Is Your Teen Depressed? – Schedule a Consultation with a Visions Psychologist

Teen depression treatment starts within the family. Learning about the signs, symptoms, and effects of depression can help the teen and the family in several ways including;

• Family and friends can learn and understand the symptoms of the condition and how it can impact on the teen’s relationship with others, willingness towards class and school and the ability to complete assignments.
• The family learns how to make the environment safer for their depressed teen.
• Family learns about the various treatment options including the pros and cons of each option.
• And most importantly, the family can learn how to help the depressed teen.  

There are three categories of teen depression; mild, moderate and major depression. Teens with mild and moderate depression can be treated with counseling (psychotherapy) alone. It is only if the depressive symptoms don’t improve in 6-12 weeks, or if the symptoms actually worsen that antidepressant medication may be recommended.  Adolescents with severe depression are treated using psychotherapy programs such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or interpersonal psychotherapy, plus one or more medications.

Psychotherapy at Visions

Psychological services at Visions are provided by contracted psychologists. These psychologists, upon receipt of a psychological treatment referral forms conduct several comprehensive assessments regarding personality characteristics, social adaptability, intellectual functioning, and screenings – to see if there are any organic dysfunctions. Visions assessments are first class, tools used are modern and the inventories and questionnaires are standardized. The psychologists have adequate projective skills to deal with clinical symptoms discovered. Information gathered from psychological assessments is used in forming interdisciplinary treatment plans and making dispositional decisions.

Initial therapy often involves identifying factors that are contributing to and sustaining the depression. Unproductive behavior patterns are changed.

Objectives of psychological services include;

• Encouraging and motivating the teens to achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
• Helping them realize the presence of destructive behaviors in their lives and their effects on themselves, as well as their parents and friends.
• Helping the teens learn alternative behaviors that are more effective at solving their problems.
• Helping them identify and change behaviors that may cause relapse.

Click below or call 866-889-3665 to speak with a Visions professional about teen depression treatment.

Teen Depression Treatment without Losing Your Child

Until recently, it was thought that children and teens don’t get depressed. Parents used to think that these young ones actually had nothing to worry about as long as most of their needs are provided. Sadly, they do. Recent statistics place suicide as the third leading cause of death, and most suicide incidences in teens are caused by untreated depression. Other worrying statistics about teen depression include;  

• The average age of depression is 14 years
• By the time they are 20, 20% of adolescents will have experienced depression.
• More than 70 percent of teens who undergo treatment often show reduction in symptoms. However, only 20% of these teens usually get any treatment for their depression.
• Untreated depression can lead to alcohol and drug abuse. Depression may also cause academic failure as well as eating and sleeping disorders.

Treatment

Depending on the severity of the depression, the teen can be treated by counseling or using medications.

Psychotherapy – Counseling as a treatment for depression is also known as psychotherapy or talk therapy. It is diagnosed for teens with mild or moderate depression. The main aim of psychological treatment is to teach patients and their families or guardians to understand both themselves and the nature of their depression. They are taught how to deal with low moods and introduced to alternative, more productive behaviors. These kids also learn to manage their relationships and are taught to develop useful strategies for stressors associated with their depression.

The teen, family, teachers and the therapist must work together for successful treatment.

Antidepressant medication – severe depression or what is medically known as major depression is treated using one or more medication plans in addition to psychotherapy.  Medication is prescribed by a pediatrician or a psychiatrist. A psychiatrist is simply a medical doctor who specializes in treatment of mental health problems.

Treatment with antidepressants helps reestablish normal balance of chemicals in the brain. Classes of antidepressants that can be used in treatment of depression in teens include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs). As a parent or guardian of the teen, you should discuss the pros and cons of the prescribed medication beforehand. You may also want to know how long the antidepressants will take before there are observable changes.

Please call 866-889-3665 or click below to speak to a Visions professional about teen depression treatment.

Kids and Substance Abuse – substance abuse programs

Abuse of drugs and other illegal substances in kids is on the rise. You might ask why these young people would start using drugs at such tender ages. Well, the writing is on the wall, many of these kids learn about tobacco smoking and use of alcohol directly from adults, often their parents. Others abuse drugs as a sign of rebellion, out of curiosity or to escape from situations.  

When you are certain your kid is abusing a drug, the first step is to talk to them about it. Additionally, you’ll need to find an effective substance abuse program to help the child rediscover the importance of, and live a drug-free life.

Selecting the right drug abuse program

There are a number of factors to be considered when selecting a substance abuse program for the kid.

• Of course the program must be affordable; you don’t want to pick a program that leaves you in huge debt at the end of the treatment period.
• You may also want to know whether or not your insurance plan covers for this need. If they do, well and good. If not, you may have to raise the whole budget on your own.
• Consider the location of the program. How far is it from home? Is it accessible? Will you be able to visit your loved one as often as possible? Does the environment promise a peaceful recovery?
• Facilities – Consider things like nutrition and education. If your kid is going to stay at the facility, you’d also want to know the status of the sleeping quarters. How many residents share a room? Do males live separately from females? Will the diet be appropriate and sufficient for your child?
• Philosophy of the treatment program – what are goals of the program? How do they intend to achieve these goals?
• Program accreditation and licensing – confirm that the program is credited by the state it is in. Also ensure that it is run by licensed, well-trained professionals.
• After-care support programs – does the program offer after care support services such as referrals and support groups? If so, at what cost and how effective is the program.

Great substance addiction treatment programs have a clear strategy of returning patients to a healthy, more productive lifestyle.

Click below or call 866-889-3665 to speak to a professional about substance abuse programs.

Southern California Teen Depression Centers

Teen depression treatment has to be a continual effort. This is because depression doesn’t come once in a lifetime. Even adults sometimes get depressed. It is therefore important that depressed teens get to fully learn how to deal with life’s stressors so that they don’t get overwhelmed in the future. If they can understand what depression really is, learn about its symptoms and know how depression affects their futures and the lives of the people close to them, these adolescents would be motivated to achieve and maintain healthy behaviors. They would strive to stay away from problematic attitudes that stimulate relapse.  

That is exactly what Visions Teen Depression Treatment Centers in southern California aim to achieve; helping these teens recognize the existence and impacts of destructive behaviors in their lives and equipping them with skills necessary to formulate alternative, effective solutions to everyday problems.

At the southern California teen depression treatment facilities, depression treatment is a consolidated effort where the patients, their families and therapists work together to return the teens to a healthy and productive lifestyle and help them sustain this status. The treatment plan is accomplished in four stages;

1. Therapeutic treatment – therapeutic services are provided to reduce symptoms. Patients are assessed on an individual level and their medical, psychiatric and psychological needs attended to. Services are provided by licensed medical doctors and psychiatrists.
2. Adjunct services – these include nutritional, equine and conditioning services and are provided to help the patients achieve faster, long-term recovery. Other services under this category include an onsite school, psychological services and discharge and aftercare programs.
3. Family treatment – when your teen is depressed, the family is normally equally affected. Family treatments enable this group to understand depression in teens and their roles in improving the patient’s life. They are taught to remain supportive and hopeful during and after treatment.
4. Alumni programs – alumni programs are designed to help teens who have undergone treatment sustain healthy lifestyles. Residents attend up to two aftercare group sessions weekly and will have their support calls answered by the alumni coordinator. Alumni also have access to annual alumni events.

70% of teens who undergo depression treatment usually exhibit a reduction in symptoms. Please click below or call one of our specialists on 866-889-3665 to schedule your consultation.

Get Help for your Child from Top California Substance Abuse Programs

Substance abuse is the consumption of illegal or prescription drugs or other chemicals for nonmedical, recreational purposes. Most people who abuse substances do it to elicit a certain effect in the mind and the body in general. Abuse often begins as self medication, as a reaction or in escape of reality, but soon leads to uncontrollable dependence marked with cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Drug abuse in children can cause irreparable damage to both physical and mental health often leading to stained relationships and poor academic performance. Consequences of drug abuse can also be fatal. Suicide which is the third leading cause of death in children is largely caused by substance abuse and mental issues.  

As soon as you suspect that your child is abusing a drug, it is important that you talk to him or her about the harmful effects of the drug. You can know they are addicted if you observe the following signs and symptoms;

• Drastic and sudden changes in mood and behavior.
• Unexpected changes in grooming and clothing habits
• Existence of suspicious drug paraphernalia in the home such as syringes, rolling papers, butane lighteners, unexplained pipes and makeshift smoking apparatus among others.
• Physical and health issues including nosebleeds, runny noses, excessive coughs and bronchitis, dental problems, red eyes and loss in weight among others.
• Psychological and cognitive symptoms including delusions, hallucinations, lowered threshold for violence, slow to react, slow speech, disorientation and confusion.
• Altered sleep and eating patterns
• Withdrawal from friends and family members and a loss in interest in once adored  activities

Treatment at Visions California based residential treatment center

At Visions Residential Treatment facility in California, children are taught how they can live a healthy, more rewarding life away from drugs. Unfortunately, many kids actually learn about the use of drugs from adults. Some start using drugs because they have seen others using it. If these kids were made to understand that drugs are actually bad not only for themselves but for the community in general, they would with time change their perceptions and try to live a life away from these harmful substances. The drug abuse program at Visions California aims to make these kids recognize the existence of, and change destructive behaviors in their lives.

Call 866-889-3665 to speak with a Visions professional about substance abuse programs.

Find Day Schools for Troubled Teenagers in Southern CA

Visions Day School program provides a setting conducive for the emotional and cognitive development of troubled teenagers.  

The objectives of the facility include:

• To provide teenagers with a positive, clinically supported education program.
• To enable the adolescent to complete their General Education or to reintegrate into a normal high school environment.

Alternatively, teens can opt to:

• Successfully complete their academic curriculum at the center and graduate with a Visions Day School Certificate
•  Get their college preparation education at the facility
• Complete their honors level work at the institution
• Take up lessons in courses that were missed due to sickness

Mentally challenged teens are better off learning in special environments and that is what Visions education facility promises. These kids need closer attention and thrive most in one-to-one learning sessions. Since they have been struggling with emotions for quite some time, their learning environment should make it easy for them to stay grounded amid their challenges; they must be able to keep perspective in the face of all their troubles.

Balancing the two is never easy. Most mentally challenged teens usually think they are being secluded from the rest of the community which can negatively impact how they approach school and class work. This feeling, if not checked, can increase their depression symptoms such as hopelessness and loneliness.

At Visions Adolescent Day School, priority is given to making the teens understand their problems and see the need to seek a positive lifestyle. If they can realize that mental challenges are not an abnormality, they will develop great confidence and strength to navigate through their challenges.

Some of the features of the programs for troubled youth include:

• It is open to males and females between 13 and 18 years of age
• The program is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)
• Curriculum is transferable
• Remedial to honors level programs are offered
• Education is planned at individual level
• 3:1 student to teacher ratio which promises plenty of time for one-on-one sessions
• Counseling is also individualized
• Students are randomly tested for drugs every week
• Continual supervision

The education program is tailored to meet the special needs of students enabling them to move on to higher levels of education.

Please call 866-889-3665 or click below for more information on Visions Adolescent Day School and programs for troubled youth.

Find a Residential Treatment Center for Adolescent Drug Addiction

There are several reasons why a child would start using drugs.  

• Rebellion – wayward children often smoke just to show that they are free from family rules and norms.
• Curiosity – your child has probably seen others smoke. He or she has seen adverts on TV saying that smoking or drinking is bad. Out of curiosity, they may decide to try out the drug.
• Thrill seeking – if these kids already know that certain substances can alter consciousness enabling them to “enjoy” certain activities, they will be tempted to always use such drugs.
• Escape from situations – most kids, especially those who have tried a specific drug to escape from pain or a stressor in the past, will often go back to that drug to induce a relaxed feeling.
• Learning from adults – a number of teens drink or smoke because they see adults, including their parents, guardians or visiting friends, smoking.
• Many kids also abuse drugs out of peer pressure

Teen addiction treatment at Visions Adolescent Residential Treatment facility

Visions Adolescent Residential Treatment center in Malibu, California now offers a drug addiction treatment program that can help your teen realize the harmful effects of abusing drugs and assist them in changing distractive behaviors to become productive people in society.

The objectives of the treatment program include;

• To encourage and motivate teens to achieve and maintain a drug free lifestyle.
• Helping the teens identify situations which may cause people to use drugs to cope with life’s stressors, and making them understand that drug abuse actually doesn’t solve any problem.
• Equipping the adolescents with skills necessary to formulate new, more effective problem solving strategies.
• Introducing residents to the 12-step philosophy and motivating them to participate in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA) and/or Cocaine Anonymous (CA).
• Helping them recognize the existence of and change destructive behaviors in their lives.

The residential program involves families of residents in the treatment plan to reduce dysfunction within the family. The adolescent are assed and treated for psychological, psychiatric and medical problems. Kids whose needs cannot be met at the facility will be referred for specialized treatment. The teens are also assisted in resolving any legal issues facing them.

Click below to schedule your consultation or call 866-889-3665 to talk to one of our specialists.