Leaning into Fear

“We are very afraid of being powerless. But we have the power to look deeply at our fears, and then fear cannot control us.” -Thich Nhat Hanh These days, you don’t have to look very far to witness the powerful effects of fear. Just take a stroll (in your mind)… Read More

When Hidden Grief Gets Triggered During COVID-19 Confinement

How to Use These Days to Heal Old Wounds Rather than Reenact Them Our sense of loss during the current COVID-19 crisis can trigger hidden emotions from when we experienced a sense of loss before. Whatever early losses you have had in your life — whether they be your… Read More

A Day at a Time: How to Apply 12-Step Principles During COVID-19 Times

Senior Fellow Tian Dayton discusses how the 12 Steps can provide the wisdom that can help you get through the special challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read More

How Health Literate Are You?

By Wesley Gallagher Taking care of your health used to be easy. You got sick, you called your doctor. You went to the doctor, they told you what to do. You did it, or maybe you didn’t. Rinse, repeat. Nowadays, it goes more like this. You get sick, you go… Read More

September is National Recovery Month

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

The Hollower: Childhood Emotional Neglect and Its Effects

Here’s an irony for you: neglect is neglected. In discussions of childhood maltreatment, neglect hovers in the background, included categorically (“abuse and neglect”) but rarely the main focus despite being more prevalent than abuse and just as damaging.[1] The reasons aren’t hard to spot. First, abuse and neglect often occur together,… Read More

Laughter: Why It’s So Important

Why do we need to laugh? And what can laughter do for us that nothing else can? Well for starters, laughter is a complex brain/body catharsis, if you will, that is cleansing and enlivening mentally, physically, emotionally, and socially. Let’s face it, we all love that person who makes us… Read More

Men’s Trauma Affects Their Recovery and Relationships

Mental health professionals can improve treatment through trauma-centered and gender-responsive approaches. When men seek treatment for addiction, depression, and mental health disorders the outcomes are often quite positive. However, there is still room for improvement, since the risk for relapse after treatment is still somewhat high. Dan Griffin, an American sociologist who has studied gender and recovery and trained at Hazelden as a chemical dependency counselor, thinks that the men would be more likely to maintain recovery if treatment programs take a more trauma-centered and gender-specific approach. Read More

Autumn Is a Time for Letting Go

Dr. Georgia Fourlas LCSW, LISAC, CSAT, Rio Retreat Center at The Meadows I live in Arizona, so I do not get the benefit of seeing the beautiful fall foliage colors that some of the other parts of the nation enjoy. However, I see plenty of pics of autumn colors posted all over social media from friends across the country. Read More

Family Advocate Jerry Law: Freedom is Recovery’s Greatest Gift

The following is a partial transcript of a conversation Dan Griffin had with Jerry Law as part of his Men in Recovery video series. Jerry is an interventionist and the Director of Family, Education, and Leadership Training at The Meadows. Through his role at The Meadows, he works with… Read More