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

Healthy Intimacy In Recovery

If you’re finding your way free from addiction, building intimacy in recovery may be one of your goals. If it isn’t, you may be wondering why it’s such a big deal. If you take a look at how addiction may have disrupted your existing relationships or made it nearly impossible to form healthy new ones, it may become clear. For anyone going through recovery, it’s good to know why intimacy is important and how you can rediscover connection, trust, and healthy relationships. 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

Do You Know a Narcissist?

By Anna McKenzie These days, it may feel easy to call a self-absorbed person a narcissist. While many people may display narcissistic personality traits, narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is difficult to diagnose and often occurs alongside other personality disorders, as well as substance abuse. Only clinicians can properly diagnose NPD… Read More

Unconscious Ways We Ask for Help

By Christa Banister Whether it’s the charge led by professional athletes like Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, Dallas Cowboys’ Dak Prescott, or NBA star Kevin Love — or the recent television and social media messages reminding everyone that “mental health is health” — the deliberate effort to… Read More

How Traditions Build Self-Esteem and Belonging

By Anna McKenzie We all have traditions that we take part in year after year. We may be more aware of them at the holidays — they’re often what we look forward to as we celebrate the season­ — but we actually observe rituals year-round. They can be common, like decorating… 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

Recovery for Partners of Sex Addicts

By Nancy Greenlee, MAPC, LCPC “I am hurt, and I’m devastated. Being married to my husband is like doing yoga on one leg,” a recent workshop participant said. “I’m trying to hold things together, but I keep crashing down.” She made an excellent analogy of what sexual betrayal, relapse,… 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