Our Latest Blogs

What Are You Afraid Of? A Look at the ‘100 Days Without Fear’ Project

no fear

  Everyone knows Franklin Roosevelt’s famous quote “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself” but for much of Michelle Poler’s life, she had precisely 100 things to fear. From big dogs to roller coasters, from wearing patterned clothing to dancing in public, Michelle was afraid of mostly everything. Yet, when this 26 year old art […]

Mental Health App Review: Pacifica

pacifica logo

  Pacifica is a free smartphone app that is designed to use the principles of Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Mindfulness to help with daily stress, anxiety and depression. With anxiety and depression being the most common mental health disorders, I’m glad that app developers are addressing this issue. There are six major aspects to Pacifica and each one has […]

Can a Violent Video Game, Hellblade Promote Positive Attitudes Towards Mental Illness?

asteroids game

An RtoR SmackDown of the Generations – Millennial vs. Baby Boomer! The metaphor of mental illness as a kind of living hell within the mind is nothing new.  But Hellblade, the Game?  When I first read that gaming company Ninja Theory wants to provide an “accurate and sensitive” portrayal of mental illness in its combat-based […]

The “Cheaper Than Therapy” Fashion Trend: Not a Joke

  In the last few months, I’ve noticed that the women’s clothing departments in several mainstream clothing’s stores selling T-shirts with a slogan that decrees a certain activity is “cheaper than therapy”.  I’ve personally seen yoga, running, gardening and wine all being advertising as a therapy substitute. It’s not only in the stores; as I […]

Understanding Childhood Selective Mutism

scrabble letters quiet

  The sound of their child’s voice is something most parents love to hear. No doubt will the sudden cessation of that voice cause most parents to feel fear and confusion. Selective mutism is a form of anxiety which 7 out of every 1,000 children experience. There is no difference in the rate of prevalence by sex or […]

RtoR Family Resource Collection: Book Review of The Family Guide to Mental Health Care

family and friends sitting at a dining table

For Mental Health Awareness Month, Resources to Recover kicks off its new Family Resource Collection with the one book that is indispensable to any family facing serious mental health concerns.  Dr. Lloyd I. Sederer’s The Family Guide to Mental Health Care is a comprehensive guide to the identification, care and treatment of mental illness.  There may […]

RtoR Mental Health Awareness Month: The Gendered Trauma in “Avengers: Age of Ultron”

black widow avengers

In the most recent addition to the Marvel Cinematic Franchise, Avengers: Age of Ultron, the superheroes encounter a superhuman who has the power of mind control. She uses her abilities to make the heroes hallucinate their worst fear which is either an incident from their past or the worst outcome in the future. When we see […]

RtoR Mental Health Awareness Month: The Mental Health Challenges for LGBTQ Youth

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  Adolescents who identify as LGBTQ are known to face discrimination. Not only do they experience stigmatization and alienation from their peers but also can face similar attitudes at home. It is believed that experiences of discrimination may contribute to mental health issues in LGBTQ people. Research has found that those who identify as homosexual […]

RtoR Mental Health Awareness Month: Four Tips to Balancing the Mind with Nutrition

light up brain

  When living with a mental health condition, it can feel like your body and mind are out of your control. It’s nice to know that there is an aspect of your mental wellness that you have the opportunity to control every day. Healthy eating is the simplest way you can bring balance and wellness […]

RtoR Mental Health Awareness Month: Our Newest Family-Endorsed Provider of Psychotherapy Service

d&cbt center westport building photo

Psychotherapy, also known as “talk therapy,” has a mixed record of effectiveness in the treatment of serious mental illness.  Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is one form of psychotherapy for which there is a substantial evidence base, especially when offered in conjunction with other treatments, such as psychopharma-cology. Another emerging best practice with a growing evidence base […]

Three Little Known Facts About Persistence

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       .       Rtor.org is pleased to have disability advocate Michael De Rosa guest blogging on the site today. Michael is editor of the website dismantlingdisABILITIES.com and author of the soon to be published self-help workbook “Unlimited Potential: empowerment tools at your finger tips.” His lived experience with anxiety and other disabilities, […]

When Parents Reach Their Limits: Recruiting Parent Supporters to Help Manage Children’s Mental Health Issues in the Home

mom and teen fight

As the holidays approach and cold weather sets in, my mind drifts back to an amazing gift my wife and I received from a friend in the middle of last summer.  I’ll call it the gift of parenting support. That may not sound like much, but to my wife and me, struggling to raise a […]

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner to Speak on Mental Health Symptoms and Medication: Next Up in the Laurel House Family Seminar Series

On October 16, 2014 in Stamford, Laurel House will present the third installment in its Family Seminar Series on the topic of Medication and Symptomology.  Carol Monroe, a Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, will talk about the symptoms of some common mental health disorders and the medications that are typically prescribed for them, including […]

Off to College: A Mental Health Checklist for Parents of First-Year Students

It’s mid-August and that time of year again.  Having just dropped off my first-born at college a mere ten days ago, the off-to-school drill for first-year students is fresh in mind: Tuition paid, insurance waiver and other paperwork filed New clothes, laptop, mini fridge, school supplies, etc Figure out transportation options while away at school […]

A Father’s Grief at the Loss of an Iconic Actor: In Memory of Robin Williams’ Gift to All of Us

robin williams - good will hunting

  Update: Much has changed since Robin Williams’ death in 2014. New information has been released regarding the circumstances of his reported suicide. There have also been changes in the family situation Jay describes in the post from August 13, 2014. For a happier, more positive continuation of this story, read Jay’s most recent post […]

Mental Health Resources in Massachusetts

massachusetts

Massachusetts

Public mental health services in Massachusetts are administered and provided by the Department of Mental Health. Substance use and addiction treatment services in Massachusetts are overseen by a separate agency, the Bureau of Substance Abuse Services.

Mental Health Resources in Connecticut

connecticut

Connecticut

Public mental health and addiction services in Connecticut are administered and provided by the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS). Only 47.5% of adults with mental illness in Connecticut receive any form of treatment from either the public system or private providers (according to SAMHSA). The renaming 52.5% received no mental health treatment. According to Mental Health America, Connecticut is ranked 1 out of 50 states and Washington D.C. for providing access to mental health services.