You Matter!

– Janie Elkins, Certified Peer Recovery Specialist My dream wasn’t to be an addict. When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a veterinarian. But addiction is not a choice. Sure, I made the choice to experiment, but it stopped being a choice quickly. It’s a brain disease. It makes our brains distort […]

Overdose and Suicide: How do we categorize tragic deaths?

This week is National Suicide Prevention Week. In recent years, awareness about suicide has increased, but there are still so many questions surrounding this type of death, especially as it relates to drug use and overdoses. Overdose or Suicide? Losing someone who has overdosed leaves us with so many questions. How could this happen? What […]

Reflections from a Summer Intern

Written by Helen Phillips, Development Team Intern When you think of a teenager’s job, you might think of a retail store or fast food restaurant. My brother, for example, worked as a “bag boy” at Richland Country Club until he left for college a few weeks ago. This summer, I had the opportunity to volunteer […]

Waiting For Morning

Written by Joy Fanguy, Clinical Associate In the spring of 2008, I sat in a small kitchen inside a children’s home that ran out of an abandoned hospital in the tiny town of Garca, Brazil. As I chatted with the mother of the home, she shared with me that sometimes the children came to the […]

Three Common Misconceptions About Your Mental Health

Over the last decade, there’s been a significant trend in organizations doing work to raise awareness about the importance of mental health. Historically, there’s been a stigma around mental health diagnoses and treatment. Though things have gotten better, they still aren’t perfect. The negative stigma around mental health continues to create a barrier to treatment […]

Somebody’s Daughter

Written by Dani Branham, Clinic Nurse Driving to work today, I heard a song on the radio that reminded me of the clients that we serve at The Next Door—“Somebody’s Daughter” by Tenille Towns. In this song, she reminds us all that we are valued, we have family, and there are always people in our […]

When Words Fail

Written by Morgan Coyner, Grant Coordinator, and Cindy Birdsong, Art Therapist Our residential and partial hospitalization clients have weekly art therapy sessions. Cindy Birdsong, TND’s art therapist, curates a safe, nurturing space for women to open their minds and create. Observing art therapy is not allowed. Cindy requires everyone to participate. That’s how I found […]

Providing Hope to Women in Crisis

Written by Tonia Bird, Director of Admissions I can’t take this anymore.  I think my family would be better off without me.  Sometimes I just wish I were dead…  These statements are often heard from clients when they bravely call into admissions asking for help.  The women calling The Next Door are broken and usually […]

Introducing The Next Door’s Recovery Care Clinic

Written by Bethany Brummitt, Recovery Care Clinic Manager How many times have you heard the words “opioid crisis,” “overdose,” or “Narcan” in media outlets within the last month?   Lost count?  Yeah, me too.  In 2019, it’s reasonable to state that each one of us knows someone who has been directly or indirectly affected by the […]

Everyday Witness to The Sacraments

Written by Amanda Dunlap, Director of Clinical Services Let it be known right off the bat that I do not claim to be a theologian or pastor by trade, but a therapist by profession, one who is constantly seeking the Lord’s full purpose in my professional and personal life. Over the last six months, I […]

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