As a parent, there are few decisions that may be harder than those that directly impact your children. The decision to place your child in a residential treatment facility, away from your home, can be overwhelmingly challenging. At the end of 2017, there were nearly fourteen thousand teen treatment centers in the United States. The…

Teenagers with paranoid personality disorder suffer from paranoia and an unrelenting mistrust and suspicion of others. These feelings occur even though there is no reason to be suspicious, or nothing has been done to provoke a lack of trust. Those with paranoid personality disorder tend to have significant difficulty maintaining or fostering relationships with family,…

Many people struggle with a certain degree of shyness. However, a small segment of the population suffers from shyness so severe that it brings about significant social inhibition. What is Avoidant Personality Disorder? Those with an avoidant personality disorder experience extreme shyness and an overwhelming fear of rejection. For these individuals these emotions bring about…

When people hear the words bipolar disorder, they often think it means someone who struggles with frequent mood swings. It is not uncommon to hear people say, “she is so bipolar” or “every day he acts differently…he must be bipolar or something.” People who struggle with bipolar disorder do go through phases of high energy…

Compulsive sexual behavior, teen sex addiction, or hypersexuality are terms often used interchangeably to describe the actions of a person who either with or without intention engages in sexual behavior. Someone with sexual addiction will experience excessive preoccupations with sexual fantasies, urges, or behaviors that are difficult to control. These behaviors and fantasies eventually cause…

Medications are a common component in mental health treatment plans. Well-rounded plans may also include psychotherapy sessions used in conjunction with medications. Selecting the right combination of treatment modalities requires considering the person’s individual needs as each person will respond differently to a treatment.  When medications are used, it is crucial to understand how each…

If your teenager seems moody and has been withdrawing from their daily life – including no longer doing things they enjoy – you might find yourself wondering “Is my teen depressed?”. Here at Hillcrest, we’d like to provide you with an easy guide to recognizing the symptoms that might plague your teen. Teen depression is…

Deciding to seek therapy for a mental health disorder can be a life-saving decision. Unfortunately, the successes of treatment can lose their impact without proper aftercare. Aftercare is an essential part of the recovery process, and, for long term success to be realized, the value of aftercare cannot be overlooked.

There has been a lot of discussion recently about the importance of self-care, but what does that actually mean? For adults, its about finding time in a very busy schedule to take care of oneself emotionally, physically, and spiritually. A mature adult with good time management skills will always find the time to give to…

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism can present in very similar ways. Children and teens with either disorder can have difficulty focusing, struggle with impulsivity, and have a hard time communicating. They may also experience problems at school with schoolwork and relationships both in and outside of school. Difficulty concentrating, inability to focus on…