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mental health

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

The Legacy of Loss and Grief

“Grief is like the ocean, it comes on waves ebbing and flowing. Sometimes the water is calm, and sometimes it is overwhelming. All one can do is learn to swim” - Vicki Harrison “Grief is like the ocean, it comes on waves ebbing and flowing. Sometimes the water is calm, and sometimes it is overwhelming. All one can do is learn to swim” - Vicki Harrison Loss and grief are two inescapable emotions that humans must experience at some point in their lives. The ability to cope with these emotions varies in accordance with the different stages of a person’s life. Read More

Military PTSD: Finding Hope in the Nightmares

Written by a former active-duty military personnel, currently employed at Gentle Path at The Meadows. In a world that is constantly in strife and war, we as a nation call upon the select few that have dedicated their lives in service to our country—the protectors of… Read More

7 Habits You’ll Notice the Happiest People Practicing

By Marcel Schwantes It’s easy to get bogged down by the negative instead of the positive in any situation. Many people strive for happiness in their careers, relationships, and personal goals, but most people don’t choose to be happy in their everyday lives. A common misconception is that the… Read More

The Long-Term Impact of Deep Stress on Children

Everyone understands stress. We work too hard, play too hard, and get little to no sleep. We’ve got too many balls in the air and ignore self-care, resulting in deep stress. As a result, everything suffers—our mood, health, and work. Minor problems feel more significant, and our reactions to anything… Read More

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for PTSD in Veterans

The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has invested heavily in the dissemination of prolonged exposure therapy and cognitive processing therapy (1), yet 30-50% of veterans participating in these therapies fail to show clinically significant improvements. Evidence suggests that mindfulness-based stress reduction, an intervention that teaches individuals to focus on… Read More

Cannabis Use on Cognitive Functioning

During the past few decades, there have been a lot of changes in the way people perceive cannabis in the United States. Decriminalization, medical dispensaries, and even legalization of marijuana in several states have resulted in a more relaxed view toward cannabis use. However, it’s very important to note that cannabis use has been shown to impair cognitive functions on a number of levels, leaving users with both acute and long-term effects. Read More

How Is Your Inner Child Today?

By Nancy Minister, Therapist, Rio Retreat Center at The Meadows If you’ve ever done work at The Meadows — either in an inpatient program or our Survivors I Workshop — you’ve likely had some experience getting in touch with your inner child. So, how is that young part… Read More