Military man dealing with ptsd

Physical Effects of PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a chronic mental health disorder that can occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event. PTSD impacts millions of people every year. We are all different, so not everyone who shares the same trauma will develop PTSD. However, anyone can develop PTSD at any age. For most…

a woman debates attending a CBT program

How a CBT Program Benefits Your Sobriety

Addiction is a complex disease that has a history rooted in stigma. Historically addiction has been viewed as a moral failing of people who actively chose to relinquish self-control. Thankfully, modern science and medical research have proven that addiction is a chronic, progressive brain disease, which has helped to alleviate much of the stigma previously…

a woman makes her relapse prevention plan

How to Make a Relapse Prevention Plan

By general definition, relapse means to fall or slip back into a former state. Regarding addiction, relapse is a return to drug or alcohol use following a period of abstinence. For mental health, a relapse is the return of symptoms to the degree that functioning is impaired. Relapse is always within the bounds of possibility…

a man benefits getting EMDR treatment

Benefits of EMDR Therapy for Past Traumas

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy, EMDR, is a therapeutic process that helps people free themselves from the harmful memories, negative thoughts, and upsetting emotions connected to past trauma that hinder their ability to lead healthy, productive lives. EMDR is non-invasive, evidence-based psychotherapy that has been clinically proven to be effective for treating trauma, PTSD,…

a woman participates in 12 step therapy for mental health

How to Find Success in a 12-Step Program

The 12-step recovery model was initially developed and implemented by Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) as a fellowship whose goal was to help one another overcome addiction to alcohol. Since its inception, the 12-step model has become universally known and is the most commonly recommended and used treatment modality for a wide array of addictions and compulsions.…

a woman seeks help for self-harm

How to Help Someone Who Is Self-Harming

Learning that a friend or family member is engaging in self-harm can be deeply upsetting. You may feel frightened for their safety and confused or angry about why they are doing this to themselves. For a long time, self-injurious behavior was wrongly categorized as “attention-seeking” behavior. On the contrary, most self-harm individuals go to great…

a group benefits from residential mental health treatment

When Is Residential Mental Health Treatment Necessary?

According to estimates, nearly one in five adults in the United States is suffering from a mental health disorder at any given time. Of the millions affected, roughly half will never receive treatment. For those who seek treatment, the different levels of care and types of programs to choose from can make selecting the best…

a man struggles with alcohol and depression

Does Alcohol Amplify Depression Symptoms?

Depression and alcohol abuse affects millions of people worldwide. While it cannot be said that one causes the other, the two are deeply interconnected. Estimates predict that nearly one-third of people who suffer from major depression also have an alcohol use disorder. In many cases, alcohol abuse is a symptom of depression, as individuals turn…

a woman seeks treatment for borderline personality disorder

Benefits of Residential Treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a mental health disorder that usually manifests in early adulthood. People with borderline personality disorder have difficulty managing their behavior and emotions, which often results in significant impairment in their daily functioning. Individuals with BPD also struggle to maintain healthy relationships. As with most mental health disorders, there is no…

a pair is happy after they learned about managing anxiety

Tips for Managing Your Anxiety

Anxiety is the body’s natural response to stress, and in normal doses, can be beneficial to our overall well-being. When anxiety is chronic or persistent, though, it is harmful to our mental and physical health. Every year, tens of millions of Americans suffer from some form of anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder…