In honor of Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Awareness Month, today’s guest blog post comes to us from Matt Abbasfard from Northbound in Newport Beach, CA. He discusses the warning signs of heroin and opioid addiction and the importance of seeking help for a loved one who might be struggling with a substance use disorder. Heroin […]
Our Latest Blogs
10
Mar
Mar
I recently read The Center Cannot Hold by Elyn R. Saks, an autobiography about the Yale-educated law professor’s life-long struggle with schizophrenia. It would be easy to write a book review, judging the work solely on its entertainment value and well-crafted prose. Yet, the core of the book contains serious messages about mental health, mental illness […]
01
Mar
Mar
The royal family of England is known around the world. While this ruling family only has a small fraction of the political power that they once had, their fame and influence seems to be at an all-time high. Even though the media frets over what Kate Middleton is wearing and who might Prince Harry marry, this family […]
23
Feb
Feb
Writing this blog post has not been easy for me. The trouble I’ve had with this post isn’t because I find it too much for me or the topic uninteresting, it’s because I don’t identify myself as a spiritual person and struggle with the notion that one has to be spiritual to be well. […]
11
Feb
Feb
To honor Eating Disorder Awareness Month this February, I am busting common eating disorder myths so everyone can get a clear picture of how serious these types of disorders are. 1. Eating disorders are rare It’s estimated that 11-24 million people in the United States and over 70 million people worldwide (North Dakota State University) […]
02
Feb
Feb
Last fall for the third talk in Laurel House/RtoR’s Family Seminar Series, our featured speaker Dr. Jeremy Barowsky pointed out that we had used the outdated term “dual diagnosis” in our promotion of the event. Dr. Barowsky is the Director of Addiction Medicine at Greenwich Hospital Addiction Recovery Center. He also has a private […]
15
Dec
Dec
On a gloomy Connecticut morning in December, I sat down with Ginny Levy to discuss her most recent project, Parts Unbound: Narratives of Mental Illness and Health which is published by LimeHawk Books. The book contains 18 essays detailing different experiences of mental illness. The majority of the writers speak about their own experiences of […]
17
Nov
Nov
If stories have the power to heal, then stories about mental illness have the potential to heal at the most fundamental level, touching on our sense of self and how we experience our lives. We often think of illness in terms of its impact on the body. But illness also affects the mind, and […]
29
Oct
Oct
Does the term “mental illness” bother anyone else as much as it bothers me? As a treatment provider helping people to determine if they would like to discuss their “disability” with an employer, I have been in the uncomfortable situation of informing someone that their anxiety disorder, depression, PTSD or some other DSM diagnosis […]
02
Oct
Oct
In May of 2013 a Canadian comic named Kevin Breel gave an 11-minute TEDx Talk that went instantly viral with more than 3 million views to date. Two big things about the speech “Confessions of a Depressed Comic” account for its success: the speaker’s age and the message he delivered. Kevin might downplay the […]
18
Sep
Sep
Rtor.org’s sponsor, Laurel House, is proud to announce they will be hosting a speaking event for mental health activist and comedian, Kevin Breel. At the ripe age of 19, Kevin bravely took the stage for a TEDx Talk to speak out about his personal […]
18
Sep
Sep
I love the month of September. Here in the Northeast we tend to get a long run of warm and sunny days, low humidity, and cool nights. Young people are back in school, many of them with a sense of hope and fresh beginnings. Parents are glad to have the kids out of the […]
17
Sep
Sep
You are in a crowded room at a party you don’t really want to be attending. But you decide to try and make the best of it. A few minutes go by and you start to feel a knotting in your stomach then, a pain in your chest. A few more seconds pass and […]
08
Sep
Sep
Remember how you learned to ride a bike? What if you had to unlearn everything you knew about this basic task you probably learned in childhood? This video illustrates how hard it is to re-train the brain to think differently. The narrator of this video speaks about his experiment riding a backwards-handled bike. During […]
01
Sep
Sep
The world is becoming more and more tech-savvy so it makes sense that the field of mental health is starting to go digital. But with new mental health software and smartphone apps released almost everyday, people need a trusted source to review these products. That is where Psyberguide.org comes in. Psyberguide is a website that […]
25
Aug
Aug
This is the first of many RtoR Scavenger Hunt Quizzes where you can search our site and/or the Web for answers to each question. This quiz’s theme is about being a caregiver for a loved one with a mental illness or mental health disorder. Good Luck! Thanks for playing! Tell us how […]
28
Jul
Jul
Maybe you have noticed that the free and open style of the Internet has encouraged many bloggers and social media users to open up about their experience with bipolar disorder or borderline personality disorder. While many of these people may have a confirmed mental health disorder, some give the impression of being self-diagnosed or […]
25
Jun
Jun
Pacifica is a free smartphone app that is designed to use the principles of Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Mindfulness to help with daily stress, anxiety and depression. With anxiety and depression being the most common mental health disorders, I’m glad that app developers are addressing this issue. There are six major aspects to Pacifica and each one has […]
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 […]
02
Jun
Jun
It’s common knowledge that smoking is harmful for your health yet it’s not as well-known that up to 70% of those who use tobacco products also have a mental health diagnosis. There is an on-going debate about whether or not hospitals should forbid those with mental illnesses from smoking. Some claim that limiting access to […]
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 […]
30
May
May
This Thinking Well activity is designed for program participants to practice communication skills in either social or professional settings. It is designed for use in a group setting with a clear leader for the activity: Participants in the Thinking Well program who near completion of their cognitive training classes regularly express the desire to find employment. The computer-based exercises of cognitive […]
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 […]
28
May
May
Volunteers make a great contribution to many people’s lives. Here in the mental health field, we understand the impact just one caring individual can make. Laurel House, the non-profit mental health organization that brings you Rtor.org, publicly honors one special volunteer each year with its “Power of One” award. The past three award winners were […]
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 […]
26
May
May
In the last few months, I’ve noticed that the women’s clothing departments in several mainstream clothing’s stores selling T-shirts with a slogan that decrees a certain activity is “cheaper than therapy”. I’ve personally seen yoga, running, gardening and wine all being advertising as a therapy substitute. It’s not only in the stores; as I […]
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 […]
24
May
May
The sound of their child’s voice is something most parents love to hear. No doubt will the sudden cessation of that voice cause most parents to feel fear and confusion. Selective mutism is a form of anxiety which 7 out of every 1,000 children experience. There is no difference in the rate of prevalence by sex or […]
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 […]
20
May
May
This Thinking Well activity is designed to promote positive thinking in the daily lives of program participants. While the activity is designed for use in a group setting, individuals can also benefit: Many of us have heard the term neuroplasticity, which is the idea that the adult brain is adaptable at any age and […]
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 […]
18
May
May
Mental health is a topic no one in the workplace wants to talk about but no one can afford not to. Many companies lose revenue and productivity by not addressing mental health but the fear and shame surrounding the topic leads both employers and employees from speaking out about this very important issue. Mental […]
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 […]
09
May
May
Those involved in Mental Health Awareness Month have done a lot to break the stigma that exists about people living with mental health disorders. Yet, one disorder is the target of extensive social shaming and victim blaming: Postpartum Depression. The cause of Postpartum Depression is not entirely clear; the research points to a combination 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 […]
06
May
May
When living with a mental health condition, it can feel like your body and mind are out of your control. It’s nice to know that there is an aspect of your mental wellness that you have the opportunity to control every day. Healthy eating is the simplest way you can bring balance and wellness […]
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 […]
04
May
May
Psychotherapy, also known as “talk therapy,” has a mixed record of effectiveness in the treatment of serious mental illness. Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is one form of psychotherapy for which there is a substantial evidence base, especially when offered in conjunction with other treatments, such as psychopharma-cology. Another emerging best practice with a growing evidence base […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
06
Nov
Nov
Laurel House Employment Specialist Elizabeth Fouracre, LMSW, writes this week about her experience with a training program that simulates the subjective experience of a person with schizophrenia hearing voices. CNN news anchor Anderson Cooper undergoes a comparable sensitivity exercise and afterwards describe in terms similar to Elizabeth’s how profoundly difficult and isolating this experience was for him. Watch […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
13
Jun
Jun
Someone you love needs help. Following the recommendation of a trusted friend, or website such as rtor.org, you have identified a qualified mental health professional and made a first appointment. By all accounts, this person has the experience and skills to do the job. But how do you know he will be a good fit […]
02
May
May
You might think that twenty-five years of experience in the mental health profession would have prepared me for what to do when a mental health crisis strikes at home. It didn’t. When a member of my own family needed urgent mental health care, I had little idea of where to turn for help. The process […]
