By: Raymond J. Kotwicki, MD, MPH, Charles B. West Chief Medical Officer What is psychosis? Psychosis is not a diagnosis, but rather a symptom of several psychiatric illnesses. Individuals experiencing psychosis may have trouble distinguishing which of their perceptions and thoughts are real and which are not. They often see, hear, smell or believe things…
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Original post date November 2016. Giving the gift of recovery to ourselves and the people we love By Emily Giattina, LCSW, Dual Diagnosis Counselor, Skyland Trail The holidays can be a challenging time to manage sobriety. You may receive more invitations to parties or social gatherings than usual – some that you may feel obligated to…
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How do you know if a high-achieving person has a “type A” personality or an anxiety disorder?
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Dr. Raymond J. Kotwicki, Skyland Trail Charles B. West Chief Medical Officer, recently offered these thoughts on discussing suicide and suicide prevention. With the deaths of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain, suicide and mental health are becoming more commonly discussed. Kitchen-table discussions about suicide and psychiatric illnesses can be scary and complex, but having difficult…
Read More >>“It was feeling loved and supported by others, after having felt really isolated for a really long time, that got my brain in that space where I thought, ‘Maybe I am worthy of love and happiness.’”
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Bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder are two mental illnesses that can cause significant disability and disruption in someone’s life. Despite being commonly grouped together or even used interchangeably in movies, TV, and other pop culture references, they are two separate and distinct illnesses that have different diagnostic criteria and require different treatments. Find out more about how…
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You may think that once you’re out of high school, you’re finished growing up. Physically, you’re probably as tall as you will ever get, and from this point forward, you may remain the same overall size throughout much of your adult life. Whether you head off to college or out to make your own way…
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What is major depression? Major depressive disorder, also called major depression or unipolar depression, is a serious mood disorder with severe symptoms that can interfere with a person’s ability to handle daily activities, relationships, and work or school responsibilities. Major depression affects about 6.7 percent of U.S. adults in a given year. To be diagnosed…
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Skyland Trail Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Ray Kotwicki, discusses cutting and self-harm behaviors and how they are treated. Individuals who cut themselves or engage in other self-injurious behaviors often are using this unhealthy coping strategy to deal with emotional pain or confusion that they do not know how to process in any other way. This…
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Everyone experiences job-related stress. Whether it’s communicating with multiple people, juggling responsibilities or adhering to deadlines, workplace stressors are common. Short-term stressful moments are typical, but experiencing constant or long-term stress can affect your physical and emotional health. What begins as job-related stress can extend to other situations and impact your life outside of work…
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