Mental health challenges and substance use rarely exist in isolation during adolescence: Up to 75% of teens with substance use disorders also experience mental health challenges. While these challenges manifest differently for each individual, some turn to substances to cope, creating a cycle that becomes increasingly difficult to break. What begins as an attempt to […]
Why is it that your son is excited by dangerous situations while you – and even him, when he was younger – shied away from anything fear-inducing? According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, it may be a biological issue. A recent study supports the idea that teens react more impulsively when […]
Changes are normal for kids of all ages, and during the teen years, the changes experienced by your son can be abrupt and disconcerting. Unfortunately, these changes can be as overwhelming and difficult to understand for your son as they are for you, and your child may not know how to handle the waves of […]
The US Department of Health and Human Services reports that about one in ten teenagers say that they’ve abused a sedative or a prescription painkiller (e.g., OxyContin, Percocet, Lorcet) without a prescription and for non-medical use. These data are based on information culled through a survey of 2,100+ young people under the age of 20 […]
By Lisa Frederiksen, Group Facilitator (Google+) Until the turn of the 21st century, there was little understanding of the inner workings of the teen brain—I mean the inner workings, the science that shows how the brain develops and what influences that development (childhood trauma, mental illness, social environment, genetics, and puberty), let alone the profound […]
By Ben Spencer, Teacher and Academic Director “Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls.” –Joseph Campbell About a year into my own recovery—some six and a half years ago—Peter, a friend I’d met earlier on in college, approached me. We talked about how much things had changed over […]
It’s a concern that weighs heavily on the minds of parents and legislators across the country as more and more states move to legalize marijuana for more than just medicinal use: Will the drug more often fall into the hands of teens and, as a result, create higher rates of teen drug abuse? According to […]
Parents will see a number of changes in their teenage children when they hit puberty and as they grow and develop after the age of 12. Personality, mood, appearance, interests, friends—all these and more will be the subjects of those changes. However, because so many new things occur during this time, it can be hard […]
The amount and frequency that college kids drink in the United States is at an all-time high, according to the New York Post, and they blame the problem on a lack of academic requirements for higher education. According to the article, back in 1961 the average college student who attended classes full-time spent about 25 […]
In every state across the country, it is illegal for kids under the age of 18 to buy cigarettes, just as it is illegal for those under the age of 21 to purchase alcohol. With the updated technology used to create IDs, it is harder and harder for teens to get a hold of one […]
Helping a child avoid drug and alcohol abuse can feel like a lifelong process for parents, and certainly it’s something that requires effort on the part of caregivers and parents throughout a child’s life. What should you know? What can you do? How can you help your child avoid or fight substance abuse? Know the […]
Cyrus Stowe was a senior at Dallas High School when he made his documentary Out of Reach. With the goal of exploring the prescription drug abuse in his hometown, the movie has become an awareness-raising tool to help communities, parents and kids recognize that not only are prescription medications dangerous but also that their use […]
A recent study explored teenagers and their use of texting as well as how those texts can help parents identify problematic issues like drug and alcohol abuse. The study, published in the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, found that teens who texted their friends about things like drug use or fighting were more likely to […]
