The patients at Cottonwood de Tucson built a labyrinth recently on a Sunday afternoon. The weather was beautiful and the group was excited to get out-of-doors and play a while in the desert. From a pile of rocks and a design drawn in the dirt, they pieced together a seven-circuit labyrinth that measures 21′ in...Read More

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is in the news a lot these days. We read about our veterans and the number that are diagnosed with PTSD. Researchers continue to work on new treatments for those suffering from PTSD and now some are looking at ways to help military personnel and civilians be better prepared to...Read More

Treating the whole person… At Cottonwood Tucson, our philosophy of care presumes that physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of life are closely interconnected and equally important to the overall health and wellness of a human being. We believe that achieving and maintaining good health requires more than just treating the disease or disorder. Our...Read More

Listening to life… Do you still wait for the sound of the daily newspaper being tossed in your driveway or dropped at your front door? Do you look forward to receiving your favorite weekly or monthly magazine? For that matter, do you ever sit down and watch your favorite weekly television show in its assigned...Read More

Today is Christmas Eve and hopefully the stress of shopping and traveling has come to an end. Now, you are probably thinking you can breathe a sigh of relief, relaxing for the remainder of the holiday. But if you are working a program of recovery, that might not be the best course of action. Surely,...Read More

Tran·scen·den·tal Med·i·ta·tion ™ noun a technique for detaching oneself from anxiety and promoting harmony and self-realization by meditation, repetition of a mantra, and other yogic practices, promulgated by an international organization founded by the Indian guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi ( c. 1911–2008). In circles of recovery around the globe, the practice of prayer and meditation...Read More

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

Most of us will experience body-shaking, explosive anger and rage at some point in our lives. Anger is a secondary emotion, a defense mechanism protecting us against the vulnerabilities of fear and sadness. Anger is also a survival mechanism, ingrained in our evolutionary DNA to fight off predators and threats. Today, we aren’t running from...Read More

“Fidget spinners” are all the rage right now, being sold in the millions in every color and pattern imaginable. The small toy is becoming a phenomena but was actually designed as a tool for helping patients with ADD, attention deficit disorder, and ADHD, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, find focus and calm. Fidgeting, distraction, and stress...Read More