The Dangers of Undiagnosed Bipolar Disorder

By Stephen Brockway, M.D.Former Staff Psychiatrist for Inpatient and Outpatient Services at The Meadows A college student whom we’ll call Jim is experiencing a profound sense of despair. Dragging himself out of bed is becoming increasingly more difficult. Brushing his teeth is a tall order. Fixing himself a sandwich seems… Read More

Sobriety and the Prevalence of Depression and Anxiety

By Heidi Kinsella, MA, LMHCA, NCC, ASATFamily Counselor, Gentle Path at The Meadows After news of the sudden death of actor and comedian Robin Williams, I was amazed by the impact this incident was having on people. I read post after post from my friends on… Read More

Straight Talk from a Counselor

By Amy Levinson, MPA, MA, LASAC, CSAT Candidate Counselor, Gentle Path at The Meadows “Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster.” –Sun Tzu, The Art of War, 500 BC As a community of helpers and healers, we’ve come so far in this… Read More

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Submitted by James Naughton, MA, LPC, LISAC, Advanced Trained SE, Level II EMDR Practitioner Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was first introduced into psychiatry in the 1980s and was originally viewed as something rare, affecting only combat soldiers. Today, we understand that just about anyone at any age can… Read More

Dr. Shelley Uram on a Different Look at Depression

Depression is a mental illness in which many millions of Americans suffer every year. According to depression statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 9 percent of adult Americans have feelings of hopelessness, despondency, and/or guilt that generate a diagnosis of depression. At any given… Read More

Affordable Care Act Allowing Patients Residential and Out-of-State Treatment Benefits

The final rule implementing the Affordable Care Act’s Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) issued on November 8 creates for the first time the possibility of a safe haven from the insurance practices that began in the late 1980s. These practices intruded on the relationship between provider and… Read More

Practicing Gratitude Enhances Well-Being

By Dr. Jan Anderson, Psy.D., LPCC Studies show that the regular practice of gratitude can increase not just your well-being and happiness, but also improve your physical health and your relationships. I was in the audience as Business First publisher Tom Monahan went one-on-one with Yum! Brands Inc. President and… Read More

Practicing Boundaries without Armoring the Heart

Life seems to offer plenty of opportunities to practice boundaries. Whether it’s in our relationships with family and friends or at the grocery store check-out line, we have many chances to decide if, when, and in what ways information and people can be part of our lives. Maintaining healthy boundaries… Read More

The Meadows an Exhibitor at the Spring IECA Conference in Chicago

The Meadows will be an exhibitor at the Spring Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) in Chicago, Illinois at the Chicago Marriott Downtown on April 10-13, 2013. The theme of the conference is “Meeting Our Challenges.” IECA Conference Consultants, school, college and program admissions officers, administrators and staff, and related service… Read More

Paying Attention to Rising Waters

Alongside green acres of alfalfa, a twisting river cut through the farmland on which I spent much of my formative years. In the summers, after the chores were done, my friends and I would spend hours on the river swimming, skipping rocks and catching fish. (At this point in the… Read More