-based non-profit, and honor this year’s “Champion for Recovery” Dr. Alan Barry, Commissioner of Social Services for the Town of Greenwich. They also watched […]
02
May
May
How is recovery like a horse race? It’s not… This evening, about 175 people will gather at the Woodway Country Club in Darien, CT to watch a horse race on TV, support a great organization, and celebrate mental health recovery. The horse race is, of course, the Kentucky Derby, and the organization is Laurel House, […]
01
May
May
Twenty-seven years ago in May, I began a career in mental health. This did not happen by design or training. I had just left the Peace Corps after more than five years of volunteer service working with the street children of Tela, Honduras in Central America. I returned to the US with my idealism […]
20
Apr
Apr
For the last twenty minutes I have been struggling with the question of how to open this post on teenage suicide. It seems that there is just no easy way start. The Centers for Disease Control estimate that suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States (7th for males). Chances […]
09
Apr
Apr
One of the most frequent questions from families of a loved one with serious mental illness is ‘Where will my son/daughter/sibling live, and how will he or she obtain the support and develop the skills to have a decent quality of life in the least restrictive setting possible. Fortunately, the days of long-term institutionalization are […]
02
Apr
Apr
A few weeks ago, I asked someone I know if she was getting the help she needed filling out forms that would allow her to continue receiving her state disability benefits. This was an older person who is legally blind and has lived with a disabling mental illness her entire adult life. She told me […]
20
Feb
Feb
Twenty years ago, when I spoke of recovery in mental health, many people thought me misinformed. “There’s no cure for mental illness,” one educated colleague told me. Now it seems that every community-based mental health provider in the nation offers “Recovery-Oriented” services. The federal government’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has this to […]
12
Feb
Feb
Has anyone else been wondering what’s up with the extreme winter weather we’ve been experiencing in the northeast lately? I’m seriously wondering if Disney ice princess Elsa isn’t up to her tricks again… The following article is the first in a three-part series on the movie Frozen as an illustration […]
27
Jan
Jan
“To be a person is to have a story to tell.” – Isak Dinesen Storytelling is one of the oldest art forms practiced by humans. Stories entertain and teach. They reflect on experience and create community. Stories about recovery also have the power to heal. What is a Story of Hope and Recovery? Recovery in […]
07
Jan
Jan
A few weeks ago I received a call from a distraught mother, concerned about her 43-year-old son with bipolar disorder. He was in the manic phase of his bipolar disorder and displaying worrisome behavior. The last time she called emergency services, the police tasered him in her home, arrested him and dragged him away in handcuffs. […]
30
Dec
Dec
Most New Year’s Resolutions focus on self-improvement: lose weight, quit smoking, be more organized and exercise – all great goals for the coming year. But when it comes to mental health, your own gains can also be of benefit to others. In the spirit of improved living for everybody in the New Year, here are […]
24
Dec
Dec
Hanukkah started more than a week ago. Kwanzaa is another two days away, the Prophet’s Birthday is even further off, today is Christmas Eve and I still have five more gifts to buy and three more charitable donations to make before I complete my holiday giving list (not to mention a blog post to write […]
08
Dec
Dec
As the holidays approach and cold weather sets in, my mind drifts back to an amazing gift my wife and I received from a friend in the middle of last summer. I’ll call it the gift of parenting support. That may not sound like much, but to my wife and me, struggling to raise a […]
04
Nov
Nov
Last Thursday, families, friends and agency staff met at Laurel House to hear Licensed Clinical Social Worker Stephanie Raia speak on Family Coping Strategies in the fourth and final installment of the Family Seminar Series. Stephanie opened her talk with two great quotes: the Serenity Prayer, which many of us associate with Alcoholics Anonymous, and […]
28
Oct
Oct
Last week I was speaking with a colleague in mental health about a recent psychiatric crisis with a member of my family. We both agreed that in such situations, it’s important for families to have a trusted professional (or team of professionals) to turn to for help. My colleague stated that the crisis clinician’s job […]
17
Oct
Oct
Two weeks ago my wife and I attended a talk by Dr. Eli Lebowitz of the Yale Child Study Center, as part of Laurel House’s Family Seminar Series. Dr. Lebowitz is an expert on childhood and adolescent anxiety, and co-founder of the Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) program. One of the most powerful […]
09
Oct
Oct
On October 16, 2014 in Stamford, Laurel House will present the third installment in its Family Seminar Series on the topic of Medication and Symptomology. Carol Monroe, a Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, will talk about the symptoms of some common mental health disorders and the medications that are typically prescribed for them, including […]
07
Oct
Oct
The United States Commission on Civil Rights has just released its 2014 Statutory Enforcement Report on Patient Dumping, which focuses on the admission and discharge practices of hospitals treating people with psychiatric disabilities. Buried in this report is the finding that “mental health emergencies present unique challenges that may not be suitable for traditional emergency […]
29
Sep
Sep
This Thursday night in Stamford, CT, our affiliate organization Laurel House is hosting a talk on childhood and adolescent anxiety by Eli Lebowitz, PhD, of the Yale Child Study Center. Dr. Lebowitz is co-author of the book “Treating Childhood and Adolescent Anxiety: A Guide for Caregivers” and originator of the Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions […]
23
Sep
Sep
Building on last week’s post for National Recovery Month, I would like to draw your attention to an important yet frequently overlooked and under-appreciated aspect of mental health care: rehabilitation services. Of the three basic components of public mental health systems – prevention, treatment and rehabilitation – rehabilitation is the one most closely linked to […]
11
Sep
Sep
Following up on Tuesday’s post on the meaning of recovery, here is an article by the noted psychiatrist and advocate E. Fuller Torrey that appeared in Psychiatric Times which questions whether people living with a severe mental illness are Better Off Without Antipsychotic Drugs? Dr. Torrey acknowledges the many studies showing that 21-29% of patients […]
09
Sep
Sep
What does the term “recovery” mean for a young person diagnosed with a serious mental illness? This website is intended as a resource to help families support the recovery of their loved ones with mental health conditions. But is recovery a meaningful concept for someone diagnosed with schizophrenia? For many people, schizophrenia and other serious […]
02
Sep
Sep
In a recent op-ed piece in the New York Times, Johns Hopkins professor of psychiatry Kay Redfield Jamison cited “competence” as the single most important factor in treating bipolar disorder, a condition which she lives with. Jamison, a clinical psychologist, is the recipient of multiple international awards and the author of the books An Unquiet […]
28
Aug
Aug
For the most part, the medications people take for schizophrenia treat only one symptom of the illness: the psychosis associated with delusions and hallucinations. Some of the most harmful effects of schizophrenia are the “negative symptoms” of flat affect, inability to take interest or pleasure in everyday life, lack of ability to begin and sustain […]
26
Aug
Aug
After posting on the parental ‘protection trap’ for childhood anxiety in yesterday’s blog, I came across this opinion piece by Eli Lebowitz of the Yale Child Study Center: Terrified Tyrants Eli is an expert on childhood anxiety and author of the book referenced in yesterday’s blog post, Treating Childhood and Adolescent Anxiety: A Guide for Caregivers. In […]
25
Aug
Aug
A new study at Arizona State University shows that parents of children with anxiety disorders often fall into a “protection trap” that can perpetuate the problem: Parents of Anxious Children Can Avoid the ‘Protection Trap’ Parents may fall into the protection trap in three ways: responding to a scared child’s fears and worries with positive attention […]
22
Aug
Aug
Sometimes a mental health treatment approach that looks promising turns out not to have a basis in science once research results are collected and assessed. This may be the case with Motivational Interviewing (MI) when used for treatment of excessive drinking in young adults, according to a new report by the Cochrane Library: Motivational Interviewing for […]
21
Aug
Aug
San Antonio and Bexar County Texas have been the focus of attention lately for their model mental health system which pools city and county resources to provide appropriate, cost-effective care to their citizens with serious mental illness. A two-part story on NPR and companion piece in The Atlantic show how San Antonio’s police work together […]
18
Aug
Aug
It’s mid-August and that time of year again. Having just dropped off my first-born at college a mere ten days ago, the off-to-school drill for first-year students is fresh in mind: Tuition paid, insurance waiver and other paperwork filed New clothes, laptop, mini fridge, school supplies, etc Figure out transportation options while away at school […]
13
Aug
Aug
Update: Much has changed since Robin Williams’ death in 2014. New information has been released regarding the circumstances of his reported suicide. There have also been changes in the family situation Jay describes in the post from August 13, 2014. For a happier, more positive continuation of this story, read Jay’s most recent post […]
12
Aug
Aug
It’s encouraging to see that someone has written about an important mental health treatment called “cognitive remediation” from the perspective of a family member: The Consequences of Mental Illness That Nobody Talks About As this opinion piece makes clear, there is a growing body of scientific evidence pointing to the benefits of cognitive remediation, a […]
05
Aug
Aug
Yesterday, a reader of my blog, asked a question in the comments section about environmental triggers in schizophrenia. The short answer I wrote in reply was “Trauma, stress, use of marijuana and other psychoactive substances are thought to be common triggers of psychotic symptoms.” I did a little poking around today and found this story […]
04
Aug
Aug
For the first time since 2007, the state of Connecticut will open its waiting lists for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program and the State Rental Assistance Program (RAP). Starting today, August 4, 2014 and extending for the next two weeks through August 18, the state will be accepting pre-applications for these government […]
01
Aug
Aug
The American musician and comedian Oscar Levant may have been onto something when he said “There’s a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line.” Levant, who wrote the humorously titled Memoirs of an Amnesiac, may have been playing on an old cliché about madness and creativity, but he was not entirely joking […]
31
Jul
Jul
You might think that scientific advances in our understanding of the causes of mental illness would result in reduced fear and stigma of people with mental health disorders. According to a Professor of Psychology at the University of Melbourne, this may not be the case. There is increasing public acceptance of the view that […]
29
Jul
Jul
In my other role as Vice President of Laurel House, Inc., in Stamford, CT, I direct a program called Thinking Well. People with a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia, although of average or above average intelligence, will score below 85% of the general population on standardized cognitive tests. The Thinking Well program addresses this […]
28
Jul
Jul
Fifteen years after the publication of Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General decrying the misconceptions and fear surrounding mental illness, stigma continues to be a significant barrier to people in need of mental health treatment. While stigma impacts all people with mental illness, it impacts women, and especially minority women, disproportionally. Women may be more […]
24
Jul
Jul
Bravo for Connecticut entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Stanley who recently committed $650 million for scientific research on the genetic contributions and molecular processes at work in severe mental illness. This is the largest individual gift ever given for research on mental illness. It should come as no surprise that Mr. Stanley was moved to make […]
23
Jul
Jul
I am always a little behind in my reading, but this July 3 article from the New York Times just caught my attention and I would like to comment on it here in case you missed it too: A Different Path to Fighting Addiction The article features the Center for Motivation and Change (C.M.C.) in New York […]
22
Jul
Jul
This New York Times Opinion piece by Richard A. Friedman, Director of the Psychopharmacology Clinic at the Weill Cornell Medical College, provides an informative look at the workings of the adolescent brain in cases of to anxiety. The article, Why Teenagers Act Crazy, explains that the part of the brain that processes fear, the amygdala, develops much faster […]
18
Jul
Jul
Recent studies have shown that adults living with serious mental illness die on average 25 years earlier than other Americans, largely due to treatable medical conditions (Morbidity and Mortality in People with Serious Mental Illness). One of the biggest causes is diabetes – a serious condition, to be sure, but not one that would prevent a […]
16
Jul
Jul
For the July 2014 segment of Brain and Behavior Research Foundation’s Meet the Scientist Webinar Series by Dolores Malapsina, MD, of New York University School of Medicine made a fascinating presentation on: “Identifying Risk Factors and Protective Pathways for Schizophrenia.” In her talk, Dr. Malaspina gave a simple explanation for the complex interplay of genetics with […]
14
Jul
Jul
Pediatric emergency room visits have increased as much 15 percent in Connecticut in the last year, and some hospital officials are attributing the spike to a lack of resources for children with mental health problems, according to the recent article, “Long ER Stays for Kids in Crisis on the Rise” published on greenwichtime.com. During the course […]
11
Jul
Jul
It’s too bad USA Today decided to lead with such a downer title for the latest article in its current series on mental illness: ‘Bleak Picture’ for Mentally Ill: 80% Are Jobless (usatoday.com, July 10, 2014) While this unfortunate fact is true, the good news, which the article brings to light, is that an effective […]
08
Jul
Jul
While more legislation is not the solution to every social problem, the bill before New York Governor Andrew Cuomo known as Jerry’s Law looks like a step in the right direction. If signed by Governor Cuomo, Jerry’s Law will require schools in the state of New York to notify parents of their right to have […]
07
Jul
Jul
New Yorker Magazine published a fascinating article, PARTIAL RECALL: Can neuroscience help us rewrite our most traumatic memories?, which examines new efforts to treat anxiety, PTSD and addiction through an experimental process called “reconsolidation”. Reconsolidation aims to free people from the disabling impact of traumatic memories with drugs that act on neurons to alter or erase […]
01
Jul
Jul
I just registered for this webinar from the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation’s monthly Meet the Scientist series: “Identifying Risk Factors and Protective Pathways for Schizophrenia” by Dolores Malaspina, M.D., M.S.P.H., Professor of Psychiatry at the New York University School of Medicine. Dr. Malaspina will discuss a cross-disciplinary approach to the prevention, early detection, treatment […]
30
Jun
Jun
For the last few months I have been following a great blog on mental health, Shedding Light On Mental Illness. It is written by Amy Gamble, a former Olympic athlete and businesswoman, who also happens to be living in recovery from bipolar disorder. Yesterday’s and today’s posts are on the “Pathways to Recovery” Workbook, which […]
27
Jun
Jun
In a recent ABC News preview of an upcoming Barbara Walters interview with the father of UC, Santa Barbara shooter Elliot Rodger. Peter Rodgers speaks out in Mental Illness in Kids: How to Spot the Signs and Ask for Help as a way to raise awareness and education people on the warning signs of mental health […]
27
Jun
Jun
We have known for some time that people living with mental illness are much more likely to use tobacco products than those without mental illness. It’s estimated that more than half the cigarettes purchased in the United Sates are consumed by people with mental illness. Now, a recent article in Time magazine, The Weird Link Between […]