Insights & Articles

In July, the government rolled out a new crisis and suicide hotline number, a simple three-digit number that can be called or texted from any phone: “988”. This is one of many strategies to help address the growing prevalence of suicide in this country.

Problematic alcohol use in older adults is something of a hidden issue. We often think of substance use problems as an issue that starts in adolescence or young adulthood, but this doesn’t apply to everyone. In fact, alcohol use in those over 60 has been increasing for the past two decades, and even more so among women.

The Brattleboro Retreat is delighted to announce that Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry has selected an esteemed member of our inpatient psychiatry medical staff, Dr. Jarred Zucker, as this year’s recipient of the Faculty Teacher of the Year Award.

The ongoing challenges and sacrifices brought about by the coronavirus pandemic have tested each of us in ways that might not have been imaginable just a year ago. Yet during this unprecedented time, we have learned that adversity can inspire new approaches to solving our common problems. We are encouraged to say that such is the case with the relationship between union and management at the Brattleboro Retreat.

At the end of December the Retreat will officially close several programs that over the course of many years--and in some cases decades--have made meaningful contributions to our community, and helped make the healing mission of our hospital a reality for countless thousands of individuals.

It is not without sadness that we say goodbye to the BRIDGES program, the HUB program, the Meadows School, the Mind Body Pain Management Program, the Mulberry Bush Independent School, and Starting Now.

For many of us—especially those who live at higher latitudes in the northern hemisphere—the seasonal onset of colder weather and waning sunlight is accompanied by negative trends in both our mood and energy.

The symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which can range from irritability, negative thinking and feelings of fatigue to full blown depression, are experienced by nearly five percent of the U.S. population each year.

Brattleboro Retreat's Senior Director of Patient Care Services, Kurt White, LADC, LICSW recently spoke at a Brattleboro Museum & Art Center event -- In Sight: What the Unseen are Holding for Society. Kurt White discussed why we tend to avert our eyes when we walk past someone living on the street, why—from a psychological standpoint—we try not to see them.

This is a recording of the live event held on September 10, Thursday, 7:30 p.m.

September’s National Recovery Month observance invites reflection on “recovery” and reminds us that recovery from addictive substance use and/or mental illness is worth seeking and protecting.

While people intent on establishing and maintaining recovery can succeed no matter what, the Coronavirus makes that tougher than usual. This article highlights why recovery is worth the effort and ways to overcome obstacles created by COVID.

Those of us who work at the Brattleboro Retreat were horrified by the situation that resulted in the death of George Floyd. The ensuing mass demonstrations in cities across the nation have been both inspiring and heartbreaking to watch.

At the same time, we recognize that the anger now playing out from coast-to-coast (and in some parts of Europe) is not a consequence of the single, unjust murder of an African American man at the hands of the Minneapolis police.