The Importance of Family in Addiction Treatment

While recovery is ultimately an individual journey, having the support of family can make a huge difference in your success. Not everyone has family to support them, and not everyone’s family is supportive. But if you have family willing to walk with you, it’s important to know how your addiction affects them, as well as how they can help you during treatment and recovery. Read More

How to Battle Bullying

Every September for the past 30 years, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has sponsored Recovery Month. This important national observance is aimed at increasing awareness and understanding of mental and substance use disorders and celebrating the people who get up each morning and bravely continue the journey of recovery. Read More

Independent to a Fault?

Independence is a powerful trait. It can give us a sense of self-worth, of purpose, and of life satisfaction. But it turns out you can also be too independent. Just as too much dependency can lead to problematic relationships and codependency, being independent to a fault has downsides of its own. Read More

Addressing Attachment Styles

Attachments are the basis of human connection. We form healthy or unhealthy attachments with others based on our experience of relationships and the world around us. Attachment issues in adults can stem from both early childhood and personal development; attachment issues in children are usually formed in infancy, though early childhood relationships can play a part as well. Understanding and addressing attachment styles can be helpful in addiction and mental health treatment, especially for young adults, who are formulating their identity and learning their place in the world. Read More

Breaking Down the Model: Part II – Core Issues

By: Joyce Willis, MC, LPC In Part I of “Breaking Down the Model, the “Nature of the Child” column was discussed. We discussed the history of Pia Mellody’s Model of Developmental Immaturity and how it is incorporated into the Meadows Model and treatment at Meadows Behavioral Healthcare programs. We… Read More

When Abuse Claims are Tried in Public

Considering how shockingly commonplace domestic abuse is, there’s probably a case, or a number of cases, being reviewed in court somewhere as you read this. Nearly 20 people every minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV). That breaks down to more than 10 million women and men in any given year. While the bulk of these cases, and the resulting trials, won’t garner any special media coverage, millions were reminded how domestic abuse is no respecter of gender, income bracket, or celebrity status with the much-publicized Johnny Depp, Amber Heard trial. Read More

Early Empty Nesters

By Wesley Gallagher Technology. It’s everywhere, for better or for worse. Children, in particular, are surrounded by it. While many adults remember a time when there were no laptops or cell phones, kids these days have been holding iPhones since before they could walk, and it’s changing the way young… Read More

Tapping into Resiliency: How to Be Okay With the Holidays in the Age of COVID

By Christa Banister It’s no secret that 2020 has been one for the history books.  In addition to being an election year, which is certainly eventful enough all by itself, we’ve all been forced to adapt in unimaginable ways.  Now with the holidays rapidly approaching, many traditions will be forced… Read More

A Bad Relationship Isn’t Better Than No Relationship

By Anna McKenzie You may experience plenty of times in your life when you feel like being in a relationship would be better than being single. This can happen especially during periods like the holidays or around Valentine’s Day when it seems like “everybody” has somebody. No matter when it… Read More

Attachment Theory: Feeling Attachment Security in the Body

By Dr. Jon Caldwell, D.O., Ph.D. Several months ago, as I sat waiting to board a flight, my attention was captivated by an active toddler sitting (for the most part) on her mother’s lap. Beneath naturally curly locks of hair, her eyes, bright and curious, darted about the busy terminal,… Read More