September 2010 - Sober News

Arevolutionary breakthrough in the treatment of depression occurred in the late 1950s with the discovery of the monoamine oxidase inhibitors and tricyclic antidepressants. Since then, newer agents, starting with Prozac, were introduced. These newer antidepressants had fewer side effects and thus were easier to prescribe and manage in patients. But there has always been one concern about antidepressant medications: Even when effective, they have a...

CARL CLARK, MD Carl Clark, MD, believed in recovery long before the behavioral healthcare industry adopted it as a model of treatment. As a child, he witnessed recovery firsthand when his father, then in his mid-30s, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Rather than succumb to his illness, Clark's father worked hard at his recovery, eventually returning to work full time. This belief in full recovery from mental illness would again play a significant...

Stanley Street Treatment and Resources (SSTAR) in Fall River, Mass., has been ahead of the curve since its founding in 1977. As the first agency in the state to provide alcohol and drug treatment in the same place, integrating services was a core component of its mission, and continues to be today. “In the 1980s, I was in Washington and heard Benny Primm [of SAMHSA] talking about holistic care,” says Nancy Paull, CEO of SSTAR. “It...

In response to a lack of consumer participation in follow-up care in the area, the Gulf Coast Center (GCC)-the regional mental health authority for Galveston and Brazoria Counties in southeast Texas-began collaborating with other local agencies to improve access for mental health services while containing cost. The need for better communication between the mental health authority, the community, and the local hospital was evident, and in 2005, a continuum...

Counselors at ProtoCall Services, a crisis and information call center, give consumers an option for care beyond the standard, face-to-face therapy session Most new hires at ProtoCall Services' AAS- and CARF-accredited crisis and information call centers in Portland, Ore., and Grandville, Mich., watch an unusual training video. In it, comedian Phil Hartman gets “customer service” from a rude, disinterested character played by Rosanne...

Recent articles indicate that 15 percent of American and 6.1 percent of Canadian military personnel return home from conflicts such as Iraq and Afghanistan with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or major depressive disorder (MDD), and that hospitalizations for mental disorders like PTSD now surpass those for battle injuries in the U.S. military. 1,2 Unfortunately, many of these traumatized individuals become addicted to alcohol or...

As seen in Healthcare Design, Vol. 10, No. 2 Throughout the last century, the shift in perception of mental illness from incurable to controllable has expanded the possibilities of traditional healing. Medication and therapy are now seen as successful techniques for managing mental health disorders. Rehabilitation facilities that incorporate holistic programs should consider the impact of the physical environment on patient's mental, emotional...

WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--More than 100,000 U.S. physicians are active on QuantiaMD.com-- world's 1st online medical learning collaborative. Today members tapped 16 medical innovators for its QuantiaMD Community Choice Awards. Read More...