In the wake of two Mideast wars, many Americans added a new acronym to their lexicon IED, which stands for improvised explosive device. Essentially, homemade bombs constructed in unconventional ways, typically hidden in debris along roadways to inflict unsuspected carnage. Many American servicemen and women have been maimed or lost their lives as a result...Read More

“I haven’t lost my mind, it lost me.” The sobering words of late sci-fi fantasy icon Carrie Fisher, better known around the world as Princess Leia, are chilling to say the least. While Fisher is best known for her cinnamon bun hairdos and brandishing laser blasters, she was also an advocate for mental health and...Read More

In the field of addiction treatment, medications are sometimes used off-label in place of medications that can be habit forming. While drugs like Seroquel XR ® (Quetiapine ER), an atypical antipsychotic, have been approved for treating schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression, the drug has proven beneficial and is commonly used off-label to treat anxiety...Read More

Anticipating a surgical procedure… It is probably safe to say that no one looks forward to having a surgical procedure. Of course, depending on one’s medical condition, a successful surgery is what a patient anticipates and desires. Non-emergency surgeries (elective) are preceded with considerable pre-op examinations, like EKGs, lung x-rays, blood work, maybe an MRI...Read More

What can we learn from a Greek tragedy? Do you have vivid memories of a high school class where the syllabus included Greek tragedies? Maybe it was an English honors class or perhaps just a simple introduction to the classics where you were expected to read and digest works such as Sophocles’ Ajax, Antigone, or...Read More

Our world changed on Monday evening… Famous people die every day. It can be a celebrity, a states person, an infamous character, a sports figure, or a world leader. For sure we almost always stop a bit and take notice, but every once in a while we find ourselves grieving as a society writ large....Read More

Do you remember the first time you used a camera? The other day we were having lunch with an associate and suddenly she said, “Wait, let’s take a photo…oh, OK, a selfie!” We obliged and had a good laugh at our many attempts to make ourselves look young and gorgeous! Afterwards we got to talking...Read More

Is your adolescent, teenager or young adult child trying to hide their scars? A provocative question for sure, but think about it for a minute. We are talking about physical scars from cutting (or burning), not just emotional scars. Hiding any kind of scar is not unusual. Women wear make-up to hide acne scars or...Read More

Ned Vizzini ~ April 4, 1981 – December 19, 2013 If you’ve enjoyed reading young adult (YA) books or if you work in the field of behavioral health, then there is a good chance you know of Ned Vizzini and his books that deal with depression, bullying, and making connections in the real world. For...Read More

Would you take a Mental Health First Aid course? Let’s face it; it is not unusual for employers to require employees to enroll in a Red Cross course to receive certification in First Aid/CPR.  This training can assist employees to respond to their co-workers who may suffer a medical emergency, and likewise to react appropriately...Read More