Month: May 2010

Cutting is a form of self-injury, often precluded by feelings of intense emotionalism, i.e., rage, sorrow, rejection, desperation, longing, or emptiness. Those who cut may not know any other way to process their feelings about situations that seem unchangeable or how to get relief from emotional difficulties and the intense pressures of their lives. As a result, cutting is merely a means of coping when healthier alternatives haven’t been provided or when the emotionalism of the situation is too much for them to handle with the skills they DO have.
There are few studies on this subject, but it is suggested that there are over 2 million self-injurers in the U.S., and that number is rising. With the complexities of adolescence intensifying, medical professionals expect these numbers to increase.
Cutting is more prevalent in girls, but boys self-injure as well. The behavior tends to start in adolescence and can continue into adulthood.

Here are some tips for dealing with this serious issue…

DON’T 
React with anger.
Go into denial about the problem.
Assume this is a “phase” your teen will outgrow.
Say “What did I do wrong as a mother (father) for you to do this to yourself.”
Ask “Why are you doing this to yourself?”
Try to hide sharp objects. It’s an ineffective deterrent. If your child wants to self-injure, she’ll find a way.

DO 
Admit you and your child need help.
Take the problem very seriously. This is not just attention-seeking behavior.
Be completely supportive.

My dad and I are looking at colleges this week. On a tour at UC Berkeley, a lot of kids seemed interested in student life, namely the parties. As their parents looked around uncomfortably and nervously asked questions about rules at the dorms, my dad looked at me and said while smiling, “Wow, I don’t feel worried about you getting into trouble anymore.” He’s right. I’m not choosing campuses based on the parties. I’m looking for ways to keep my life moving forward after going to teen drug rehab.

After teen rehab, I was afraid of what going off to college would mean for me. Being a teen that had a drug and alcohol problem, I was afraid college life would be too tempting. My parents and I have been doing a lot of research about how to keep my recovery safe when I go to school. We’ve been looking into dorms with sober floors, where teens pledge to keep drugs and alcohol out, or even off-campus housing, away from the dorms. I’ve researched 12-step meetings surrounding campuses, and have checked out school support groups. Thanks to teen rehab, I know how to use the resources at my disposal.

I’m not the only young person trying to get through college without using drugs and alcohol. Teen drug and alcohol rehab taught me how to make my recovery a priority. I used to feel like I was missing out, but now I know that drugs were what was making me miss out on life. Sober high school helped me see I was on the right path, and after restoring my grades and learning a lot more life lessons than my peers, I feel like now I have an advantage as I go off to school, not a disadvantage. I have tools to help me adjust to new situations, tools to help me prioritize, and tools to keep me clean and sober as I tackle this next phase of my life. If it weren’t for teen drug and alcohol rehab, I wouldn’t be going to college at all. Teen rehab made me feel different when I first got there, but as I learned and changed, I realized that different was just what I needed. I’m proud to be who I am today, and of my experiences. I feel better prepared for life than I ever would have been without teen rehab.

“Eating Disorders: It’s not just for girls anymore!”

While women most commonly struggle with eating disorders, an alarming number of men battle this illness every day. “Approximately 10% of eating disordered individuals coming to the attention of a mental health professional are male.” (Wolf, 1991; Fairburn & Beglin, 1990)

While women are faced with a skewed beauty standard, propagated by popular magazines and media, men are also confronted with distorted body-image ideals, for example: weight restrictions in sports, magazines promoting thinness and sculpting, or even an increasing number of plastic surgery options geared toward reshaping the male body. Whether male of female, the end result is the same: an individual caught in the self-defeating cycle of excessive dieting, starvation, poor-body image, low self-esteem, and a myriad of other destructive behaviors related to eating.

Please let us know if someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder.

Teen rehab has come a long way in the last decade. Teens struggling with drugs and alcohol and their families now have many more options for treatment. As more and more teens are struggling with prescription drugs, like oxycontin, xanax, ambien, valium, ritalin, adderal, lortab, and percocet, treatment centers have stepped up to offer more comprehensive services specifically geared towards teens.
Adolescent drug abuse requires special treatment and should focus not only on teens and drug use, but on education (by offering a sober high school), group and individual therapy, art and equine therapy, family counseling sessions, and a solid aftercare program that includes outpatient. Understands that choosing a rehab for your teen is a difficult process within an even more difficult challenge for the family. Help your teen get their life back on track and to
get away from the pain of teen drug and alcohol abuse .

Jersey Shore, look out! Reuters has reported that researchers have found a link between indoor tanning addiction and drug and alcohol abuse in young women and teens. Of a group that demonstrated signs of indoor tanning addiction, 42% reported to have frequently abused drugs other than marijuana and alcohol, while only 16% of non-tanners reported drug abuse.
This study may illustrate the correlation between obsession with appearances and other signs of low self esteem to teen drug abuse. Teens who look to things on the outside to fix how they feel on the inside are at a greater risk for drug and alcohol abuse. Teen drug and alcohol treatment treats the whole teen. Drug use is a symptom of deeper issues, and it often takes a comprehensive drug program to aid teens on their journey to recovery.

Wondering if your teen is engaging in risky behavior? Research indicates you should check their Facebook or myspace profile. In the study, researchers found that 54% of teen profiles surveyed indicated high risk behavior, with 24% referencing sexual behavior. A strong association was found between behavior mentioned on social networking sites and behavior teens actually engaged in. The bottom line? If your teen’s profile suggests risky behaviors, there is a strong chance they are already engaged in those behaviors.
Signs of teen drug and alcohol abuse, depression, and other risky behaviors can be difficult for parents to honestly identify. Another recent study suggested parents identified their teen’s friends as engaging in risky behaviors, but not their own teen. Keeping the lines of communication open with your teen is important. Although no one wants their child to struggle with depression and substance abuse, solutions exist for those that are.

USA Today reports that teens in junior high who are allowed to watch R-rated movies are more likely to drink alcohol. Approximately 25% of those allowed to watch R-rated movies had consumed alcohol, while of those who could watch R-rated movies only sometimes, 18.8% had consumed alcohol. Of those who were never allowed to watch R-rated movies, only 2.9% had consumed alcohol. While this study excluded any consideration of other parenting methods, and the result does not necessarily illustrate a causal relationship, it is interesting.

Many recent studies have shown that family involvement and family oriented activities, such as eating dinner together frequently, can reduce a teen’s risk of drug and alcohol abuse. The influence of the media is frequently cited as contributing to the premature death of childhood, and perhaps R-rated movies, “tween” make-up marketing, and the bombardment of teens by other media sources really is contributing to increased alcohol consumption by teenagers. When I was a teen, I felt grown up, and what can grown ups do that teens can’t? Drink! Every week there are studies suggesting some thing or another is contributing to teen alcohol abuse. Perhaps rather than focusing on the causes, we should be focusing on treating the kids that have already crossed the line- kids who are severely at risk for injury and death. Teen drug and alcohol treatment doesn’t judge. It is there to help teens get their lives back in order. Whatever the causes, THERE IS A SOLUTION.