July 31, 2020

Treating Co-Occurring PTSD with CBT

Cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT is an evidence-based modality for addressing unhealthy attitudes, behaviors, beliefs, and thoughts. The treatment is often used in addiction and mental health treatment centers. CBT has shown to be beneficial for treating an array of substance use disorder and co-occurring mental illnesses, including anxiety,...

July 29, 2020

Compassion Fatigue | The Negative Cost of Caring

About Compassion FatigueCompassion fatigue is a condition characterized by emotional and physical exhaustion leading to a diminished ability to empathize or feel compassion for others, often described as the negative cost of caring. It is sometimes referred to as secondary traumatic stress (STS). According to the Professional Quality of...

July 24, 2020

The Business and War on Drugs: Supply and Demand

In 1971, at the height of the Vietnam War, President Richard Nixon made a bold proclamation. He declared the opening of a new battlefront more than eight thousand miles from the jungles surrounding My Lai—The United States of America. The conflict would take the lives of significantly more Americans...

July 18, 2020

Addiction Treatment Island

The history of addiction recovery in America is fascinating and disturbing, from barbaric, draconian “treatments” to sanitariums to the upscale, evidence-based centers of today. While we have come a long way over the centuries, there is still a long way to go in the fight against stigma.Many men and...

July 16, 2020

Recovery Community Impacted by Pandemic

At Hemet Valley Recovery Center & Sage Retreat, our thoughts and prayers are with the families who have been severely impacted by the pandemic. We understand that millions of Americans are grieving and fearful of contracting the coronavirus. In many states, the public health crisis is worsening, so it...

June 30, 2020

Mental Health Disorders Amid a Pandemic

Physical and mental health are interconnected; both require maintenance during these challenging times. The COVID-19 pandemic has put the lives of millions in jeopardy. On the one hand is the real risk of contracting a potentially fatal virus, on the other is the havoc wrought on the minds of...