BLOG

Caffeine and Mental Health

March 1, 2022
coffee cup from above with foam in the shape of a brain

Discover the effects of caffeine on the diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders like anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorders.

Read More >>

Three Ways to Express Self-Love on Valentine’s Day

February 11, 2022
a vector image of a female wrapping her arms around her shoulders in a display of self love

By Sheila O’Shea “To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.” – Oscar Wilde, An Ideal Husband Valentine’s Day is known as a day to express love to one’s romantic partner with cards, flowers, candy, and gifts. But you don’t need a partner to have someone to express love to. I’m not in…

Read More >>

The Wrong Thing: The Hazards of Misdiagnosis

January 28, 2022
an image of a wooden square block on top of a piece of wood with round holes to signify putting a square peg in a round hole.

By Sheila O’Shea [Trigger warning: suicidal ideation] I knew it wasn’t Attention Deficit Disorder. I went through a battery of tests for ADD—pointing at pictures of aliens and reciting their names, holding a metal rod steady so it wouldn’t touch the inside of a metal ring, filling out questionnaires—and the doctor concluded that I didn’t…

Read More >>

Resolve to Make Better New Year Resolutions

December 15, 2021
a red background with a string stretched horizontally. A yellow note with the words "New Year. New Goal" is pinned to the string.

By Sheila O’Shea It’s time again to make resolutions for the new year so we can break them in February and feel disgusted with ourselves. Whee! If that’s how your resolutions end up going, there are other ways to approach the new year that may work better for you. How To Phrase Your New Year…

Read More >>

Teen Avoidance Behaviors

December 14, 2021
teen alone in room

Teen avoidant behaviors—even if they are driven by depression or anxiety—make many mental health problems worse. There can be a “snowball effect.” Avoiding one situation leads to avoiding another, and another, until the teen effectively shuts down.

Read More >>

Addiction Treatment Vs. Residential Dual Diagnosis Treatment

September 20, 2021
adults in peer support group for mental heatlh

What is a dual diagnosis treatment program? A dual diagnosis treatment program helps people who have a substance use disorder and one or more co-occurring psychiatric diagnoses, including a mood disorder like major depression or bipolar disorder, an anxiety disorder, schizophrenia or another thought disorder, or a personality disorder. Therapies and programs are structured to…

Read More >>

The Brain and the Body: How Mental Health and Physical Health Are Connected

February 9, 2021
a graphic showing the brain and dna

In order to fully understand how to best treat mental illness, we must first understand the factors that can cause mental illness, specifically the balance between nature and nurture. It’s important to remember that psychiatric conditions are medical problems that deserve the same kind of attention, research, and treatment as any physical ailment. What Causes…

Read More >>

How Can Self-Care Support Mental Health?

January 30, 2020
self-care

Taking care of yourself—both physically and mentally—is an important part of overall wellness. The idea of self-care has grown in popularity in recent years, filling social media timelines and news feeds with tips and tricks. Self-care activities can be great tools for anyone looking to manage stress, be more aware of their feelings and emotions,…

Read More >>

Understanding Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

December 19, 2019
Teen with OCD washing hands at sink

In psychiatry, OCD is sometimes referred to as “the great imitator” because the behaviors of someone with OCD can look like symptoms of many other disorders. Psychiatric evaluation by a mental health professional is a crucial first step to ensure patients with OCD receive an accurate diagnosis and are matched with an evidence-based treatment plan. OCD is a chronic illness. By engaging in evidence-based mental health treatment, individuals with OCD can control the symptoms and manage the associated disability.

Read More >>

Smoking, Vaping and Mental Health

November 13, 2019
woman in mental health treatment breaking cigarette

Skyland Trail has joined a small group of residential psychiatric treatment organizations that are leading the field in integrating nicotine and tobacco cessation with behavioral health treatment and will contribute to a growing body of evidence and best practices for helping clients simultaneously learn to manage psychiatric symptoms and adopt skills and strategies for long-term health and wellness.

Read More >>