Articles, Education, and Family Resources.

Transition from Childhood to Adolescence

All of us go through it—the transition from childhood to adolescence. But how many of us actually know what to expect along the way?, We often reflect on our childhood with fondness and even jealousy. How simple life was—crayons and colorin

What Are Teenage Depression Symptoms

While teen boys and girls can both battle depression, the symptoms they display will vary., For teenagers, navigating the world can be difficult and confusing. Finding a sense of self, establishing a peer group and dealing with hormonal and bodily changes all contribute to ups and downs. Yet for teens dealing with depression, symptoms go beyond the usual struggles of teenage challenges. Understanding teenage depression Unfortunately, only one out of every five

Avoiding Stress Triggers During Recovery

Holiday stress can trigger relapse behavior for both teens and adults. Here are some handy tips to help you battle the risk of relapse., The holidays conjure up images of joy, happy families, shared meals, and exchanging presents. But for m

How to Beat the Holiday Blues

If you are struggling with the holiday blues and poor mental health this season, you'll want to know about depression symptoms and how to care for yourself., The holidays bring opportunities for a host of feelings, from grief to joy, sorrow to elation. For someone who struggles with depression or another mood disorder, the holidays can exacerbate negative feelings. Teens who face mental health challenges may especially struggle over the holiday break and feel isolated or unsafe at home. The holiday season can

Spotting Signs of Depression and Anxiety in Teens

Knowing the difference between teen anxiety or depression and normal changes is important in caring for your child during a time of change in their lives., A teen displaying behaviors and mannerisms that seem uncharacteristic or unhinged is sometimes assumed to be experiencing normal teenage behaviors. But there is a difference between teens going through a somewhat rebellious, angsty phase and instead battling with a mental health disorder. It is important during this time of change and transition in your teen's

Family Recovery After Teen Addiction

In order to help your teen battling addiction, it's important to know the best recovery options for you and your family., Few things are more devastating than discovering that your teen is suffering from alcohol or drug addiction. The reaction of some parents is to punish or discipline their child, which can often make the situation worse. Other parents might linger in denial, which also does not help the addicted youngster or put him or her on

Signs of Drug & Alcohol Abuse: Video

Watch this video from the Parsippany Municipal Alliance and High Focus Centers on Signs of Drug and Alcohol Abuse!, The Parsippany Municipal Alliance and High Focus Centers want to increase community awareness on topics related to substance abuse. Watch this new video on Signs of Drug and Alcohol Abuse!

HFC - Parsippany Opens Evening Psych IOP!

High Focus Centers announces the opening of an Evening Psychiatric Intensive Outpatient Program in Parsippany, New Jersey., High Focus Centers has always sought to provide patients with the highest quality behavioral health services in the least restrictive setting possible. Our model promotes a healthy and smooth transition back to prior levels of functioning. A large part of this includes restoring the ability to attend school, work, or address the many responsibilities that

Is An Intensive Outpatient Program For Me?

Intensive outpatient programs allow clients to attend treatment while also maintaining obligations at home and work., When you make the choice to start addiction treatment and begin researching the different kinds of rehab programs, you will quickly realize there is no one-size-fits-all. In order to be successful, rehab needs to be personalized, starting from the kind of treatment program chosen. In other words, enrolling in an inpatient or outpatient program is

Heroin Epidemic Meeting with Gov. Christie

High Focus Centers met with Governor Chris Christie to discuss the worsening heroin epidemic facing New Jersey., On Wednesday, April 2, 2014, Governor Chris Christie announced a program enabling police officers in Monmouth and Ocean Counties to administer an emergency treatment to individuals who have overdosed on heroin. First responders can now carry the drug Naloxone, or Narcan with them and potentially

How DBT Skills Training Affects Depression

Dialectical Behavior Therapy aims to change unhealthy behaviors by first validating them. Learn how DBT can help treat depression., Dialectical behavior therapy or DBT was originally developed to treat people with borderline personality disorder, particularly those who were chronically suicidal. However, mental health experts are now finding that DBT skills training can be used in outpatient psychiatric care to address symptoms of depression as well as many other mental illnesses. What is dialectical behavior therapy? Dialectical

Inpatient vs Outpatient Rehab

Learn the differences between outpatient vs. inpatient addiction rehab. Click here to determine which will work best for you or your family., Deciding to enter an addiction treatment program is a major decision, but fortunately, there are many ways people can seek help to free themselves from substance abuse. However, different treatment plans entail different levels of support and responsibility. Different programs will be more or less suited to you depending on your lifestyle and the severity

White Paper: Adapting to a Sober Life

High Focus Centers explores the goals of outpatient addiction programs and how to develop a relapse prevention plan., Outpatient addiction programs and Intensive Outpatient Programs are a part of the continuum of care available for drug and alcohol abuse treatment. Outpatient programs are designed to give people recovering from substance abuse the opportunity to receive care for their addictions while maintaining commitments they have to work and family. In this white paper, learn

Experimentation vs. Chemical Dependency

High Focus Centers explores the influencing factors leading young people to addiction, focusing on experimentation versus chemical dependency., by Teresa A. McMahon, LCSW, MBA, LCADC "Love Cannot Stop It", "Suburbia’s Deadly Secret", "The Grim Life of Suburban Addicts", "Heroin Use is Epidemic": these heart-grabbing headlines have been emblazoned across the front pages of newspapers in recent months. How does seemingly innocent experimentation so often lead young people to addiction, and what roadblocks are stopping

Trauma in the LGBTQ Community

Anorexia Signs and Symptoms

What is Medication Assisted Treatment?

Signs and Symptoms of Alcohol Addiction

Signs & Symptoms of Heroin Addiction

What is PTSD?

Signs & Symptoms of Opioid Use Disorder

What is Motivational Interviewing?

Depression Symptoms and Treatment

What is Complex PTSD?