Our Latest Blogs

How to Identify the Early Warning Signs of Anorexia Nervosa In Teens and Young Adults?

thin young woman

Eating disorders can happen among people of all ages, genders and social backgrounds. However, they develop most commonly in early adulthood and adolescence. In fact, eating disorders in adolescence are so common that around 5.4 percent of kids between the ages of 13 and 18 will develop anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa or binge eating disorder […]

Depression Rates Among Teenagers Are Increasing Rapidly, Why Is This Happening?

sad teen

Depression Misconceptions Depression is a brain dysfunction that affects mood and emotions. It is a mood disorder characterized by strong and persistent negative emotions. These emotions can have a negative impact on people’s lives, causing social, educational, personal and family discord. Depression is different from sadness or feeling “down.” Clinical depression is a medical condition […]

Robert Milich, PhD

Bob Milich, PhD, is a clinical psychologist who specializes in group therapy and works with children age 6 and up, adolescents, and adults. In addition to offering 7 weekly groups, Dr. Milich provides individual and family therapy

Preventing the Harmful Mental Health Effects Divorce Has on Children and Teens

teen reaction to divorce

When two people make the decision to get married and start a family, their intentions are likely to spend a life of bliss together. Unfortunately, love isn’t always the utopia we’d like it to be — marriage sometimes ends in divorce. When you make the decision to get divorced and you have teenagers, this can […]

Mental Health and Homelessness: An Update

Mental Health and Homelessness

Nearly every time there’s a public conversation about homelessness, the topic of mental health becomes a major talking point. For instance, the California Policy Lab released data in October 2019 on the prevalence of health problems among homeless populations in Los Angeles, and concluded that mental illness is a key cause of homelessness. Further, unsheltered […]

Treating Depression While in Addiction Recovery

calm waters

Recovery from addiction is said to be simple, but not easy. I have no doubt that for many people this holds true. But for some, like myself, there is more than one illness of the mind to fight. Going through recovery with a dual diagnosis adds an extra layer to addiction recovery and can make […]

6 Things Colleges Can Do for Better Student Mental Health

college lecture

College can be a hard time for some students. In addition to the anxiety that comes with leaving home and forming new friendships, they face academic stress and worry over their future. Many students struggle to keep up with their classes while handling personal mental health conditions. How can campus officials do more to promote […]

How Does Someone Develop Co-Occurring Disorders?

co-occurring disorder

Imagine being trapped in the vicious cycle of both a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder. On a daily basis, one condition continually aggravates and fuels the other, regardless of which one happened to emerge first. The co-occurring disorders, often referred to as a dual diagnosis or comorbidity, can lead to major impairment […]

Substance Use and Addiction Among Executives and Professionals

executive drug abuse

By Ken Seeley, Founder and CEO, Ken Seeley Communities You know the signs of the trailblazing workaholic. He seems to have unlimited reserves of energy, remaining laser-focused on his work for hours on end while his mortal colleagues are fading fast. You may scratch your head in awe of his unique ability to plow through […]

Looking for Help with a Mental Health Problem? Consider Trying Group Therapy

group therapy room

When it comes to substance abuse or mental health problems, you may have looked into the benefits that therapy can have for you. However, you may have overlooked the positive impact  group counseling can have on your situation and your psyche When you are looking for help for a substance abuse or mental health problem, […]

Stressed-Out, Anxious, and Depressed on Campus – A Review of a New Guidebook for Parents on the Challenges of College for Today’s Emerging Adults

stressed college student reading textboox

The Stressed Years of Their Lives: Helping Your Kid Survive and Thrive During Their College Years A review of the book by Janet Hibbs, PhD, MFT and Anthony Rostain, MD, MA A depressed young adult named Nick lives at home with his parents, playing video games all night and rarely venturing outside of the house. […]

How TMS Worked for Me, Even When It Didn’t

TMS Therapy

Nothing was working. Nothing could seem to break depression’s hold on me. Its fingers gripped my neck, choking me at every turn — invisible hands pulling me even deeper down into despair. Eleven years. That’s how long I had already suffered at the hands of depression. By this point, I had already tried seven medications, […]

Behavioral Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, and Mental Health

Behavioral Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, and Mental Health

This article focuses on two distinct psychological approaches to human behavior: behavioral psychology and cognitive psychology. Although the disciplines are widely considered irreconcilable, there is much to be learned if we can understand the everyday implications of the differences between these disciplinary perspectives. In other words, this article focuses on how we can understand ourselves […]

10 Coping Techniques When on the Verge of Addiction Relapse

Substance Abuse Relapse Prevention

It is an oft-used phrase that “relapse is a normal part of recovery.” No one ever wants to relapse back into substance use. Not really. They may romance the past or desire the buzz, but anyone who has devoted so much time, attention, and treasure to overcoming addiction surely doesn’t desire to fall down. Regardless […]

How Substance Use Impacts Mental Health: 5 Commonly Abused Substances

Commonly Abused Substances

The term ‘substance abuse’ refers to harmful or noxious consumption of psychoactive substances, such as alcohol, illegal drugs and other prescribed medications in amounts or quantities that are harmful to a person. Drug addiction or substance use disorders often lead to alteration in thinking, judgment, perception, attention, behavioral and cognitive impairment, physical and psychological dependence, […]

How to Navigate College and Combat Unhealthy Perfectionism

How to Combat Maladaptive Perfectionism

Striving for perfection is a good thing—isn’t it? Turns out, the answer may not be that simple. According to experts, the response to perfectionist tendencies is what matters most. With all the pressures they face, college students are especially vulnerable to the hazards of perfectionism and the effects it can have on mental health and […]

Martin Kutscher, MD

Dr. Martin Kutscher is a board certified pediatric neurologist with over 25 years of experience diagnosing and treating children affected by attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autistic spectrum disorders, learning disabilities (LD), tics, and other neurobehavioral disorders.

Ways a Toxic Environment Can Be Detrimental to Your Physical and Mental Health

Ways a Toxic Environment Can Hurt to Your Mental Health

Being happy and healthy can be extremely difficult when you’re in a toxic environment. A toxic environment can be a result of anything from an unhealthy relationship or negative work environment to self-esteem issues or a lack of self-care. Whatever the cause, toxicity is hard to cope with. It can sometimes be hard to recognize […]

Tips on Approaching Intimacy after Trauma

locked heart

Many people are battling to recover from past traumatic events. Commonly, these people will struggle with abandonment issues, jealousy, fear of not being good enough, and an overall mistrust in others. These lasting effects can make having intimate relationships with significant others or close friends very difficult, causing a lot of emotional turmoil; especially when […]

Co-occurring Disorders: The Link Between PTSD and Addiction

Most people who struggle with an addiction problem have also experienced significant past trauma. By the same token, 50-66% of individuals diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) also live with co-occurring addiction disorders. The presence of one or more mental health and substance use disorders (SUDs) in the same person is referred to as co-occurring […]

How Can Sleep Deprivation Affect Your Mental Health?

overtired young adult

Sleep research is steadily establishing itself as an important field, and scientists have been trying to unravel the mystery of sleep for quite some time now. It is believed that having enough sleep helps us to deal with adversity and demands in our busy lives. Sleep is, in many regards, a built-in biological source of […]

Supportive Mental Health Services for College Students

If you’re heading off to college, no doubt you feel a mixture of excitement and nervousness. However, if you live with a mental health disorder, you may experience greater anxiety than other students. You probably have a host of questions, too. Where can you turn if you find yourself in crisis while on campus? How […]

Struggling with Depression and the Natural Road to Recovery

healthy biking

Over the last few years, depression has become much more widespread. We’ve all heard it before, “mental health issues don’t discriminate,” and that quote couldn’t be more accurate. Depression impacts people in the suburbs and on farms, in inner cities and refugee camps, in boardrooms and in classrooms. It is estimated that over 300 million […]

How Can Supplementing Your Medication Routine with TMS Finally Kick Your Depression?

depression hope

Major depressive disorder (MDD) affects millions of people globally. Meanwhile, managing MDD is sometimes difficult — even for those who use medication. How Is Medication Used to Treat Depression? Antidepressant medications are among the most common depression treatments. They are prescribed by doctors and help patients alleviate depression symptoms, such as: Anxiety Irritability Lack of concentration […]

Dabs, Wax, Vaping Weed, Edibles and the Real Impact of High Potency THC Products: What Parents Need to Know

vaping cannabis.

During the month of September www.rtor.org will be observing National Recovery Month with a guest blog series on addiction and substance use disorders. For our second article in this series, we are featuring a guest post from Elizabeth Driscoll Jorgensen, owner of Insight Counseling, LLC, in Ridgefield, CT, and Consultant to Family-Endorsed Provider Newport Academy at its […]

How I Redefined Strength and Resilience in Recovery

tree in the desert

When I was young, my parents raised me to be what they thought was strong and resilient. They themselves are strong, hard-working individuals, and they only wanted the best for me. However, if I was upset, crying was frowned upon, and I would get punished further. Strength, at the time, was defined by not showing […]

5 Ways to Support Veterans Suffering from PTSD

Support Veterans with PTSD

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) impacts military veterans all over the country. The Vietnam War alone caused nearly 500,000 cases of PTSD. More recently, the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have caused 12.5% of vets serving in the war to develop symptoms of PTSD. This mental health condition is common among military members. Unfortunately, it’s also […]

6 Worst Side Effects of Medical Marijuana on Mental Health

6 Worst Side Effects of Medical Marijuana on Mental Health

Years of research show that cannabidiol (CBD), an active ingredient in marijuana, can treat a variety of conditions including chronic pain, glaucoma, and seizures. Also, there is evidence that cannabis has chemicals that prevent the spread of cancer and the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. But… Even with the rampant decriminalization of cannabis and documentation of […]

Is Addiction a Disease or a Decision?

Is Addiction a Disease or a Decision?

This September, www.rtor.org is observing National Recovery Month with a guest blog series on addiction and substance use disorders. To kick-off the special series on addiction and co-occurring disorders we open with a guest blog post from Ken Seeley, an internationally acclaimed interventionist and founder and C.E.O. of Ken Seeley Communities. Imagine waking up one […]

Mindfulness Exercises for Better and Healthier Sleep

mindfulness sleep exercises

During a typical week, we experience a lot of stress and anxiety, whether it comes from an intense work environment, social pressures, or any similar source. These feelings can stick with us for quite some time, and slowly jeopardize our ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. It’s a sadly normalized aspect of adult life, […]

How Parents’ Divorce Impacts Children’s Mental Health

Effects of Divorce on Children's Mental Health

When parents decide to dissolve their marriage, the children can feel as if their universe has been turned upside down. So, what are the impacts of divorce on children’s mental, emotional, and physical health? While divorce is stressful to all kids, some children rebound or recover faster than others. The level of upset can vary […]

Therapy for Therapists: My Struggle as a Mental Health Professional with a Mental Illness

Therapy for Therapists: My Struggle as a Mental Health Professional with a Mental Illness

When I got into the mental health field and became a therapist, I knew that it would be hard. I have bipolar disorder II and PTSD, and I was aware that working with people with similar diagnoses might be difficult for me to handle. I wasn’t prepared for working in a psychiatric hospital. In the […]

Sharon Shea, LCSW, LADC

sharon shea headshot

Sharon Shea, LCSW, LADC, MAC, CCTP is a licensed clinical social worker and a nationally certified master addiction counselor. She specializes in marital and family counseling, mood disorders, addictions, and trauma.

Wilton, Connecticut

Wilton, a quaint residential town, incorporated in 1802, is nestled in the heart of Fairfield County, Connecticut. The town has a population of 18,062 (2010, U.S. Census) with a median household income of $175,019. Wilton is well known for its top ranked schools, rural atmosphere and abundance of historic architecture. […]

6 Treatments For Depression Based on Biology: A Look at the Science for Laypersons

6 Biological Treatments for Depression

Looking for 2019’s hottest new depression treatments, but tired of one-off non-reproduced experiments, industry-biased interpretations, and overstatement from tenure-chasing university faculty? Then bring some meta-science into your life. Below, a list of 6 biological treatments for major depressive disorder, and the systematic reviews & meta-analyses that (kinda) tell us whether they work. SSRI’s Psychiatry’s go-to […]

Helping Your Teen Get Back to Healthy Living after Experiencing a Sexual Assault

Helping Your Teen Get Back to Healthy Living after Experiencing a Sexual Assault

Rape and sexual assault are never the victim’s fault. It can feel that way, though. If your teen has been through sexual assault, this is an incredibly confusing and painful time for both of you. Victims often feel alone, ashamed, and scared. They may get flashbacks or nightmares, or feel haunted by the memory of […]

Glen Z. Brooks, MD

Glen Brooks, MD is the found and Medical Director of NY Ketamine Infusions, one of the first therapy centers dedicated to exclusively providing ketamine infusions.

What’s the Connection Between Sobriety, Spirituality, and Mental Health?

spirituality sobriety

The idea of spirituality and its connection to sobriety is common. Addiction programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) often start or end with the serenity prayer which says, “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom […]

Catatonic Depression: Signs, Causes, and Recovery

catatonic depression

Depression is a major disorder that affects a person negatively and causes impairment in daily life. Many people have undergone depression at some point in their lives. Depression can be identified and treated. However, there are severe stages of depression that change a person’s life completely. Catatonic depression is one of the severe kinds of […]

Shelby Harris, PsyD, CBSM

Dr. Harris Therapist

Dr. Shelby Harris is a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for anxiety and depression in adolescents and adults, and behavioral sleep medicine (BSM).

How to Reconnect with an Estranged Family Member After Addiction

reaching out

Addiction is a powerful thing. Beyond the impact to the person struggling with addiction, it can damage family relationships and lead to estrangement. Here we discuss how addiction can hurt families, how to support someone in recovery, the dynamics of family estrangement, and how to reconnect — if that’s a healthy option for your situation. […]

Caron Renaissance

Renaissance-Clinical-Offices---Beacon-Square

Caron Renaissance is an extended-stay residential treatment program for adults ages 18 and up with substance misuse and co-occurring mental health disorders.

Self-Harm Leaves Scars Both Inside and Outside the Body

man in cap

When some people picture self-harm, they may envision a teenage girl cutting herself. This sort of scenario certainly does occur, but it’s important to recognize that self-harm in adults and among males happens too and is more common than you might realize. Self-harm also takes a variety of forms, not just cutting. It can be […]

How Medicare Covers Mental Health

mature woman

Seniors tend to have chronic illnesses that can lead to mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety. Then there are mental health disorders that are chronic illnesses, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, which also affect young adults and people in middle age. According to the World Health Organization, fifteen percent of Americans who […]

How to Plan an Alcohol Intervention: Tips from an Expert Interventionist

intervention planning

By Ken Seeley, Founder and CEO, Ken Seeley Communities   As a seasoned interventionist, I have been involved in facilitating a wide array of groups of people who desired to motivate a loved one to seek treatment for a substance use disorder. Managing an intervention effectively takes planning, practice, and knowledge of the features associated […]

Top Meditation Techniques to Fight Addiction

outdoors meditation

No matter what substance you use, if you do it regularly, some changes leading to addiction inevitably occur in your brain. To rewire an addicted brain, you need to undergo a treatment process that will heal not only body but mind as well. Reaching abstinence is a big victory. But the struggle will continue as […]

What Addiction Taught Me About Relationships

helping hands

My drug and alcohol addiction put me through the worst of times, especially when it came to personal relationships. My addiction, however, taught me a lot about enabling, codependent relationships, and toxic relationships. What I once thought of as fairytale romances were really just a rollercoaster ride of emotional manipulation and enabling. I realized that […]

World Health Organization Reports CBD Oil Is Generally Safe

Cannabidiol (CBD) has recently gained a lot of traction for its many purported mental and physical health benefits. And anecdotal evidence to support these claims is strong. People tout the products for helping with pain, sleep, and even skin conditions. The issue is that scientific proof is hard to come by. Clinical research is limited […]

The Connection Between Mental Health and Intimacy

intimate friends

While most of us assume that intimacy is something we only experience physically, intimacy also depends on, and greatly impacts, our brains. In fact, mental wellbeing and intimacy are so closely related that each can affect the other. What is intimacy? Intimacy can be both emotional or physical, oftentimes both. Emotional intimacy refers to a […]

Kenneth Willis, MD

Ken_Willis

Dr. Willis specializes in treating adults with eating disorders, who may also have co-occurring mental health issues such as mood, anxiety, and trauma disorders.

6 Emotional & Mental Health Issues on College Campuses

college ivy

With the college years being one of the busiest, and probably, the most stressful part of a young adult’s life, there definitely is a lot of risk for college students to experience a number of health issues. But aside from physical afflictions, there is also a possibility of experiencing mental and emotional health problems, if […]

Teen Mental Health & Sleep: What’s the Connection?

Teen Mental Health

Sleep and mental health go hand in hand, especially when it comes to the mental and physical well-being of teenagers. Unfortunately, not enough teens across the country are getting the sleep they need. It’s recommended that teens get nine hours of restful sleep each night, but between 60% to 70% of teenagers in the United […]

How to Take Care of Elderly Parents with Mental Illness

elder care

Most seniors don’t seek treatment or even help because they view their mental changes as a natural part of aging or partly because they are ashamed of their condition. While it’s normal for elderly people to experience some level of forgetfulness, it’s important to seek professional help if they show obvious changes in behavior or […]

How I Overcame My Deep Depression After I Got Hit By a Car on the Freeway

Overcoming Depression

“2:48 am” My body lay still as a doll as I dully gazed at the clock on my desk. My slow, sad, depressing music reverberated and echoed off the walls in my bedroom. I could not sleep. I did not want to get up, move, or feel anything at all. These long restless nights had […]

How Writing Can Improve Your Mental Health

mindful writing

Writing is a medicine for your mind. Whenever you feel mentally and emotionally exhausted, writing down the things that bother you will help you structure your thoughts and bring peace to your mind. Many therapists recommend investing time writing every day to improve your mental wellbeing. Dr. Mark Rowe MD, who is also an expert […]

Fighting Depression Without Medication

Overcoming Depression Without Medication

Clinical depression is more than just having a bad day. Depression is a real illness that impedes a person’s daily life and normal functioning. It causes pain both for those affected and the people close to them. Depression is one condition that is often overlooked or ignored because of the stigma and connotations associated with […]

My Story of Recovery from Depression and Addiction

new dawn

As early as grade school, I remember struggling to gather up the energy and motivation I needed to get out of bed in the morning and go to school. Some days it was so bad that my mom had to nearly drag me out of bed. I had no problems in school and no real […]

Expectation vs. Reality: What You Need to Know About Alcohol Withdrawal

steps to recovery

Living a meaningful life, one that is celebrated and surrounded by friends and family, often includes alcohol. In fact, it would be difficult to attend some kind of event or celebration without it. So it’s not surprising that alcohol addiction is the third leading cause of preventable death in the US, according to the National […]

Appleton – McLean Hospital

Appleton is a residential program for adults ages 18 and over who have a severe mental health condition such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder and who may also have a co-occurring condition, which may include substance use, mood disorders, personality disorders or anxiety.

Do You Live to Work or Work to Live? Finding the Right Work-Life Balance

relaxing with a book

As adults, we spend most of our lives at work. Some of us are self-professed workaholics and some, like me, value our personal time. Some of us may enjoy working 50, 60, or even 80-hour weeks. They are the type of people who live to work. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. But for […]

5 Quick Ways to Use Your Body to Rescue Your Mood

body positive

If you feel anxious and depressed, it will come as no surprise that no matter how you try, you can’t simply think your way into a better mood. But what can you do to help yourself when you feel stressed, down, worried, or hopeless? Just a basic understanding of Polyvagal Theory, the work of Stephen […]

Tara Levinson, PhD, NCSP, Psychologist

Tara Levinson Headshot

Dr. Levinson is a licensed clinical psychologist who works with children from early childhood through adolescence and specializes in the areas of behavior management, autism spectrum disorders (ASD), learning differences, ADHD and executive functioning, anxiety, depression and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

There is No Silver Bullet for Depression: Real World Tips for Coping

Coping with Depression

I have had a lifetime of experience with depression beginning when I was 16.  I have been treated for depression many times with both psychotherapy and drugs.  In 2002, I became a student of depression treatment because I was tired of cycling in and out of misery. I am an organizational psychologist and in the […]