Mountainside Treatment Center

Living with both schizophrenia and a substance use disorder, known as dual diagnosis, creates complex challenges that impact roughly 40-50% of individuals with schizophrenia. Effective treatment requires an integrated care model that simultaneously addresses both the mental health condition and substance use through comprehensive assessment and evidence-based therapies. Wi...

N-propionitrile brorphine is a highly potent novel synthetic opioid that is appearing as a dangerous, hidden adulterant in illicit drug supplies, often mistaken for fentanyl. Because of its extreme potency and potential for prolonged, deep sedation, it presents a significant overdose risk that frequently requires multiple doses of naloxone to reverse. Essential harm reduct...

Meet Megan McGrath, Mountainside’s Family Alumni Liaison, who is dedicated to ensuring that the loved ones of those in recovery receive the ongoing support they deserve. Because addiction is a family disease, building strong, lasting connections post-treatment is just as essential for family and friends as it is for the individual in recovery. Megan brings deep personal exper...

Service in recovery, which includes sober volunteering and peer mentoring, is a powerful tool for maintaining long-term sobriety by building a new, positive identity based on connection and contribution. This service work helps “rewire” the brain by providing a healthy, sustainable source of reward by boosting dopamine and oxytocin, which combats isolation, reduces stress,...

This article explores the critical distinction between providing genuine support and engaging in enabling behaviors that stunt a loved one’s growth. It emphasizes that while helping assists with tasks someone cannot perform themselves, enabling shields individuals from the natural consequences of their choices, often leading to codependency. To shift from enabling to empow...