Tag: substance use
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How to Talk to Your Children About Fentanyl
David R Patterson Ph.D., ABPP I spent a large part of my academic career at a medical school, where I developed a consulting service at a Level-I trauma center with a county mission to care for patients who are indigent, homeless, and have mental illnesses. My work often involved helping patients with serious addictions. Doing this work,Doing this work, I just…
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Young Creators Are Burning Out and Breaking Down
By Taylor Lorenz ( New York Times) Lately, it’s been hard for Jack Innanen, a 22-year-old TikTok star from Toronto, to create content. “I feel like I’m tapping a keg that’s been empty for a year,” he said. Spending hours shooting, editing, storyboarding, engaging with fans, setting up brand deals and balancing the many other responsibilities that come…
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You Are Not Your Diagnosis
CooperRiis Healing Community By: Kimberly Nelson, MA with Courtney Kelly Receiving a diagnosis is a significant milestone on the road to recovery. It clarifies courses of treatment, supplies precedent, and gives rhyme and reason to symptoms that may otherwise be confusing or even scary. “Identifying a set of experiences with a name can often be…
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The Psychology of Happiness
Lawrence R. Samuel Ph.D. It is safe to say that the pursuit of happiness—a phrase penned by the Founding Fathers in the Declaration of Independence—has served as a primary ambition for many Americans throughout the nation’s history. It was soon after World War I when—as I posit in Happiness in America: A Cultural History—the modern concept of happiness…
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Recent Drug Addiction Statistics for Boston and Massachusetts
Baystate Recovery Services Massachusetts is ranked #8 in the rate of drug-related deaths that occurred in 2019, reports the CDC. That year, the state had 32.1 drug-related deaths for every 100,000 residents. Heroin is the top illicit drug of use in Boston and the entire state. Plus, it has contributed to thousands of overdose deaths in…
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30 Low-Stress Jobs for People with Anxiety
Summit Malibu For people who are naturally anxious, trying to find the right employment fit can be scary and intimidating. If recruiters advertised “low-stress jobs” in their hiring promotions or even the “best jobs for people with anxiety,” it would make the job hunt much easier for so many people. There’s no shortage of individuals…
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Recognizing Our Barriers to Self-Compassion
Bernard Golden, Ph.D. “Taking this program will be transformative.” That’s what I was told when I registered for Self-Compassion in Psychotherapy (SCIP), a 10-month program offered to psychotherapists by the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion, which was founded by Chris Germer and Kristin Neff. I had previously become acquainted with their work through reading their books and attending…
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The Best Advice I Ever Got About Being a Therapist
Elizabeth Heaney MA, LPC “Hey, what’s the best advice you ever got about being a therapist?” I get that question from younger therapists when I teach grad counseling students, supervise interns, and facilitate case consultation groups. Over the course of 40 years in clinical practice, I’ve had some outstanding mentors, and my skills have developed…
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4 Surprising Ways to Maintain a Youthful Brain
Scott C. Anderson “If I had known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself.” That quote, which has been attributed to Eubie Blake, resonates well enough to have been repeated by Mickey Mantle, Mae West, and Erma Bombeck, among others. But is it true? Can aging be…
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The Power of Writing to Heal
Writing has been instrumental in my healing process since I first stepped into a writing workshop in 2007. I was trying to heal from a major depressive episode that forced me to resign from my first social work position and required six inpatient admissions over a span of 18 months. I also endured a course…