On Monday, November 14, Silver Hill Hospital held its seventh annual fall Gala at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City. MSNBC’s Morning Joe co-anchors Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski hosted the evening. Former NBA player Chris Herren attended as a special guest speaker. 

When a loved one is diagnosed with a mental illness or substance abuse disorder, it can be scary and confusing for family and friends. Remember that the person diagnosed with the illness is also feeling overwhelmed. Although it’s not the case, when a person hears their diagnosis they sometimes feel like life as they knew it is over.

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is a cognitive behavioral therapy developed by renowned psychologist, Marsha Linehan in the 1980’s. The goal of DBT is to provide patients with the skills necessary to regulate emotions, control self-destructive behaviors and improve interpersonal relations.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of National Bullying Prevention Month and the theme is “The End of Bullying Begins with Me!” Sadly, 1 out of 4 children report being bullied during the school year. At Silver Hill, we believe that you can help prevent bullying by teaching children empathy, compassion and how to celebrate differences very early in life.

We all want to keep our loved ones safe, so we remind them to wear their seatbelts, refrain from drinking and driving, and put up fences around their pools. These days, we should add another reminder to the list, because one of the gravest dangers is hiding in plain sight; painkillers in your medicine cabinet.

Every parent wants what’s best for their children. We want them to do well in school, make friends, be happy and healthy, and be kind to others. But how much responsibility do we bear as parents in helping them achieve these goals?

Traditionally, summer was a time for kids and their parents to relax and enjoy some unstructured days – a chance to decompress, have fun and play. But thanks to the ubiquity of personal technology, as well as the increasing number of scheduled summer activities, the summer can feel an awful lot like the hectic, plugged-in school year for some families.

When you are dealing with a mental illness, or any condition for that matter, it's extremely important to become an advocate for yourself and make sure you have a voice in your treatment plan. Most likely your treatment team will consist of a psychiatrist, a psychologist and/or a social worker. These professionals know the intricate details of mental illnesses, how they typically present and what is the best first step in treatment. 

When you’re a parent you’re bound to feel anxious at times. It’s normal to feel some anxiety when sending your child to school for the first time, leaving them overnight for the first time or sending them off to summer camp. All parents feel a certain amount of anxiety, but when you have an anxiety disorder, it’s easy for it to spiral out of control.

If you are responsible for caring for an aging parent or older relative, you may grow accustomed to their occasional grumpiness or glass half-full attitude, but don’t be so quick to chalk it up to the typical aging process.

Every parent of a teenager is familiar with the mood swings, defiance and other behaviors that are often part of adolescent development. But how can a parent recognize if their teen’s challenging behavior is something more serious than that – such as depression, anxiety or another mental illness -- requiring serious intervention? 

Self-harm or self-injury is when a person intentionally and repeatedly harms themselves. Cutting is the most common, but other methods include scratching, punching, picking skin, pulling hair or burning. It is estimated that about two million Americans injure themselves intentionally.