Treatment

Lessons Learned from Mariah Carey’s Struggle with Bipolar Disorder

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It was big news when pop megastar Mariah Carey recently disclosed that she has been dealing with bipolar disorder since being diagnosed in 2001. In an interview with People magazine, Carey said she is diagnosed with bipolar II disorder. (Bipolar II is a less severe form of the disorder than bipolar I disorder. While both forms of the illness are characterized by mood swings including bouts of severe depression, in bipolar II, the periods of elevated mood are called hypomania, …

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The Top Reasons Why People Don’t Receive Needed Mental Health Services

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I’ve written several times about the important issue of the need for affordable and effective treatment for mental health issues. I’ve also thoroughly discussed several of the main reasons why large numbers of people get little or no treatment for mental illnesses. Two of my most popular posts on this topic are “8 Reasons Why People Don’t Get Treatment for Mental Illness” and the follow-up piece on “Overcoming the 8 Reasons…” Since it’s been a while since I last visited this topic, …

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Finding Quality Treatment for Substance Use Disorders

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If you or a friend or loved one is in need of treatment for drug or alcohol addiction, often one of the biggest challenges is finding an accessible and affordable program that provides high quality treatment services. Recently, SAMHSA (the US Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration) published a guideline to help people more easily connect with good substance use treatment programs. The guideline is called “Finding Quality Treatment for Substance Use Disorders.” Let’s do a quick review and see …

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“Why Don’t People Get Treatment? (& How Can We Help?)” – CXMH Podcast Interview

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I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by Robert Vore for the CXMH Podcast. Let me first tell you a little about Robert and the podcast, then we’ll dive into a little preview of what we discussed on the podcast. If you can’t wait and want to jump right over to hear the podcast, the link is at the end of this post. The CXMH Podcast describes itself as “a podcast on faith and mental health.” Robert Vore, who …

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‘A Roadmap to Behavioral Health’: A Review

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Navigating the mental health system to obtain appropriate care for mental illness and addictions often seems akin to trying to pilot a small airplane through a turbulent thunderstorm in the dark. It’s challenging, uncomfortable, scary and hard to safely reach your destination. In an effort to provide better guidance to find mental health and substance use services, SAMHSA (the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) and CMS (the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) have recently developed …

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Recovery After a Suicide Attempt: ‘A Journey Toward Health and Hope’

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Perhaps you (or someone you care about) have had such significant distress, depression or hopelessness that you attempted to end your life by suicide. However, if you’re reading this, I’m so glad you made it through that incredibly difficult experience. Often there is little support for suicide attempt survivors, so I’m always looking out for helpful resources. Not long ago, I came across a free publication called “A Journey Toward Health and Hope: Your Handbook to Recovery After a Suicide …

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Picture a Healthier You Through Art Therapy

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It’s commonly said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Art can move us, inspire us, and it can be either a satisfying hobby or a very rewarding profession for a talented few. But it’s not widely known that art therapy is an effective treatment used to help individuals with mental illness or addiction. Recently I talked with Fran Belvin, an experienced licensed professional art therapist and colleague in Lexington, Kentucky. I asked Fran some questions about how art …

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20 Life-Changing Benefits of Psychotherapy

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Have you ever considered seeking psychotherapy to help you manage or overcome a personal or emotional concern? Or perhaps you’re engaged in therapy currently or you have participated in the past. We know that psychotherapy works. In a previous post, I wrote about some of the considerable evidence for the effectiveness of psychotherapy. But what are some of the tangible benefits of psychotherapy? Here are 20 potentially life-changing benefits you could obtain from psychotherapy. This list is by no means …

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