Author: Riley

image: Dr. Andria Eisman, assistant professor, College of Education at Wayne State University, received a nearly $900K R61 grant from the NIH to lead the study, “Reducing Addiction through Prevention Infrastructure Development (RAPID).” view more  Credit: Wayne State University DETROIT – Researchers at Wayne State University will work with Michigan agencies and education partners to improve access to school-based substance use prevention and treatment programs for adolescents who are at risk of substance misuse and substance use disorders (SUDs). The research will be funded by a two-year, $883,176 R61 exploratory grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National…

Le secouriste en santé mentale n’est pas un professionnel de santé. Il s’agit d’un citoyen formé à détecter les premiers signes de mal-être psychique. Son rôle est d’écouter sans juger, rassurer et orienter vers les ressources disponibles. « Une première main tendue qui peut faire toute la différence », note PSSM France.« Trop longtemps, la santé mentale a été considérée comme un sujet réservé aux professionnels, aux structures spécialisées. Or, tout le monde est concerné. Apprendre à aider une personne en souffrance psychique, c’est un savoir citoyen. La formation aux Premiers secours en santé mentale (PSSM) permet à chacun de…

Summary Cleveland’s Office of Mental Health and Addiction Recovery teaches classes to friends and family members who need support on the journey to recovery.  Housing Court Judge W. Moná Scott explained that there are four new locations to attend virtual hearings for housing court.  City health official meets with Ward 2 residents The meeting began at 6:06 p.m. The meeting was opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer.  The first to speak was Samantha Holmes, project coordinator of the Office of Mental Health and Addiction Recovery (OMHAR) with the Cleveland Department of Public Health. Holmes said there has…

Recovery doesn’t end when someone walks out of a rehab facility. In fact, it’s just the beginning. While detox and treatment provide the foundation, long-term recovery is built on the steps taken afterward. That’s where an effective aftercare plan comes in. Aftercare acts as a personalised roadmap, helping people stay grounded, focused, and supported as they navigate life outside of treatment. In this article, we’ll explore why aftercare is essential and what should be included to make it truly effective. Why Aftercare Matters Addiction is a chronic condition, not a quick fix. Studies show that 40% to 60% of people…

Why Is Alcohol Withdrawal So Dangerous? Alcohol withdrawal is particularly dangerous because of how alcohol affects the brain’s neurotransmitter systems. When someone drinks heavily over time, their brain adapts by reducing the activity of GABA and increasing glutamate to maintain balance. When alcohol is suddenly removed, this leaves the brain in a hyperexcited state with insufficient natural calming mechanisms. This neurochemical imbalance can trigger life-threatening seizures, as the brain becomes overwhelmed by excessive electrical activity. The most severe form, delirium tremens, affects the autonomic nervous system, which controls vital functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature. Without…

RESEARCH UPDATECASE VIGNETTE“Mr Kent” is a 34-year-old Caucasian male with a 15+ year history of chronic treatment-resistant schizoaffective disorder. He has been on clozapine for over 10 years. His current psychotropic medications for the past year include clozapine 650 mg at bedtime, aripiprazole 10 mg at bedtime, lithium 900 mg at bedtime, and clonazepam 0.5 mg twice daily as needed for anxiety. He has not had any psychiatric hospitalizations in the past 3 years. He lives independently in an apartment furnished by his parents, who check on him regularly. He presents to the outpatient clinic for his monthly appointment, accompanied…

There has been growing interest in how core beliefs (deep fundamental thoughts we have about ourselves and others), may influence psychosis and serious mental health problems. These sorts of beliefs are sometimes described as the mental glasses through which we see and filter everything that happens to us. What if the deep-seated beliefs we hold about ourselves and others could actually shape our mental health in powerful ways? New research is revealing just how powerful our core beliefs can be. We know people with first episode psychosis are more likely to have experienced negative or aversive childhood experiences (see recent…

“You can’t heal what you won’t allow yourself to feel.” ~Unknown I used to act strong all the time. On the outside, I looked like I had it all together. I was competent, composed, and capable. I was the one other people came to for advice or support. The stickiness was that my version of strength created distance. I couldn’t allow myself to appear weak because I was terrified that if I let myself break down, I wouldn’t be able to pull myself back together. Maybe underneath it all, I was so fragile I might actually break. So I held…

This week, mindfulness teacher and recovery coach Emily Jane guides a grounding practice to find safety in our bodies when trauma, fear, or anxiety are pulling us to escape from or numb our discomfort. When we are living with a lot of stress or recovering from trauma or addiction, we can find ourselves living in a fight-flight-freeze state, where we feel either disconnected from or unsafe in our bodies. It’s hard to remember, In this moment, I am safe. This practice is designed to gently cultivate a sense of safety and then create a kinesthetic anchor (rooted in awareness of…

Our capacity to transmit recovery across America has been transformed over the last three decades by something called the New Recovery Advocacy Movement. It would be safe to argue that it has been one of the most important eras of our long history. In the face of a shifting environment that including an upswing in stimulant disorders in the late 1980s to mid 1990s, recovery came out of the shadows, and this movement has changed the lives of millions of Americans. Recovery Community Organizations (RCO)s sprang up across our nation and flourished. We helped move our care systems away from…