The words “inpatient rehabilitation” may sound intimidating, but for many patients, the experience turns out to be one of the best things to happen to them. Inpatient rehab may be ideal for young adults with mental health disorders requiring longer term care and who may also be present with a drug or alcohol addiction. The [...]

“So many people have begged me to come forward,” says mental health therapist Marsha M. Linehan of the University of Washington. “I owe it to them.” With that thought, Dr. Linehan, whose mental illness as young woman merited her the distinction of “one of the most disturbed patients in the hospital”, publically told her story [...]

Relapse is a common and important concern of the patient with bipolar disorder. A relapse is the return of depression or a manic or hypomanic episode after a period of wellness. A study in the American Journal of Psychiatry found that 73 percent of patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder experienced at least one relapse during [...]

For patients with a dual diagnosis (mental illness plus addiction), the adult residential mental health program at Pasadena Villa may be ideal. A significant challenge for those fighting addiction while learning to live with and care for their mental illness is the emerging reality of “found time.” When one’s life is consumed by procuring and [...]

Those with a loved one suffering from bipolar disorder may have experienced many episodes of anger, sometimes uncontrollable anger, directed toward them. It may seem unreasonable and unprovoked. Did you know that often a bipolar person may be using anger to cloak his or her real emotions? Anger may be a coping mechanism that helps [...]

Often those suffering from mental illness have difficulty maintaining their recommended drug therapy. This happens for several reasons: severe, unpleasant side effects; lack of understanding about the benefits of medication; lack of acceptance of the psychiatric diagnosis; and/or personal and societal stigma associated with mental illness and psychiatric drugs. Those with mental illness may not [...]

Lucky, our baby stallion, is almost a year old! Time flies! In the past six months he has nearly doubled in size and we have successfully weaned him from his mother Trouble. Lucky has a very sweet disposition and we all love giving him hugs. It has been fun teaching him to walk with us [...]

Horses Helping People: What is the therapeutic purpose of interacting with horses? Equine or horse assisted therapy is used to expand on emotional growth and learning. Horses, along with a therapist and a horse specialist, are used as tools toward increased self awareness. Here at Smoky Mountain Lodge we use a model of equine assisted [...]

Pasadena Villa uses experiential therapy as a means of helping residents develop coping, life, and social skills. This therapy introduces residents to a guided activity and then encourages examination of the experience’s process, transfer of lessons learned to other appropriate areas of life, and encourages and supports continued change and improvement. By providing action-oriented activities, [...]

Residents at Pasadena Villa’s Smoky Mountain Lodge have the opportunity each week to participate in equine therapy. By interacting with and caring for horses, residents experience increased self-esteem and a sense of purpose and of being needed. In a 2009 study published in the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, Jennifer P. Wisdom, Ph.D.*, and her colleagues [...]