An Interview with Christine Bates, MA, Therapist Staff StoriesBy The Ranch TNJuly 30, 2013By Meghan Vivo Recovery is full of enemies: drugs and alcohol, peer pressure, stress, and so on. But sometimes the biggest obstacle isn’t an outside force at all, but rather one that comes from within: our minds. Details
An Interview with Lauren Herman, Primary Therapist Staff StoriesBy The Ranch TNJuly 29, 2013Growing up in Ohio, Lauren Herman had plans to become an elementary school teacher. She moved to Nashville to earn her master’s degree from Vanderbilt, but quickly discovered that her real passion was understanding the psychology behind the children and families she was working with.
Children, Spouses of Military Members at Increased Risk for Mental Disorders Articles>Mental HealthBy The Ranch TNJuly 26, 2013Life in the military often comes at a very high price. Mental health problems sometimes manifest as part of that price. Mental health and suicide rates among military members have received quite a bit of attention in recent years – and rightly so. Our nation’s vets sacrifice their physical and emotional well-being to protect their… Details
New Study Shows Reactivity to CO2 Could Predict PTSD Vulnerability Mental HealthBy The Ranch TNJuly 26, 2013Results from a study at the University of Texas at Austin indicate that how a person responds to inhaling carbon dioxide (CO2) could predict how well he or she will cope with some of the stresses of combat. The study follows in the steps of prior research that examined emotional responsiveness to CO2 as a… Details
How To Work Step Five Articles>Recovery at The RanchBy The Ranch TNJuly 25, 2013We admitted to God, to Ourselves, and to Another Human Being the Exact Nature of Our Wrongs. Step five is the simplest of steps to work, yet it is without doubt among the most difficult to do. Addicts who’ve completed step four have put together an inventory of their wrongdoings, character defects, weaknesses, fears, and… Details
Ending the Nightmare of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Articles>Dual DiagnosisBy The Ranch TNJuly 24, 2013The symptoms of PTSD are painful and terrifying. Whether the original traumatic event was a single horrible incident (a natural disaster or a car accident, for example) or a daily life colored by chronic trauma (domestic violence or living in a war zone), when a person develops PTSD, the suffering is profound. Medications may be… Details
Problem Gambling: Separating Fact From Fallacy ArticlesBy The Ranch TNJuly 23, 2013Addictions of all types have a secret aspect about them that can make it hard to separate the myth from the reality. Gambling addiction is no different; people have ideas about problem gambling that do not coincide with the facts, and as long as these misconceptions are floating around out there, the people who are… Details
ERP Therapy: Simultaneous Treatment for Eating Disorders, OCD Articles>Dual DiagnosisBy The Ranch TNJuly 22, 2013Roughly 11 percent to 13 percent of people who receive a diagnosis for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) also meet the diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa or binge-eating disorder. According to the results of a study published in 2013 in the journal Cognitive Behavior Therapy, people simultaneously affected by an… Details
Vigorous Exercise, Team Sports Can Guard Teens Against Suicide Articles>Mental HealthBy The Ranch TNJuly 21, 2013Suicide is one of the leading causes of death among teenagers in the U.S., ranking only behind accidental death and homicide. While any teenager can develop suicidal tendencies, certain individuals have higher risks than others. Current evidence indicates that regular participation in exercise or organized sports can significantly reduce an adolescent’s chances of thinking about… Details
Impulsive Young Teens More Likely to Drink Heavily as Adults Articles>Addiction ResearchBy The Ranch TNJuly 20, 2013Impulsivity is the term mental health professionals use to describe a personality trait that centers on a habit of acting without giving due consideration to the consequences of one’s choices. Current research links unusually high levels of this trait to increased risks for a number of serious problems, including suicidal behavior and morbid obesity. In… Details