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The Silent Barrier: How Fear of Judgment from Healthcare Providers Keeps People from Seeking Help
What if the person meant to help you was the one you feared most? Imagine sitting in an exam room, fidgeting with your cell phone, scrolling through apps, and trying to distract yourself from the anxiety building inside. You are aware of the antiseptic smell lingering in the air, but it’s drowned...
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Supporting Maternal Mental Health and Reducing Stigma: A Clinical Perspective
Becoming a mother is a beautiful and rewarding experience, but it comes with a set of challenges that often go unrecognized. Maternal mental health is a critical dimension of perinatal care that is often overlooked amid the focus on the physical aspect of pregnancy. During the perinatal period,...
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Reframing Residential Treatment: Preventing Family Separation and Supporting Women with Substance Use Disorders
According to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 70.5 million people used illicit drugs in the past year, and 48.5 million of them met the criteria for a substance use disorder (SUD). In 2022, 32.6 million women reported illicit drug use, and while men have historically shown higher...
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Parenting with Mental Illness: Breaking the Silence and Navigating the Challenges
Mental illness affects millions of individuals worldwide, with an estimated 20% of adults in the United States experiencing a mental health disorder each year (NIMH, 2022). Among them, many are parents tasked with the responsibility of raising children while managing their own mental health. While...
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Does Listening to the Family Violate HIPAA? What Clinicians Need to Know When Working with Children and Vulnerable Adults
Over time, good clinicians frequently come to similar conclusions. One of those conclusions is that family involvement in treatment can help the person in therapy find deeper and healthier relationships with important people in their lives. While it is not always possible to “fix what is...
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Brain Disease or Moral Failure? Why the Label Matters for Addiction Recovery
When I went to treatment 15 years ago, I was convinced that addiction wasn't a disease. And that, if it were a disease, it was self-inflicted. Many of the patients I care for today often have the same feelings, blaming themselves and living with shame despite the knowledge we have today. If more...
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Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) for Teens: A Breakthrough Treatment for Adolescent Depression
Adolescence is a critical time for emotional and mental development. During this period, a variety of factors influence mental well-being, including family dynamics, peer relationships, school environments, and community support. Positive connections with others promote resilience, while struggles...
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Supporting Adolescents in Eating Disorder Treatment: The Impact of Family Involvement
For mental health professionals and those invested in behavioral health, understanding the role of family in eating disorder treatment is essential. All eating disorder treatment patients benefit from, and most often require, a personalized and multi-faceted approach to care where clinical...
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When Outpatient Psychiatric Care Is Not Enough
Key Points: The accepted goal of treatment is recovery—pursuit of a self-directed life, not just crisis stabilization. Those having difficulty pursuing recovery in outpatient treatment should consider residential treatment. Residential treatment ideally occurs in a community over...
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Implantable Device Reverses Opioid Overdose in Animals
An implantable device detected opioid overdose and automatically administered naloxone, saving lives in rat and pig models. The device hasn’t yet been tested in people. If successful, it might also be adapted to treat other emergencies, such as life-threatening allergic...
