Our Latest Blogs

Doctor, Heal Thyself: Training to Be a Counselor When You Have Mental Health Issues

When you are living with mental illness, such as depression and anxiety, the idea of becoming a counselor might seem counterproductive. How can you possibly help others with their issues when you’re battling your own demons? The fact is, though, that a significant number of mental health professionals are drawn to the field because of […]

7 Ways Society Labels People with Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety Disorder Stereotypes

Today’s guest blog post is by a young writer from Pakistan, Saim Cheeda, who lives with anxiety and depression. Saim may be writing from halfway around the world, but his guest post shows that these disorders and other peoples’ reactions to them are universal across cultures. He brings a positive message to people everywhere living […]

Mental Health Challenges Facing LGBTQ Youth

LGBTQ Youth Mental Health Challenges

Adolescence is hard enough. But for LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning) youth, the difficulties of these years are compounded by stress related to prejudice, bullying, and the fear of rejection. In extreme cases, some are exposed to the damaging practice of conversion therapy. Such dynamics can lead to an array of mental […]

New Canaan, Connecticut

Located northeast of New York City, New Canaan is a small affluent town in lower Fairfield County, Connecticut, settled in 1731. The town has a population of 19,738 with a median household income of $175,331. Considered part of Connecticut’s Gold Coast, New Canaan is known for its excellent public school system, its wide range of architecture from the Harvard Five modern homes to historic New England colonials and farmhouses, as well as a signature town center. […]

Panic Attacks and How to Cope with Them

A panic attack can be a terrifying experience, often causing the sufferer to believe he or she is  having a heart attack and about to die. The distressing nature of the attack can compound the person’s anxiety and make the attack even more intense and long lasting. Worrying about when the unpleasant symptoms of the […]

Colorado Recovery

Residential Treatment Facility
Boulder, CO

Colorado Recovery offers 24-hour care 7 days a week in a residential treatment facility, transitional living and daily intensive outpatient services in Boulder, Colorado. Services are available for adults with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or other serious mental illnesses.

Mountainside

Residential Treatment Program
Canaan, CT

Mountainside Residential Treatment Center in Canaan, CT is part of a nationally acclaimed behavioral health network providing individualized alcohol and drug addiction treatment. By combining innovative clinical and holistic therapies with a data-driven approach, they empower clients to transform their lives and achieve long-term recovery.

Eden Hill Recovery Retreat

Residential Program
Canaan, CT

Eden Hill Recovery Retreat is a transitional sober living home designed exclusively for adult women in Canaan, CT. The Eden Hill Extended Care Women’s Program offers a comprehensive approach to treating substance use and co-occurring disorders.

Diana Deister, MD

Psychiatrist
Boston, MA

Dr. Deister is a psychiatrist who treats children and adolescents through the Adolescent Substance Use and Addictions Program (ASAP) at Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Deister and ASAP clinicians are able to evaluate and support adolescents with a full range of substance use problems and disorders, from teens who have just begun using substances to those struggling with addiction, and their families.

Marijuana’s Effects on Mental Health and How to Quit

Young woman vaping marijuana.

Doctors regularly prescribe marijuana. It is legal in many states, widely available at neighborhood dispensaries and has become part of mainstream culture. But does that mean it’s safe and beneficial? The answer depends on who you ask. Certainly, there is plenty of evidence about the reported harmful effects of cannabis, including lowering a user’s IQ […]

Failure to Launch Part 6: Diagnosis – The Most Common Mental Health Problems Associated with FTL

Since I started blogging about the epidemic of young adults living at home and not moving forward in their lives, people from across the United States, most of them parents, have contacted us on a daily basis about the problem they refer to as “Failure to Launch,” “Failure to Launch Syndrome” or simply “FTL.” I […]

Suicide Prevention Within the LGBTQ Community: Resources and Support for At-Risk Youth

Suicide Prevention Within the LGBTQ Community: Resources and Support for At-Risk Youth

This week on www.rtor.org we observe National Suicide Prevention Week (Sept. 9-15, 2018) with a guest blog post on suicide risk and prevention for LGBTQ youth. The theme of this year’s Suicide Prevention Week is “The Power of Connection.” This is a message that is especially relevant for LGTBQ youth. Discrimination and social isolation place […]

Gender Dysphoria in Teens – What Parents Need to Know (Frequently Asked Questions)

Gender Dysphoria in Teens - What Parents Need to Know

Despite the fact there is evidence that gender dysphoria has existed since early human civilizations, many people have not heard of this concept until recently. Gender dysphoria is defined by the National Health Service (UK) as “a condition where a person experiences discomfort or distress because there’s a mismatch between their biological sex and gender […]

Grounding Techniques for Trauma Symptoms

Grounding Techniques for Trauma Symptoms (PTSD)

Many people have experienced traumatic events during childhood or later. Some may not even have considered them to be traumatic. These traumas might include being the victim of or exposure to violence; physical, sexual or emotional abuse; severe neglect; bullying; a serious accident or illness; domestic violence; death of a parent or other close relative; […]

How Depression May Be Harming Your Health

how depression can hurt your health

Depression is a silent killer when ignored. Many people suffering from depression never seek medical attention during their entire lives. They choose to absorb the burden of depression into their different body systems. This can lead to physical symptoms and various diseases at a later stage. This is a more serious issue than you might […]

Robert DiRoma Jr., LMSW, LADC

Drug and Alcohol Counselor
Darien, CT

Robert DiRoma is a licensed master social worker (LMSW) and a licensed drug and alcohol counselor (LADC) with a private practice in Darien, CT. He specializes in substance and alcohol abuse and mental health disorders.

How I Improved My Addiction Recovery By Learning The Art Of Mindfulness

“Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the whole earth revolves – slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future; live the actual moment. Only this moment is life.” -Thich Nhat Hanh, The Miracle of Mindfulness My name is Andy. I have been an addict from the age of […]

Greenwich, Connecticut

The town of Greenwich, established in 1640, is one of the oldest towns in Connecticut. Located only 29 miles from New York City, on Connecticut’s “Gold Coast,” Greenwich has the convenience of being close to a big city, with the comfort and security of the country. Greenwich has been named as one of the top places to live. Greenwich has a population of 62,256 and a median household income of $134,223. […]

Alicia Murray, MD

Psychiatrist
White Plains, NY
New York, NY

Dr. Murray is a psychiatrist with a private practice in White Plains and New York, NY. She specializes in the treatment of addictive disorders and also generalized mental health disorders in adolescents and adults.

How Do Nutrition and Mental Health Work Together For Your Benefit?

The Wealth Health Organization1 defines mental health as a complete state of well-being and not just an absence of any disease. It would include your ability to deal with everyday stress and your healthy interaction with people around you. And the factors that govern this state of well-being range from genetic to environmental conditions. According […]

Top 5 Mental Health Benefits of Quitting Drugs and Alcohol

I remember my struggles with quitting drugs and alcohol quite vividly. I was at a point in my life when chasing intoxicated states was all that I could think about. It was a way for me to escape the negative feelings and the harsh realities of where I was in my life. My thought process […]

Downward Dog Your Way out of Depression

The Benefits of Yoga on Mental Health Depression is a common disorder that affects people from every nationality, religion, and gender. Depression does not discriminate when it chooses its victims. According to the University of Southern California, as of 2016, mental health and well-being was among the top five public health concerns in the United […]

What Comes First: Addiction or a Mental Health Problem?

Mental health and addiction. What comes first?

According to the Journal of the American Medical Association: 53% of people with a mental health disorder also experience problems with alcohol or drugs. 29% of people with a mental health disorder have a co-occurring addiction disorder at some point in their lives. These statistics may lead you to believe that mental health problems cause […]

KidsPeace Psychiatric Children’s Hospital

Psychiatric Children’s Hospital
Orefield, PA

KidsPeace Psychiatric Hospital is an acute care 120-bed facility providing a fully integrated continuum of 24-hour intensive psychiatric care in a safe, secure facility. KidsPeace treats children, teenagers and young adults ages eighteen to twenty and a half, who present a danger to self or others and cannot be safely maintained in the community.

Dean Leone, PhD

Psychologist
Westport, CT
Guilford, CT

Dr. Leone is a psychologist with a private practice in Westport and Guilford, CT. where he treats individuals and couples struggling with a wide range of concerns. He specializes in substance abuse and dual diagnosis treatment and is currently running groups aimed helping people reduce or completely abstain from substance misuse.

Is Mental Illness a Disease: A Trauma-based Look at Mental Health Disorders Through the Lens of West Side Story

There are many great songs from the musical West Side Story, but my favorite has always been the brilliantly satirical “Gee, Officer Krupke.”  In this number, the Jets’ leader Riff plays a troubled youth who is passed between experts eager to judge what is wrong with him.  In the hand-off between psychiatrist and social worker […]

Alison Emel, PhD

Clinical Psychologist
Riverside, CT

Dr. Emel is a licensed clinical psychologist in Connecticut and co-founder of The Behavior Therapy Group, a therapy practice in Riverside, CT specializing in compassionate, effective, evidence-based treatments for adolescents and adults.

4 Exercise Programs for Better Mental Health: Giving You the Endurance and Strength to Push Through Life’s Struggles

Life can be hard, and proof of this sobering reality are the 43 million Americans who suffer from some form of mental health condition, according to Mental Health America. Almost half of those 43 million have a co-occurring substance abuse problem, while some 9.6 million experience suicidal thoughts. Those figures might even increase in the […]

Darien, Connecticut

Located in Connecticut’s lower Fairfield County between Stamford and Norwalk, Darien is a historic, residential town, incorporated in 1820. With a population of approximately 21,000 and a median household income of $200,000, Darien is known as one of the wealthiest towns in America. Regardless of the town’s affluence, 5.4% of residents live below the federal poverty line and there is a significant need for human services from the public and private nonprofits sectors to serve the town’s residents. […]

Umesh Mehta, MD

umesh-mehta

Psychiatrist
Belle Mead, NJ

Dr. Umesh Mehta is a psychiatrist who specializes in the treatment of older adults with mental health disorders.

Tarique Perera, MD

Tarique-Perera

Psychiatrist
Greenwich, CT
Danbury, CT
New York, NY

Tarique Perera, MD, is a psychiatrist serving adolescents, adults, couples, and families in Greenwich, CT, Danbury, CT, New York, NY, and the surrounding communities.

Joseph Russo, MD

Joseph Russo

Psychiatrist
Westport, CT

Joseph Russo, M.D., is a psychiatrist in private practice serving adolescents, adults and families in Westport, CT, and the surrounding communities.

Rocco Marotta, MD, PhD

Psychiatrist
New Canaan, CT

Rocco Marotta, MD, PhD, is a board-certified psychiatrist and Adult Transitional Living Program Service Chief at Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, CT.

Zucker Hillside Hospital

professionals in meeting

Psychiatric Rehabilitation Programs
Hollis, NY

The Intensive Psychiatric Rehabilitation Treatment Program (IPRT) at Zucker Hillside Hospital is a community-based mental health service, intended for individuals with disabilities due to a psychiatric illness who express a need for change in either their living, educational, vocational or social environments.

Michele Winchester-Vega, DSW

Michele Winchester Vega

Psychotherapist
New Windsor, NY
Florida, NY

Michele Winchester-Vegas, DSW, is a doctor of social work in private practice serving children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families in New Windsor, NY, Florida, NY, and the surrounding communities.

S. Kate Venison, LMFT

venison, kate

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, LMFT
Westport, CT

Kate Venison is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), with a private practice in Westport, CT.

Sunil Saxena, MD

Family-Endorsed provider icon

Psychiatrist
Stamford, CT
Southbury, CT
White Plains, NY

Sunil Saxena, MD, is a psychiatrist treating children, adolescents, and adults in the communities surrounding Stamford, CT, Southbury, CT, and White Plains, NY.

Elise Munoz, LCSW-R, DSW

Elise Munoz

Licensed Clinical Social Worker
White Plains, NY

Elise Munoz is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who specializes in treating anxiety disorders and depression in children, adolescents and adults.

Eleni Galiatsos, LCSW-R

Family-Endorsed provider icon

Licensed Clinical Social Worker
White Plains, NY

Eleni Galiatsos, LCSW-R, is a licensed clinical social worker in private practice serving adolescents and adults in White Plains, NY, and the surrounding communities.

The Dialectical and Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center, LLC

dcbt_center

Psychotherapy
Westport, CT

The Dialectical and Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center serves to provide its clients with therapies that are of the highest quality and informed by the most recent research in psychological treatments; to provide training in dialectical and cognitive behavior therapy to professionals; and to educate the community about the potential benefits of dialectical and cognitive behavior therapies.

Midwestern Connecticut Council of Alcoholism (MCCA)

Outpatient Addiction Services
Danbury, CT

MCCA offers outpatient treatment services through individual, group and family therapy. Clients are able to participate in a variety of programs such as intensive outpatient services, relapse prevention, early intervention and specified support groups.

ClearView Communities

clearview residential building

Housing/Residential, Education & Employment Services, Outpatient Treatment
Frederick, MD

ClearView Communities is a private nonprofit organization that provides residential rehabilitation services for adults struggling with a range of serious psychiatric diagnoses.

Jeremy Barowsky, MD

jeremy barowsky

Board-Certified Addiction and General Psychiatrist
Greenwich, CT

Dr. Barowsky is a Harvard trained psychiatrist who is double-boarded by both the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and the American Board of Addiction Medicine.

Aware Recovery Care

Aware-Recovery-Care-logo

At-Home Addiction Treatment
North Haven, CT

Aware Recovery Care is an in-home addiction treatment program serving adults in North Haven, CT, and the surrounding areas.

Skyland Trail

Residential Treatment Program
Atlanta, GA

Skyland Trail is a nationally recognized nonprofit mental health treatment organization, serving adults ages 18 and older with a primary psychiatric diagnosis.

Yellowbrick

Residential Treatment Center
Evanston, IL

Yellowbrick specializes in assessment and treatment for young adults and their families. Yellowbrick provides integrated, intensive outpatient treatments that address the complex needs of troubled emerging adults with full-time, experienced and compassionate professionals dedicated to accountability and outcome.

Living Well with an Eating Disorder

living well eating disorder

  Eating disorders are some of the most dangerous and deadly mental health conditions. These disorders can take a large toll on one’s physical and mental health. Thankfully, recovery from eating disorders is very much possible. Here are thirteen notable people who recovered from an eating disorder and have continued to live well. Paula Abdul […]

Living Well with Borderline Personality Disorder

living well with borderline

Borderline personality disorder is a widely misunderstood disorder that is characterized by extreme mood swings, fear of abandonment, and destructive behaviors. While the symptoms of this disorder can affect a person’s life, it is possible to live well with this disorder. Here are ten examples of people who were able to achieve notable success while […]

Mental Health Recovery: 6 Themes of Hope for Mental Health Awareness Month

What is Mental Health Recovery to You-

Recovery is a term much used in mental health, but not always understood. Some people think of recovery in relation to a cure or getting better.  Others associate it with 12-step recovery from addiction. Mental health recovery can be all those things, but for those living with mental illness the term most often describes an […]

Failure to Launch Part 2: Setting Expectations for Young Adults at Home

young woman

Last year I wrote an article about young adult anxiety which quickly became one of our most popular posts on rtor.org. The article, Failure To Launch:  9 Tips for Managing Anxiety in Dependent Adult Children, is based on a podcast by Yale anxiety expert, Dr. Eli Lebowitz. Since it first appeared in 2016, many people […]

Living Well with Bipolar Disorder

living well with bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder, formerly known as manic-depression, is a serious mental health condition that is characterized by manic highs and depressive lows. The following is a list of notable people who have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and have achieved great success in their chosen fields. This list contains mostly those who are still living, but we […]

Understanding & Identifying OCD in the Classroom

OCD in the classroom

Today’s blog post comes to us from one of our Family-Endorsed Providers, Carla Kenney, LMHC. She writes on the importance of both educators and family members noticing the possible signs of OCD in children. Thank you, Carla, for sharing your expertise with us at rtor.org. —Veronique Hoebeke, Associate Editor Children say and do unusual things on occasion, or […]

Double Trouble & Beyond: Co-occurring Disorders in Our Favorite Characters from Movies, Novels and TV

Don draper

  In mental health, the term co-occurring disorders refers to the presence of two or more disorders in a person at the same time. In the past, co-occurring disorders were often confused with “dual diagnosis” (or “double trouble”), a term that was used to describe someone living with a mental illness and a substance use […]

The DOs and DON’Ts of Helping a Family Member with Psychosis 

Man Helping a Family Member in Psychosis

*Updated 9/24/2024* Have you noticed a family member beginning to act strangely? Do they believe that someone is trying to hurt them when there’s no apparent danger? Or maybe they’ve started following a complex belief system you can’t understand? If so, your loved one might be experiencing psychosis. Understanding psychosis and the disorders that cause […]

Spotting the Early Warning Signs of Heroin Addiction

Spotting the Early Warning Signs of Heroin Addiction

  In honor of Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Awareness Month, today’s guest blog post comes to us from Matt Abbasfard from Northbound in Newport Beach, CA. He discusses the warning signs of heroin and opioid addiction and the importance of seeking help for a loved one who might be struggling with a substance use disorder. Heroin […]

Co-occurring Disorders: Beyond Dual Diagnosis

co-occuring disorders

  Last fall for the third talk in Laurel House/RtoR’s Family Seminar Series, our featured speaker Dr. Jeremy Barowsky pointed out that we had used the outdated term “dual diagnosis” in our promotion of the event. Dr. Barowsky is the Director of Addiction Medicine at Greenwich Hospital Addiction Recovery Center. He also has a private […]