Denial Denial is a defense mechanism most often seen in drug addiction and alcoholism.  It allows the addiction to be maintained and even prolonged.  Denial involves behaviors such as dishonesty, pretending a problem does not exist, or even exaggeration of a problem.  Many addicts or alcoholics in denial avoid people or situations where their substance...Read More

What Is Treatment? Treatment is considered anything related to how someone deals with something. Treatment can include physical treatment, which involves seeing a doctor or other medical professional. Physical treatment involves getting prescription medication for symptom relief or having a procedure done to relieve pain or a dysfunctional body part. Psychological treatment includes seeing a...Read More

Until recent years, co-occurring disorders were considered to be a rare case. Addiction and alcoholism, more formally referred to as alcohol use or substance use disorder, were treated as an isolated problem. Some might refer to the debate as the “chicken and the egg”. People assumed that the chicken and the egg were different- meaning...Read More

Regularly seeing a therapist is a normal part of recovery for most people who go to treatment. Everyone who goes to treatment will see an individual therapist as well as work with multiple group therapists. Part of discharge planning, as well as working through transitional levels of treatment, includes incorporating therapy into part of recovery...Read More

Veterans Treatment Court Here are some startling statistics regarding our veterans, as provided by the Justice for Vets organization: Veterans make up one-third of homeless in America. 67,000 veterans live on the streets at any given time The majority of homeless vets suffer from mental illness, substance use and abuse, and co-occurring disorders like depression,...Read More

Headline: USDA Announces Support for Mental Health Facilities in Rural Areas If you saw this headline would you click on the link to read the story? We were curious because we did not immediately see the connection between the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and mental health.  The USDA’s press release was issued December...Read More

I was reading an article writen by Marsha Rosenbaum and Jennifer Kern titled “Whether It’s Drugs, Or Sex, Abstinence Only Education Simply Doesn’t Work“. I believe the article makes some good points about the need for prevention education based on science rather than “scare tactics” or morality. What the article is alluding to is “Harm...Read More

Well maybe not big, but our first cameo anyway… Did anyone else catch the episode of Weeds a couple weeks back where (spoiler alert) Nancy is thinking about rehab and talking it over with a friend? The friend was telling her about some of the different places and he mentioned Cottonwood. Is that when you...Read More

The Cottonwood Tucson Experiential Wellness Program serves patients by offering tools for self-care, enhancing their ability to move through life successfully. Patients learn to rely on their strengths; get their needs met; and use their natural abilities and preferences to facilitate their transformation. We are committed to patients experiencing self-respect, relaxation, energy, compassion and joy....Read More